Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Selecting an Appropriate Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis Technique for Renewable Energy Planning

This article develops a methodological framework to provide insights regarding the suitability of multi-criteria techniques in the context of renewable energy planning. The second section presents main characteristics of the particular decision-making process. The third section presents the main multi-criteria analysis methods, and the fourth section reveals the requirements of the techniques for renewable energy planning and the main attributes under which these methods should be evaluated. Subsequently, in the fifth section, a comparative matrix is created with the various appropriate multi-criteria techniques and their performance. Finally in the sixth sec tion, we present our conclusions.
Interaction between Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Gene –308G/A Promoter and Leptin Receptor Gene Lys656Asn Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms: Effect on Serum Leptin Concentrations

Background and Objective: The aim of our study was to investigate the interaction between the tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) gene –308G/A promoter and the leptin receptor (LEPR) gene Lys656Asn polymorphisms and their effects on serum leptin levels in obese subjects. Design: A population of 237 obese patients was analyzed prospectively. Bipolar electrical bioimpedance, a biochemical analysis and serum concentrations of leptin and TNF-α were assessed. Results: The number of subjects with both mutations was 21 (8.86%). Subjects carrying the mutant LEPR genotype had higher concentrations of leptin than those with the wild-type LEPR genotype only when they also carried the mutant TNF-α genotype (G308A or A308A) (82.7 ± 63 vs. 147.6 ± 89 ng/ml; p < 0.05). In subjects with TNF-α G308G, multivariate analysis with leptin as a dependent variable revealed fat mass as an independent predictor in the model (F = 15.4; p < 0.05), with an increase of 4.1 ng/ml (95% CI 2.5–5.6) per kilogram of fat mass. The same was seen in subjects with TNF-α G308A and A308A genotypes, with an increase in leptin levels of 3.56 ng/ml (95% CI 1.8–5.3) per kilogram fat mass. Conclusion: There is an interaction between TNF-α gene G308A promoter and LEPR gene Lys656Asn polymorphisms, with higher concentrations of leptin in the G308A and A308A genotypes combined with the mutant LEPR genotype.
A Low-Profile Aperture-Coupled Microstrip Antenna With Enhanced Bandwidth Under Dual Resonance

A low-profile aperture-coupled microstrip patch antenna (MPA) using the TM10 and TM30 resonant modes to enhance the impedance bandwidth is proposed in this paper. Based on the cavity model for a square MPA, the TM10 and TM30 modes as well as both higher odd-order and even-order modes between them can be characterized. In order to combine the dual radiative resonant modes for a wide impedance bandwidth, a rectangular radiating patch with an aperture-coupled feeder is employed and theoretically investigated at first, aiming to demonstrate that all of the undesired modes between them can be removed effectively. After that, by loading the shorting pins properly underneath the patch, the resonant frequency of TM10 mode is shown to progressively turn up with slight effect on that of TM30 mode. As a result, these two radiative modes can be allocated in proximity to each other, resulting in a wide impedance bandwidth with a stable radiation pattern and the same far-field polarization. Moreover, the principal parameters of the MPA have been extensively studied in order to investigate the sensitivity in input impedance of the aperture-fed patch antenna. Finally, the proposed antenna is fabricated and measured. Simulated and measured results are found in good agreement with each other and illustrate that the antenna achieves a wide impedance bandwidth of about 15.2% in fraction or 2.32–2.70 GHz under $\vert \text{S}_{\mathrm {\mathbf {11}}}\vert < -10$ dB, while keeping a low profile property with the height of 0.032 free-space wavelength. Besides, a stable gain varied from 3 to 6.8 dBi within the whole operating band is also obtained.
Open Source Dataset and Deep Learning Models for Online Digit Gesture Recognition on Touchscreens

