Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Event-based control for dissolved oxygen and nitrogen in wastewater treatment plants

This paper addresses the problem of basic control loops in wastewater treatment plants. By basic control loops we are referring to the traditional dissolved oxygen and nitrates. In a usual activated sludge process based wastewater treatment plant, these controls are located, respectively, at the aerated and anoxic sections. They are the basic controls more sophisticated control solutions can be based upon. Therefore it is important that these loops perform in an efficient way. The problem is addressed here within the framework provided by the Benchmark Simulation Model Number 1 (BSMI) and by the use of an event-based solution. As far as to the knowledge of the authors, no solution based on this kind of controllers has been proposed already in the literature. The controllers are taken as of similar complexity as the ones provided as default control strategy in the BSMI, therefor being the main difference, the possibilities provided by the event-based implementation. It will be verified that the solution can slightly improve the performance of the already exiting controllers both at loop level as well as at plant operation level.
Extraction of Relative Permittivity from Measured Reflection Coefficient of Dielectric Materials in the Frequency Range 207 – 247 GHz

This work describes the use of millimetre wave technology to extract the dielectric constants of different types of dielectric materials. The extraction of the dielectric materials is based on measurements (i.e., monostatic measurements) of the reflection coefficient for various dielectricmaterials. The measurements are done by utilizing a frequency modulated continuous wave radar with a dielectric lens antenna. The investigated materials are broadly utilized as a part of our everyday life. The fundamental dielectric materials outcomes are done for the following accompanying materials: Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), mainly Teflon, nylon, and. The measurements are done in the frequency range from 207 GHz to 247 GHz.
The effects of perceived risk and responsibility on the acceptance of a Human Papillomavirus vaccine by college men

In the summer of 2006 the Food and Drug Administration approved a new vaccine to prevent four types of the Human Papillomavirus believed to cause the majority of genital warts and cervical cancer in women. Since that time the vaccine has experienced considerable uptake among women while it has also been met by some criticism. Current medical research aims to understand if the vaccine, which has been approved only for women, could be used to prevent HPV in men. Little empirical research has been conducted to understand whether or not men would be willing to receive a vaccine for a sexually transmitted infection that poses few serious health risks for them. This research investigates the level of acceptance among a sample of males at a large public university in New Hampshire as well as some of the possible predictors of men's acceptance of a Human Papillomavirus vaccine. Specifically, men's perceived risk for contracting the virus and its possible health consequences and their perceived sense of responsibility for sexual behavior will be examined as predictors of vaccine acceptance.
The Production of Clitic Pronouns: A Study on Bilingual and Monolingual Dyslexic Children

Clitic production is reported to be challenging for impaired children, suffering from dyslexia or SLI, and for early second language learners too. On the contrary, research has not directly investigated the relation between dyslexia, bilingualism and clitic production. The aim of our study is that of addressing this topic, by analyzing the performance of 4 groups of children in a clitic elicitation task: 25 Italian monolingual dyslexic children (mean age 10;08 years old), 33 Italian monolingual typically developing children (9;99 years old), 25 bilingual dyslexic children with Italian as L2 (10;31 years old) and 31 bilingual typically developing children with Italian as L2 (10;30 years old). As inclusion criteria, bilingual children had at least 5 years of exposure to Italian, including 3 years of consecutive school attendance in Italy. Clitic production was assessed by means of an elicitation task in which the pronoun had to be produced either in the simple present or in the present perfect; higher difficulties were expected in this last condition, in which the clitic has to agree in gender and number with the past participle. Results revealed that dyslexic children, both monolingual and bilingual, performed worse than controls both in the simple present and in the present perfect, indicating that clitic production is challenging in dyslexia. As for the bilingual children, instead, differences were found between the two tasks. In the simple present, bilingual children performed very accurately and similarly to their monolingual peers, indicating that a target performance with clitics is accomplished by typically developing children with a longer exposure to Italian and suggesting that previously reported difficulties were related to linguistic immaturity and are likely to disappear as their L2 exposure and competence grow. In the present perfect, instead, both groups of bilinguals performed worse than their monolingual peers, suggesting that bilingualism could exacerbate the difficulties in the most challenging condition. Importantly, however, no negative effect of bilingualism in clitic production was found once controlling for the subjects' vocabulary, evidencing the importance of lexical competence in the target language for a native-like performance in clitic production.
DENGUE IN PREGNANCY- ARE WE LOOKING AT IT CLOSELY.

