Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Estimation of electric arc power loss using net emission coefficient of argon

The contribution deals with a calculation of power irradiated from the intensively blasted electric arc burning in the arc heater's anode channel. Previously discovered discrepancy between the computed and measured power loss of electric arc burning in individual parts of the arc heater's anode channel has been the motivation for searching a more suitable way of computing the arc power loss, instead of the older method based on a constant power loss ratio. Furthermore, prior research has shown that radiation is a highly prevailing mechanism of transmitting power from the arc column to the anode channel wall. Thus, a new calculation procedure has been designed for the estimation of the arc power loss distribution along the anode channel, using theoretically computed net emission coefficient of argon. In the paper, the method is described in detail and its applicability is demonstrated on typical examples. Obviously, very good agreement between calculated and experimental results has been achieved.
Wireless Capacitive-Based ECG Sensing for Feature Extraction and Mobile Health Monitoring

In this paper, the concept of a wireless wearable device capable of measuring electrocardiogram (ECG) and respiration rate (RR) through the use of non-contact capacitive-based electrodes was designed and implemented. Both ECG and RR were measured using only the active electrodes and an analog conditioning circuit. The device utilizes Bluetooth low energy for low-power wireless communication to the remote server. The measured data is used to calculate heart rate variability, RR, and extract ECG related features. It was found that the use of non-contact active chest electrodes is a viable approach for measurement. The system focuses on user comfort and the minimization of the ratio of the number of wearable sensors to sensed physiological parameters.
Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis: A Case Series

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) has been recognized as an inflammatory endpoint for a variety of conditions including autoimmune diseases, malignancies and infections. It can be further classified as primary and secondary HLH. Primary HLH is also known as familial HLH. It usually presents in childhood and can be associated with gene mutations. Secondary HLH is also known as acquired HLH and usually presents in adulthood. In comparison to children, it is difficult to diagnose adults with HLH since it occurs with a variety of different diseases and most of the literature on HLH is derived from a pediatric population. In this case series, we report two cases of HLH that illustrate the difficulty of making this diagnosis and a brief review of the literature on its pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and a subsequent therapeutic approach.
Effect of Crude Soy Lecithin with or without Lipase on Performance and Carcass Traits, Meat Keeping Quality and Economics of Broiler Chicken

The experiment was conducted using four hundred commercial day old (Vencobb) broiler chicks for 42 days. The experiment was designed to evaluate the effect of crude soy lecithin with or without lipase on performance, carcass traits and keeping quality of meat of broiler chickens. The birds were divided into four dietary treatments with four replicates of 25 birds each. The treatment groups comprised of A ( controlbasal diet) without soy lecithin and Lipase while B basal diet with lipase, C Basal diet with 50% soy lecithin and D Basal diet with 50% soy lecithin and lipase. The data obtained were subjected to Analysis of variance in a completely randomized Design. The significant (P<0.01) influence of soy lecithin alone or in combination with lipase enzyme on cumulative weight gain, feed consumption and FCR was observed. The edible carcass yield percent was found significant (P<0.05) higher in lecithin alone or lipase enzyme supplemented groups. The higher livability was recorded in soy lecithin alone or in combination with lipase enzyme compared to control groups. The TBA values of broiler meat on 15 th day of storage showed significant (P<0.05) difference between the treatment groups. The findings concluded that dietary supplementation with soy lecithin alone and in combination with lipase enzyme influenced oxidative stability in breast and thigh muscle. Supplementation of crude soy lecithin alone or in combination with lipase enzyme enhanced the net profit per kg of live weight. It is concluded that the supplementation of soy lecithin alone or in combination with lipase enzyme through feed in broilers is beneficial for bird’s performance, carcass traits, improved oxidative stability, and thereby increasing shelf life of meat during refrigerated storage and profitability.
Interplay Between Membrane Permeability and Enzymatic Barrier Leads to Antibiotic-Dependent Resistance in Klebsiella Pneumoniae