This paper presents an evaluation of deep neural networks for recognition of digits entered by users on a smartphone touchscreen. A new large dataset of Arabic numerals was collected for training and evaluation of the network. The dataset consists of spatial and temporal touch data recorded for 80 digits entered by 260 users. Two neural network models were investigated. The first model was a 2D convolutional neural (ConvNet) network applied to bitmaps of the glpyhs created by interpolation of the sensed screen touches and its topology is similar to that of previously published models for offline handwriting recognition from scanned images. The second model used a 1D ConvNet architecture but was applied to the sequence of polar vectors connecting the touch points. The models were found to provide accuracies of 98.50% and 95.86%, respectively. The second model was much simpler, providing a reduction in the number of parameters from 1,663,370 to 287,690. The dataset has been made available to the community as an open source resource.
The Use of Repair Strategies by Children With and Without Hearing Impairment.

PURPOSE This study examined how students with hearing impairments, having different levels of speech intelligibility, responded to a communication breakdown as compared to students with normal hearing. METHOD Participants included 16 students with profound hearing impairment who were assessed as having ageappropriate expressive language (8 with good speech intelligibility and 8 with poor speech intelligibility) and 10 students with normal hearing, ages 11-18 years. The students' task was to describe pictures and to respond to a series of three clarification requests ("Huh? ," "What? ," and "I didn't understand") presented by the examiner. RESULTS Repetition was the most frequently used strategy by all groups. However, significant differences emerged in the use of other repair strategies among the three groups. The group's choice of strategies across the three requests also differed significantly. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS Although the groups evidenced similar levels of age-appropriate expressive language, they appeared to differ in its pragmatic use. It was suggested that strategy training programs should consider the speech intelligibility of the speaker and be tailored according to individual needs.
Isolation and characterization of microsatellite loci for Hymenaea courbaril and transferability to Hymenaea stigonocarpa, two tropical timber species

Hymenaea courbaril is a tropical timber species, intensely exploited and found in the Amazon, Atlantic Forest and Brazilian Cerrado biome. Nine highly polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed from a genomic library enriched for AG/TC repeats. In a total of 41 individuals, from two natural populations, seven to 13 alleles per locus were detected and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.75 to 0.90. Seven loci were effectively transferred to Hymenaea stigonocarpa. High levels of polymorphism make the present primers useful for population genetic studies and are a powerful tool to investigate mating system, gene flow and spatial genetic structure.
A Comparative Study of Ultrasound Guided Versus Blind Surgical Removal of Foreign Bodies in Western Nepal

Ultrasound is effective in localization and removal of foreign body. This study was done to evaluate the role of ultrasonography in localization of foreign body and to compare the ultrasound guided foreign body removal with that of conventional surgical exploration without ultrasound guidance. This prospective study was conducted between September 2013 and July 2015. Patients more than 14 years of age old with clinical suspicion of retained foreign body were included in our study. Ultrasonography was done using 7.5 to 10 MHZ probe in Sonoace X6 and Logiq P3 machines. After exact localization patients were randomly selected into two groups. In the first group, removal was done using ultrasonography guidance by a radiologist using a standard technique. In the second group, removal was done by referring surgeon. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS 18. Age of the patients ranged from 15 to 85 years with the mean age of 37.7±17.7 years. M: F ratio was 2.2:1. Most common location of retained foreign body was foot. Most common type of retained foreign body was wooden piece. Sensitivity of ultrasound in detection of retained foreign body was 96.8%. There was no statistical difference between the length of foreign body as measured by ultrasonography before removal and by scale after removal. Duration required for removal of foreign body under ultrasonography guidance was significantly less. Post-operative scar was smaller in patients with ultrasound guided removal. In conclusion, ultrasound has a sensitivity of 96.8% in localization of foreign body. Ultrasonography guided removal of foreign body reduces the operation time with reduction in the post-operative scar.
On performance of decomposition-based MOEAs in noisy environment