Dengue is an endemic tropical disease in India. The incidence has been increasing consistently in this last decade and is now a major public health problem. Dengue in pregnancy has not been extensively studied. The aim of the study was to investigate maternal and perinatal outcomes of dengue at one of the tertiary care centers in Southern India. A retrospective study was undertaken during the two successive outbreaks and case records of women from 2008-2010 with positive dengue Ig M were reviewed. Three cases were diagnosed as dengue fever with no signs of DSS and DHF and all three patients presented with febrile illness with rashes. All three were primigravida. The mean age of pregnant women was 31 years and their mean gestational age was 21 weeks. While one of the patients had complete abortion, the other two women completed their terms with full term normal vaginal deliveries. There were no premature births or congenital anomalies. There were no maternal deaths. All the three patients received fluid replacements with one receiving platelet transfusions. Dengue in pregnancy may not always result in poor maternal and perinatal outcomes. More such studies from this part of the world are needed to establish strong cause-effect relationships in pregnant women. Ongoing preventive measures against dengue in the endemic regions need a booster.
Connecting the Dots Between MLE and RL for Sequence Generation

Sequence prediction models can be learned from example sequences with a variety of training algorithms. Maximum likelihood learning is simple and efficient, yet can suffer from compounding error at test time. Reinforcement learning such as policy gradient addresses the issue but can have prohibitively poor exploration efficiency. A rich set of other algorithms such as RAML, SPG, and data noising, have also been developed from different perspectives. This paper establishes a formal connection between these algorithms. We present a generalized entropy regularized policy optimization formulation, and show that the apparently distinct algorithms can all be reformulated as special instances of the framework, with the only difference being the configurations of a reward function and a couple of hyperparameters. The unified interpretation offers a systematic view of the varying properties of exploration and learning efficiency. Besides, inspired from the framework, we present a new algorithm that dynamically interpolates among the family of algorithms for scheduled sequence model learning. Experiments on machine translation, text summarization, and game imitation learning demonstrate the superiority of the proposed algorithm.
Abuse Potential of Samidorphan: A Phase I, Oxycodone‐, Pentazocine‐, Naltrexone‐, and Placebo‐Controlled Study

Samidorphan is a μ‐opioid receptor antagonist in development for the treatment of schizophrenia, in combination with olanzapine, and major depressive disorder, in combination with buprenorphine, at proposed therapeutic doses of samidorphan 10 mg and 2 mg, respectively. A double‐blind, double‐dummy, active‐ and placebo‐controlled, crossover study evaluated the abuse potential of samidorphan in healthy, nondependent, recreational opioid users. Following a qualification phase, participants were randomized to 1 of 6 treatment sequences of study drugs: placebo, samidorphan (10 or 30 mg), oxycodone (40 mg), pentazocine (30 mg), and naltrexone (100 mg) in a 6 × 6 Williams design. The primary end point was maximum effect (Emax) for “at‐the‐moment” Drug Liking visual analog scale scores. Secondary end points included Emax visual analog scale scores for Take Drug Again and Overall Drug Liking and safety assessments. Among 47 participants, at‐the‐moment Emax Drug Liking scores for positive study controls oxycodone and pentazocine were significantly higher than placebo (P < .001) and samidorphan (both doses; P < .001). Both samidorphan doses had Emax Drug Liking scores similar to placebo and naltrexone (median within‐subject differences of 0.0). Emax Take Drug Again scores for samidorphan (both doses) were higher than placebo, but similar to naltrexone, an unscheduled μ‐opioid receptor antagonist. Adverse events to evaluate abuse potential occurred less frequently with samidorphan, naltrexone, and placebo than with oxycodone and pentazocine. Findings from this study support a lack of abuse potential with samidorphan at doses up to 30 mg and a safety profile consistent with previous samidorphan clinical studies.
Development of Phosphatized Calcium Carbonate Biominerals as Bioactive Bone Graft Substitute Materials, Part II: Functionalization with Antibacterial Silver Ions