The interplay between membrane permeability alterations and the enzymatic barrier contributes to Klebsiella pneumoniae multidrug resistance. We assessed the specific effect of the efflux levels of the main efflux pumps (AcrAB and OqxAB), alone and associated with the loss of the main porins (OmpK35 and OMPK36), on the activity of various antibiotics by constructing a set of K. pneumoniae isogenic strains, including strains with plasmid-mediated β-lactamases (DHA-1, CTX-M-15, and OXA-48). The two pumps contributed to intrinsic chloramphenicol resistance and AcrAB to that of nalidixic acid and cefoxitin, whereas they had no impact on the activity of the other 11 antibiotics tested. We confirmed the expulsion of these three antibiotics by the two overproduced pumps and that of tigecycline by overproduced AcrAB, and showed that overproduced AcrAB also expelled ertapenem, piperacillin, ceftolozane, and ceftazidime. The sole loss of porins did not significantly affect the activity of the tested antibiotics, except ertapenem. The effect of efflux increases and porin loss on β-lactam activity was the highest in plasmid-mediated β-lactamase-producing strains. Thus, DHA-1-producing strains became non-susceptible (NS) to (i) ertapenem when there was an increase in efflux or porin loss, (ii) imipenem and ceftazidime+avibactam when the two mechanisms were associated, and (iii) temocillin when AcrAB was overproduced. The CTX-M-15-producing strains became NS to (i) ertapenem when there was no porin, (ii) ceftolozane+tazobactam when there was either overproduced OqxAB or porin loss, and (iii) temocillin when AcrAB was overproduced. OXA-48-producing strains known to be NS to temocillin were also NS to ceftolozane and they became NS to imipenem when the two pumps were overproduced or there was porin loss. Overall, this study shows that the balance between influx and efflux differentially modulates the activity of the tested antibiotics, an important point for evaluating the activity of future antibiotics or new combinations.
A Context-Aware Nonnegative Matrix Factorization Framework for Traffic Accident Risk Estimation via Heterogeneous Data

Traffic accidents have significantly globally increased over the past decades. The safety of transportation system has become an important issue for human society. Efficiently estimating accident risk will help for alleviating these safety issues and improving safety investment. As accidents are always caused by complex factors, heterogeneous data and a suitable model to combine these data information are needed in accident risk analysis. In this paper, we proposed a framework which utilizes matrix factorization method to estimate accident risk. First, we collect heterogeneous data and extract features from them so that we can get feature matrices to describe the background when accidents happened. Furthermore, we utilize context-aware non-negative matrix factorization method to model accident risk in a citywide scale. The results validate the efficiency of our model, and suggest that accident risk estimation can be significantly more accurate with heterogeneous data even accident data is missing or environment changes.
Toward a chemical reanalysis in a coupled chemistry‐climate model: An evaluation of MOPITT CO assimilation and its impact on tropospheric composition

We examine in detail a 1 year global reanalysis of carbon monoxide (CO) that is based on joint assimilation of conventional meteorological observations and Measurement of Pollution in The Troposphere (MOPITT) multispectral CO retrievals in the Community Earth System Model (CESM). Our focus is to assess the impact to the chemical system when CO distribution is constrained in a coupled full chemistry‐climate model like CESM. To do this, we first evaluate the joint reanalysis (MOPITT Reanalysis) against four sets of independent observations and compare its performance against a reanalysis with no MOPITT assimilation (Control Run). We then investigate the CO burden and chemical response with the aid of tagged sectoral CO tracers. We estimate the total tropospheric CO burden in 2002 (from ensemble mean and spread) to be 371 ± 12% Tg for MOPITT Reanalysis and 291 ± 9% Tg for Control Run. Our multispecies analysis of this difference suggests that (a) direct emissions of CO and hydrocarbons are too low in the inventory used in this study and (b) chemical oxidation, transport, and deposition processes are not accurately and consistently represented in the model. Increases in CO led to net reduction of OH and subsequent longer lifetime of CH4 (Control Run: 8.7 years versus MOPITT Reanalysis: 9.3 years). Yet at the same time, this increase led to 5–10% enhancement of Northern Hemisphere O3 and overall photochemical activity via HOx recycling. Such nonlinear effects further complicate the attribution to uncertainties in direct emissions alone. This has implications to chemistry‐climate modeling and inversion studies of longer‐lived species.
Comparison of Asymptotic and Bootstrap Item Fit Indices in Identifying Misfit to the Rasch Model National Conference on Measurement in Education