Real world optimization often involves noises and uncertainty. Most current research on evolutionary multiobjective optimization does not consider the effect of noise. This paper studies the performance of decomposition based multiobjective optimization evolutionary algorithm (MOEA/D) in noisy environment. Experiments are carried out to compare the performance of MOEA/D and NSGA II under different levels of noise in objective functions evaluation. Statistical analysis has been made to understand the behaviour of MOEA/D. Based on the comparison and analysis, we discuss possible improvement methods on MOEA/D for noisy optimization.
Primula Culture and Production

The name Primula or primrose is derived from the word primary or first, referring to the early growth and flowering in spring (Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium, 1976). More than 400 species of primula exist in the family Primulaceae (Griffiths, 1994). Other important horticultural genera in this family, besides primula, include pimpernel (Anagallis), rock jasmine (Androsace), persian violet, alpine violet or sowbread (Cyclamen), shooting star or american cowslip (Dodecatheon) and loosestrife (Lysimachia). The genus Primula consists of relatively shortlived perennial herbs with leaves arranged in basal rosettes. The flowers are usually five lobed and solitary in axils or arranged in stalked racemes, umbels or whorls (Griffiths, 1994; Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium, 1976). Primula originates from the northern hemisphere, China, Europe and the Mediterranean (Griffiths, 1994; Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium, 1976; Ward, 1997). Several primula species are produced and used as bedding plants or flowering potted plants (Table 1). The most important species in production include english primrose or acaulis primula (Primula vulgaris synonym P. acaulis) (Blom et al., 1987; Coombes, 1985; Griffiths, 1994), polyanthus, polyantha primrose or hybrid primrose (P. ×polyantha), fairy primrose or baby primrose (P. malacoides), german primrose or poison primrose (P. obconica) and cowslip (P. veris). Chinese primrose (P. sinensis) is also produced in limited numbers and some interest exists in producing drumstick primrose (P. denticulata) as a container plant. Primula is widely produced in Europe as a flowering potted plant for the late winter and early spring market. In the United States, the growing conditions in the Pacific Northwest are particularly well suited for producing primula. In addition to flowering potted plants, primula is used together with other plants in potted arrangements, color bowls and hanging baskets or as a potted plant for outdoor planting in areas with moderate summer temperatures (Goldsberry, 1980). In recent years, sales in the United States have been primarily of bedding plants in areas with mild winters or early spring elsewhere. For garden and bedding uses, english primrose and polyanthus are considered hardy to zone five (Dole and Wilkins, 1999) while fairy primrose, german primrose and chinese primrose cannot withstand frost (Table 1) (Brickell and Zuk, 1996; Karlsson, 1997). Many commercial interests and gardeners are involved in breeding, propagating and growing the numerous primula species and hybrids. Species that are more appropriate for garden plantings include garden auricula (P. ×pubescens, a cross between P. auricula and P. hirsuta), cowslip, julian primrose (P. juliae), siebold primrose (P. sieboldii), and redleaf primrose (P. rosea) (Dole and Wilkins, 1999).
Maternal Periodontitis as a Possible Risk Factor for Preterm Birth and Low Birth Weight--A Prospective Study.

PURPOSE To explore the association of maternal periodontitis with preterm delivery and low birth weight in the state of Karnataka, India. MATERIALS AND METHODS A prospective study was conducted among 340 pregnant women between 18 and 28 years of age. Subjects filled out a questionnaire and underwent a periodontal examination during the second trimester of pregnancy. The questionnaire included details regarding socioeconomic status, passive exposure to cigarette smoking, medical and reproductive history. Periodontal examination was performed according to the community periodontal index and clinical attachment loss. Logistic regression analyses were used to assess the association of periodontitis with pregnancy outcomes. RESULTS Of 340 subjects enrolled in the study, 33 (9.71%) were either excluded or not available for follow-up. Of the remaining 307 subjects, 126 (41.04%) had periodontitis. Among subjects with periodontitis, 15.87% had a preterm birth (PTB) and 34.25% had low birth weight (LBW) infants. In the periodontally healthy group, the rates of PTB and LBW deliveries were 9.39% and 18.78%, respectively. Logistic regression analysis showed a strong association between periodontitis and poor pregnancy outcomes after adjusting for all variables with OR 4.54 (95% CI=1.98-5.46) for PTB, and 5.32 (95% CI=2.01-6.79) for LBW. CONCLUSION The results suggest that periodontitis is an independent risk factor for poor pregnancy outcome.
Lectures On Non-Linear Wave Equations, Second Edition By Christopher D. Sogge (Johns Hopkins University)