Porous calcium phosphate (CaP) materials as bone graft substitutes can be prepared from Ca carbonate biomineral structures by hydrothermal conversion into pseudomorphic CaP scaffolds. The present study aims at furnishing such phosphatized Ca carbonate biomineral (PCCB) materials with antibacterial Ag ions in order to avoid perisurgical wound infections. Prior to this study, PCCB materials with Mg and/or Sr ions incorporated for stimulating bone formation were prepared from coral skeletons and sea urchin spines as starting materials. The porous PCCB materials were treated with aqueous solutions of Ag nitrate with concentrations of 10 or 100 mmol/L, resulting in the formation of Ag phosphate nanoparticles on the sample surfaces through a replacement reaction. The materials were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD). In contact with Ringer`s solution, the Ag phosphate nanoparticles dissolved and released Ag ions with concentrations up to 0.51 mg/L, as shown by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) analyses. In tests against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus on agar plates, antibacterial properties were similar for both types of Ag-modified PCCB materials. Concerning the antibacterial performance, the treatment with AgNO3 solutions with 10 mmol/L was almost as effective as with 100 mmol/L.
An approach to model based fault diagnosis of industrial robots

A method for the incipient fault diagnosis of industrial robot mechanics is proposed. It is based on mathematical models expressed in terms of nonlinear differential equations for a robot's different axes. The parameters of these models directly represent characteristic physical quantities (process coefficients), which are calculated by a suitable parameter estimation procedure. Additionally, a simple but efficient approach to the statistical classification of the determined values is devised. The proposed fault diagnosis method needs only measurements from sensors which are necessary for robot control purposes, therefore no additional sensors ae required. Experimental results obtained from an industrial robot show the feasibility of the proposed approach. Practical issues concerning implementation and application are discussed. <<ETX>>
Understanding the Determinants of Enterprise Social Network Use

This research addresses the question of why employees use enterprise social networks (ESN). Against the background of technology acceptance research, we propose an extended unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) model, adapt it to an ESN context, and test our model against data from ESN users of large and medium-sized enterprises. We use partial least squares structural equation modeling to gain insights into the determinants of ESN use. This paper contributes to ESN acceptance research by evaluating a model containing determinants of ESN use. It also examines the effects of determinants on five different usage dimensions of ESN. The results reveal that facilitating conditions are the main driver of ESN use while the impact of intention to use is comparably small. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.
Sampling design and methodology of the Violence Against Children and Youth Surveys

Introduction Globally 1 billion children are exposed to violence every year. The Violence Against Children Surveys (VACS) are nationally representative surveys of males and females ages 13–24 that are intended to measure the burden of sexual, physical and emotional violence experienced in childhood, adolescence and young adulthood. It is important to document the methodological approach and design of the VACS to better understand the national estimates that are produced in each country, which are used to drive violence prevention efforts. Methods This study describes the surveys’ target population, sampling design, statistical considerations, data collection process, priority violence indicators and data dissemination. Results Twenty-four national household surveys have been completed or are being planned in countries across Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Central and South America, and Eastern Europe. The sample sizes range from 891 to 7912 among females (72%–98% response rate) and 803–2717 among males (66%–98% response rate). Two face-to-face interviews are conducted: a Household and an Individual Questionnaire. A standard set of core priority indicators are generated for each country that range from prevalence of different types of violence, contexts, risk and protective factors, and health consequences. Results are disseminated through various platforms to expand the reach and impact of the survey results. Conclusion Data obtained through VACS can inform development and implementation of effective prevention strategies and improve health service provision for all who experience violence. VACS serves as a standardised tool to inform and drive prevention through high-quality, comprehensive data.
Effects of Common CYP1A2 Genotypes and Other Key Factors on Intraindividual Variation in the Caffeine Metabolic Ratio: An Exploratory Analysis