Rule-of-thumb critical values are not suitable for flagging items for misfit to the Rasch model because the null distributions of mean-square fit indices are not well understood. Bootstrap procedures may be better suited for identifying appropriate critical values, but the accuracy of those procedures has not been studied. In this study, data were generated according to the dichotomous Rasch model, and violations of the lower asymptote and common slope assumptions were introduced into the simulated data while altering the number of examinees, number of items, and item difficulty/person ability distribution offset. For each cell of the experimental design, the proportion of items that satisfied the Rasch model assumptions flagged for misfit (Type I errors) and the proportion of items modeled to violate assumptions that were not flagged for misfit (Type II errors) were compared to the analogous flag rates using rule-ofthumb and distribution corrected critical values. Results suggest that Type II errors are much lower for critical values based on bootstrap procedures and that distribution offset and type of misfit influence the accuracy of misfit diagnosis.
PV-battery integrated module as a solution for off-grid applications in the developing world

The coupling of solar panels and energy storage is inevitable and especially pertinent in places with no access to the electricity grid. This combination must be modular, providing the opportunity to scale up the system if energy demand increases, but also easy to install and user-friendly. These requirements validate the PV-Battery Integrated Module (PBIM) as a potential solution for stand-alone applications. In this paper, we assess the performance of directly integrating a battery system at the back of a PV panel in comparison to a typical solar home system (SHS) with all the components in a separated manner. The study is carried out using data from a community in the countryside of Stung Treng (Cambodia). First, the optimum battery size and PV panel rating were determined using the loss of load probability metric. Second, the extra PV power losses in the case of (PBIM) were calculated, finding that it is 2.16% less efficient than a normal SHS due to the poorer heat dissipation induced by integrating the converter and batteries at the back of the PV panel. Third, the battery capacity faded by 1% after a year of simulation. Although when compared to a typical SHS PBIM results in slightly higher system losses, the losses are moderated and their impact is minimum when considering the expected benefits derived from using PBIM in SHS. Therefore in this paper, we validate the feasibility of PBIM as a solution for standalone systems in developing countries.
The Cautious Attitude of Teachers Towards Social Robots in Schools

Social robots are increasingly being applied in educational environments such as schools. It is important to understand the views of the general public as social acceptance will likely play a role in the adoption of such technology. Other literature suggests that teacher attitudes are a strong predictor of technology use in classrooms, so willingness to engage with social robots will influence application in practice. In this paper we present the results of a rigorously-framed survey used to gather the views of both the general public and education professionals towards the use of robots in schools. Overall, we find that the attitude towards social robots in schools is cautious, but potentially accepting. We discuss the reported set of perceived obstacles for the broader adoption of robots in the classroom in this context. Interestingly, concerns about appropriate social skills for the robots dominate over practical and ethical concerns, suggesting that this should remain a focus for child-robot interaction research.
Population persistence in marine reserve networks: incorporating spatial heterogeneities in larval dispersal