nonlinear wave equations ( Lecture Books Pics Download new books and magazines every day! Toggle navigation. Ebooks . IT & Programming; History & Military; Economics & Business Remarks on global solutions for nonlinear wave Christopher D. Sogge a epartment of Mathematics, Johns Hopkins University, 488. 3] C.D. Sogge, Lectures on Non-Linear Wave Equations, second ed., Lectures on Non-linear Wave Equations by Sogge Buy Lectures on Non-linear Wave Equations by Sogge. Christopher D. ( 2008 ) Hardcover by (ISBN: ) from Amazon's Book Store. Free UK delivery on eligible orders. Bold Aspirations Visitor and Lecture Series | The Bold Aspirations Visitor and Lecture Series features presentations on KU's four strategic initiative themes by eminent guests and prominent KU talent. Intersession Programs at Johns Hopkins | Academic Hopkins Intersession The Seminar will consist of two weeks of lectures, delivered by distinguished Hopkins through the eyes of Johns Hopkins University Lectures on non-linear wave equations (Book, Presents an account of the basic facts concerning the linear wave equation and the methods from harmonic analysis that are necessary when studying nonlinear Lectures on NonLinear Wave Equations (Englisch) Fremdsprachige B cher Lectures on NonLinear Wave Equations, Second Lectures on Non-Linear Wave Equations, Second Edition Christopher D. Sogge (Johns Hopkins on NonLinear Wave Equations, Second Edition Patent US9043001 Methods and devices for Second Edition (ICHD the equation becomes non-linear, to surface electrode stimulation of the human body. Ph.D. Dissertation, Ohio State University,
Virulence genotype and phylogenetic groups in relation to Chinese herb resistance among Escherichia coli from patients with acute pyelonephritis.

BACKGROUND Clinical isolates of herb-resistant uropathogenic E. coli were isolated. It was possible that the virulence genotypes and phylogenetic background of E. coli differed between Chinese herb-resistant E. coli and -susceptible isolates. For this purpose, the prevalence of virulence factors (VFs) and phylogenetic background, with regard to Chinese herb resistance, among E. coli strains causing acute pyelonephritis from China were investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS E. coli isolates from patients with acute pyelonephritis were used in this study. Standard disc diffusion methodology was used to test the susceptibility of Chinese herbal concoction against E. coli strains. Multiplex PCR amplifications employed three markers (chuA, yjaA, and TSPE4.C2) to classify E. coli isolates into one of four phylogenetic groups (group A, B1, B2, or D). The isolates were also tested for 14 virulence-associated traits (VFs) of uropathogenic E. coli. RESULTS A total of 115 E. coli strains were isolated. 79 (68.7%) were susceptible and 36 (31.3%) were resistant to the herbal concoction. 20.9% of the isolates encoded three or more of VFs for which they were screened, with 13.9% in susceptible isolates and 36.1% in resistant isolates. The key VFs (fyuA and/or iutA siderophores) present in >80% of isolates. The papA and papC adhesins were detected in the majority of resistant isolates (72.2% and 63.9% respectively). 78.5% of susceptible isolates belong to phylogenetic groups A, while 83.3% of resistant isolates belong to group B2. CONCLUSION PapA and papC are significant VFs with an essential role in contributing to Chinese herb-resistance. Chinese herb-resistance is associated with a shift towards more virulent strains and B2 phylogenetic group.
Effects of Methadone on Liver Enzymes in Patients Undergoing Methadone Maintenance Treatment