The caffeine metabolic ratio is an established marker for cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A2 activity. Optimal sample size calculation for clinical pharmacokinetic xenobiotic–caffeine interaction studies requires robust estimates of interindividual and intraindividual variation in this ratio. Compared with interindividual variation, factors contributing to intraindividual variation are less defined. An exploratory analysis involving healthy nonsmoking non‐naïve caffeine drinkers (1–3 cups/day; 12 men, 12 women) administered caffeine (160 mg) on five occasions evaluated the effects of CYP1A2 induction status (based on genotype) and other factors on intraindividual variation in CYP1A2 activity. Results were compared with those from previous studies. Regardless of whether a hyperinducer (CYP1A2*1A/*1F or CYP1A2*1F/*1F) or normal metabolizer (CYP1A2*1A/*1A, CYP1A2*1C/*1F, or CYP1A2*1C*1F/*1C*1F), sex, age, oral contraceptive use by women, and smoking status, intraindividual variation was ≤30%. A value of 30% is proposed for optimal design of pharmacokinetic xenobiotic–caffeine interaction studies. Prospective studies are needed for confirmation.
Understanding the surgical care needs and use of outpatient surgical care services among homeless patients at the Ottawa Hospital

Background The use of outpatient health care services by homeless people is low compared to their high level of need; however, it is unclear whether this applies to surgical care. We sought to describe surgical care access among homeless patients in a Canadian tertiary care setting. Methods We reviewed the medical records of adult (age > 18 yr) patients with no fixed address or a shelter address who presented to The Ottawa Hospital Emergency Department from Jan. 1, 2013, to Dec. 31, 2014, and required surgical referral. We analyzed the data using descriptive statistics. Results A surgical referral was initiated in 129 emergency department visits for 97 patients (77 men [79%], mean age 46.7 yr). Most patients lived in shelters (77 [79%]) and had provincial health insurance (82 [84%]), but only 35 (36%) had a primary care physician. The mean number visits for any reason was 7.9 (standard deviation 13.7) (range 1–106). The majority of surgical referrals (83 [64.3%]) were for traumatic injuries, and the most frequently consulted service (52 [40.3%]) was orthopedic surgery. Just under half (48 [49%]) of referred patients attended at least 1 outpatient appointment, and only a third (33 [34%]) completed full follow-up. Conclusion Homeless patients presenting to an emergency department and requiring surgical care were predominantly men living in shelters, most frequently seeking care for traumatic injuries. Current outpatient services may not meet the surgical care needs of these patients, as many do not access them. Alternative approaches to outpatient care must be considered, particularly among high-need services such as orthopedics, to support surgical care access among this population.
Learning with Stochastic Guidance for Navigation

Due to the sparse rewards and high degree of environment variation, reinforcement learning approaches such as Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (DDPG) are plagued by issues of high variance when applied in complex real world environments. We present a new framework for overcoming these issues by incorporating a stochastic switch, allowing an agent to choose between high and low variance policies. The stochastic switch can be jointly trained with the original DDPG in the same framework. In this paper, we demonstrate the power of the framework in a navigation task, where the robot can dynamically choose to learn through exploration, or to use the output of a heuristic controller as guidance. Instead of starting from completely random moves, the navigation capability of a robot can be quickly bootstrapped by several simple independent controllers. The experimental results show that with the aid of stochastic guidance we are able to effectively and efficiently train DDPG navigation policies and achieve significantly better performance than state-of-the-art baselines models.
Identification of Mycobacterium genavense natural infection in a domestic ferret