The relationship between marine reserve design and metapopulation persistence has been analyzed only for cases of spatially homogenous advective-diffusive larval dispersal. However, many coastlines exhibit more complex circulation, such as retention zones in which slower-moving currents shorten dispersal distances and larvae can accumulate. We constructed metapopulation models that incorporated 3 types of spatial variability in dispersal associated with retention zones: (A) reduction of both advective (LA) and stochastic (LS) length scales of dispersal within the retention zone, (B) reduction of LA only, and (C) accumulation of larvae in the retention zone, followed by redis- tribution along the coastline. For each scenario, we examined reserve networks with a range of size and spacing configurations. The scenarios differed in the relative number of self-persistent reserves, i.e. those which can survive in isolation, and network-persistent reserves, i.e. those which rely on connectivity through space and across generations to offset shortfalls in direct self-replenishment. When dispersal was dominated by stochastic movements (LS > LA in scenarios A and B), metapopula- tions typically consisted of self-persistent reserves. As dispersal became increasingly advective (LA > LS), retention aided persistence, and network persistence became more prevalent. Persistence in sce- nario C decreased with the amount of redistribution. The specific patterns of persistence depended on the size and number of reserves and demographic parameters, but self-persistence was always more likely for reserves in the retention zone. Thus, placing a reserve in a retention zone to promote population persistence is advisable for all 3 dispersal scenarios.
Cone Beam Computed Tomography Image Quality Improvement Using a Deep Convolutional Neural Network

Introduction Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) plays an important role in image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT), while having disadvantages of severe shading artifact caused by the reconstruction using scatter contaminated and truncated projections. The purpose of this study is to develop a deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) method for improving CBCT image quality. Methods CBCT and planning computed tomography (pCT) image pairs from 20 prostate cancer patients were selected. Subsequently, each pCT volume was pre-aligned to the corresponding CBCT volume by image registration, thereby leading to registered pCT data (pCTr). Next, a 39-layer DCNN model was trained to learn a direct mapping from the CBCT to the corresponding pCTr images. The trained model was applied to a new CBCT data set to obtain improved CBCT (i-CBCT) images. The resulting i-CBCT images were compared to pCTr using the spatial non-uniformity (SNU), the peak-signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) and the structural similarity index measure (SSIM). Results The image quality of the i-CBCT has shown a substantial improvement on spatial uniformity compared to that of the original CBCT, and a significant improvement on the PSNR and the SSIM compared to that of the original CBCT and the enhanced CBCT by the existing pCT-based correction method. Conclusion We have developed a DCNN method for improving CBCT image quality. The proposed method may be directly applicable to CBCT images acquired by any commercial CBCT scanner.
Observation of Hot Electron and Impact Ionization in N-Polar GaN MIS-HEMTs

This letter reports on the observation of hot-electron and impact-ionization mechanisms in N-polar GaN-based MIS-HEMTs designed for high frequency (RF) operation. Thanks to the extremely low gate leakage of such devices, we were able to demonstrate—for the first time—a correlation between electroluminescence (EL) and gate current in the semi-on state. In the semi-on state, the devices show a non-monotonic, bell-shaped behavior of the EL-versus-<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${\text {V}}_{\text {GS}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and of the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${I}_{\text {G}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-versus-<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${V}_{\text {GS}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> characteristics, and the intensity of the EL signal is proportional to the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${I}_{G}\times {I}_{D}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> product. The results are experimental evidence for impact ionization: the related mechanisms are described in detail in the letter.
Performance Analysis of Hybrid FSO Systems Using FSO/RF-FSO Link Adaptation

Free-space optical (FSO) links are considered as cost-effective, noninvasive alternative to fiber optic cables for 5G cellular backhaul networking. For FSO-based backhaul networks, we propose an additional millimeter-wavelength (MMW) radio-frequency (RF)-FSO link, used as a backup. Uninterrupted and reliable network connection is possible by switching between primary FSO link and the secondary RF-FSO link; when the primary link is under atmospheric turbulence, the secondary link maintains connectivity as the MMW RF link exhibits complementary characteristics to atmospheric effects. In order to analytically assess the improvement, we also derive concise mathematical expressions for different performance metrics, such as outage probability, average bit error rate (BER), and capacity. Our results demonstrate that the FSO/RF-FSO topology performs better than a single FSO link in terms of outage probability and BER. The dual-hop mixed RF-FSO link is realized with an amplify and forward (AF) relay that adapts an average power scaling strategy. The irradiance fluctuations in the FSO links are modeled by gamma–gamma distribution, assuming strong atmospheric turbulence while it is assumed that the RF link experiences multipath Rayleigh fading. For switching between links, a single FSO threshold is considered first, followed by a dual FSO threshold to prevent unnecessary switching.
A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Thymosin-α1 and Lymphoblastoid Interferon for Hbeag-Positive Chronic Hepatitis B