A 6-y-old neutered male ferret (Mustela putorius furo) was presented because of a 1-mo history of progressive weight loss, chronic cough, and hair loss. On clinical examination, the animal was coughing, slightly depressed, moderately hypothermic, and had bilateral epiphora. Thoracic radiography was suggestive of severe multinodular interstitial pneumonia. Abdominal ultrasound examination revealed hepatosplenomegaly and mesenteric and pancreaticoduodenal lymphadenopathy. Fine-needle aspiration of the pancreaticoduodenal lymph node, followed by routine Romanowsky and Ziehl–Neelsen stains, revealed numerous macrophages containing myriad acid-fast bacilli, leading to identification of mycobacteriosis. Autopsy and histologic examination confirmed the presence of disseminated, poorly defined, acid-fast, bacilli-rich granulomas in the pancreaticoduodenal and mesenteric lymph nodes, intestines, and lungs. Destaining of May-Grünwald/Giemsa–stained slides with alcohol, and then restaining with Ziehl–Neelsen, revealed acid-fast rods and avoided repeat tissue sampling without affecting the Ziehl–Neelsen stain quality and cytologic features. Tissue samples were submitted for a PCR assay targeting the heat shock protein gene (hsp65) and revealed 100% homology with Mycobacterium genavense. We emphasize the use of special stains and PCR for identification of this potential zoonotic agent.
Modelos experimentais de resistência à insulina e obesidade: lições aprendidas

For better understanding the role of each element involved in the physiopathology of obesity and insulin resistance, researchers can use experimental models, which may in controlled manner evaluate the participation of each element on the obesity and insulin resistance and provide information for better understanding the physiopathology and treatment of obesity and insulin resistance. Experimental obesity and insulin resistance can be due to a deficient response to leptin, secondary to hypoleptinemia and/or mutations on leptin receptor, by modifications on insulin receptor, deletion or diminished insulin signal transduction, enhancement of the effects of orexigen peptides and/or diminution of anorexigen peptides actions on hypothalamus, as well as secondary to arterial hypertension, as in the spontaneously hypertension. Obesity and insulin resistance can also be induced by glucocorticoid excess, frutose enriched and cafeteria diet and due to hypothalamus lesions induced by neonatal administration of monossodium glutamate.
Sleep Disorders are a Prevalent and Serious Comorbidity in Dry Eye.

Purpose Sleep is an essential life habit and closely associated with lifespan, diabetes, hypertension, and mental health. Sleep disorders are a prominent, but overlooked problem in patients with dry eye disease (DED), characterized by a poor sleep index, short sleep duration, long sleep latency, and poor subjective sleep. DED and sleep disorders are more prevalent in women than men. Moreover, sleep quality in DED is worse than in other eye diseases, including glaucoma, retinal diseases, cataract, and allergic and chronic conjunctivitis. Methods We reviewed the literature for studies investigating sleep and health, eyes and sleep, and DED and sleep, in terms of systemic and eye health, especially in women. Results Two studies reported that approximately half of patients with DED suffer from poor sleep. The severity of mood disorders, including anxiety and depression, is correlated strongly with sleep disorders in DED, and the symptoms and signs of DED, especially pain, also are correlated with sleep quality. Sleep disorders are documented in primary Sjögren's syndrome and an association with sleep apnea and depression is suggested. Primary Sjögren's syndrome includes arthritis and other rheumatic disease causing pain and fatigue; however, how sicca contributes to sleep disorders is not known. Conclusions Possible explanations for sleep disorders in DED may be depression, pain, and eye exposure at night. Reciprocal effects may be expected and consultation-liaison psychiatry is recommended for the management of sleep disorders in DED. Topical medication and lid heating also may be advantageous for sleep quality in DED.