Combination therapy between two immunomodulators used for treatment of chronic hepatitis B was explored based on reported therapeutic efficacy of interferon-α, and thymosin-α1 as monotherapeutic agents to determine if combination therapy was superior to interferon alone. This double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trial compares the addition of thymosin-α1, 1.6 μg taken three times per week (combination therapy) or thymosin placebo (monotherapy) to lymphoblastoid interferon (Wellferon®), 5 million international units (MIU) taken three times per week, for 24 weeks. Entry criteria included positive hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg); alanine aminotransferease (ALT) ≥1.5x upper normal limit, but ≤10xupper normal limit; positive HBV DNA; absence of cirrhosis; treatment naivety and no co-morbid factors. A total of 98 HBeAg-positive patients were recruited, of which 48 were randomized to combination therapy and 50 to monotherapy. The primary endpoint was the loss of HBeAg at 72 weeks. The secondary endpoints were HBeAg seroconversion, normalization of ALT, loss of HBV DNA and improvement in histology. The HBeAg loss was 45.8% and 28.0% for combination therapy and monotherapy, respectively (difference, 17.8%; 95% CI -1.2%-35.3%, P=0.067). There was a trend towards HBeAg loss when using combination therapy. There were also no statistically significant differences between the different therapies with respect to the secondary endpoints of HBeAg seroconversion, changes in histology, normalization of ALT or loss of HBV DNA. In conclusion, this trial showed a 17.8% improvement in HBeAg loss rates using combination therapy over interferon monotherapy. This could clinically indicate a potential important difference that would need confirmation in subsequent trials.
The Philosophical and Scientific Metaphysics of David Bohm

Although David Bohm’s interpretation of quantum mechanics is sometimes thought to be a kind of regression towards classical thinking, it is in fact an extremely radical metaphysics of nature. The view goes far beyond the familiar but perennially peculiar non-locality and entanglement of quantum systems. In this paper, a philosophical exploration, I examine three core features of Bohm’s metaphysical views, which have been both supported by features of quantum mechanics and integrated into a comprehensive system. These are the holistic nature of the world, the role of a unique kind of information as the ontological basis of the world, and the integration of mentality into this basis as an essential and irreducible aspect of it.
LBPH based improved face recognition at low resolution

Automatic individual face recognition is the most challenging query from the past decade in computer vision. However, the law enforcement agencies are inadequate to identify and recognize any person through the video monitoring cameras further efficiently; the blur conditions, illumination, resolution, and lighting are still the major problems in face recognition. Our proposed system operates better at the minimum low resolution of 35px to identify the human face in various angles, side poses and tracking the face during human motion. We have designed the dataset (LR500) for training and classification. This paper employs the Local Binary Patterns Histogram (LBPH) algorithm architecture to address the human face recognition in real time at the low level of resolution.
A Carrier-Based Virtual Space Vector Modulation With Active Neutral-Point Voltage Control for a Neutral-Point-Clamped Three-Level Inverter

Virtual space vector pulsewidth modulation (VSVPWM) for the neutral-point (NP)-clamped three-level inverter is briefly reviewed in this paper, as well as its carrier-based realization. The carrier-based VSVPWM (CB_VSVPWM) is featured with dual modulation waves and a single carrier. Although CB_VSVPWM can make NP voltage unfluctuating in theory, it does not have the NP voltage recovery ability. In practice, due to the effect of nonidea factor effects, NP voltage may shift. Thus, active NP voltage control (ANPVC) is necessary. To achieve that, three ANPVC approaches are proposed based on CB_VSVPWM in this paper. The NP voltage control ability of CB_VSVPWM with ANPVC is analyzed. Finally, comprehensive experiments are carried out to verify the feasibility of the proposed method.