Background Methadone is currently the most frequently used substance in the treatment of short-term and particularly long-term opiate dependence. Patients' beliefs about the adverse effects of methadone on function of organs, especially liver, have widely affected the use of this substance. This study aimed to determine the effects of methadone on liver enzyme levels in patients on methadone maintenance treatment. Methods In a retrospective study, a total of 94 patients undergoing methadone maintenance therapy were recruited from Shahid Beheshti Hospital (Kerman, Iran). Liver enzyme levels in all patients were tested every six months from the onset of treatment until 24 months. The relations between test results and age, gender, and methadone dose were then evaluated. Data was analyzed using logistic regression with random data plan. Findings At the 24th month, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels in 4 patients (4.3%) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels in 3 patients (3.2%) were above normal. Among 46 patients (50%) who had normal alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels after 24 months, 26 subjects were younger than 40 and 20 subjects were over 40 years of age. The mean age of subjects with abnormal ALP levels and the mean methadone dose were 39.9 years and 19.55 cc, respectively. Conclusion The results of this study indicated the significant effect of methadone on ALP levels. These effects can account for cholestatic pattern liver injury (obstruction). Further prospective studies including greater samples of patients with heart and liver complications and encompassing other drugs are required to confirm our findings.
Transcriptional benchmark dose modeling: Exploring how advances in chemical risk assessment may be applied to the radiation field

Recent advances in “‐omics” technologies have simplified capacity to concurrently assess expression profiles of thousands of targets in a cellular system. However, compilation and analysis of “omics” data in support of human health protection remains a challenge. Benchmark dose (BMD) modeling is currently being employed in chemical risk assessment to estimate acceptable levels of exposure. Although typically applied to conventional endpoints, newer software has enabled this application to be extended to transcriptomic datasets. BMD analytical tools now have the capacity to model transcriptional dose‐response data to derive meaningful BMD values for genes, pathways and gene ontologies. In this report, radiation data obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) were analyzed to generate BMD values for transcriptional responses. The datasets comprised microarray analyses of human blood gamma‐irradiated ex vivo (0–20 Gy) and human‐derived cell lines exposed to alpha particle radiation (0.5–1.5 Gy). The distributions of BMDs for statistically significant genes and pathways in response to radiation exposure were examined and compared across studies. BMD modeling could identify pathway/gene sensitivities across wide radiation dose ranges, experimental conditions (time‐points, cell types) and radiation qualities. BMD analysis offered a new approach to examine transcriptional data. The results were shown to provide information on transcriptional thresholds of effects to support refined risk assessments for low dose ionizing radiation exposures, derive gene‐based values for relative biological effectiveness and identify pathways involved in radiation sensitivities across cell types which may extend to applications a clinical setting. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 57:589–604, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Rapid confirmation of tuberculous meningitis in children by liquid culture media.

BACKGROUND Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is an important and serious complication of tuberculosis (TB) related to high morbidity and mortality. Childhood TBM is a diagnostic dilemma as the clinical features are non-specific and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) mycobacterial count is low. The diagnosis is made mostly on clinical grounds, CSF analysis and radiological findings and treatment is initiated before the culture results arrive. These non-specific rapid diagnostic tools may be misleading resulting in over diagnosis or misdiagnosis. The conventional way of establishing a definitive diagnosis of TBM is by solid-medium culture that requires 4-7 weeks which may often lead to injudicious exposure to hazards associated with anti-tuberculous therapy (ATT). METHODS This study was carried out at the Microbiology department of University Of Health Sciences Lahore. The aim of this study was to assess the reliability of clinical features and CSF analysis in diagnosing childhood TBM by utilizing BACTEC Mycobacterial Growth Indicator Tube (MGIT) 960 system as a rapid confirmatory tool. It was an observational study that included 100 CSF samples from suspected paediatric TBM cases. After carrying out the biochemical and cytological analysis the samples were subjected to Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) staining and inoculated onto MGIT 960 system. The culture growths were tested for sensitivity to first line ATT. RESULTS Of the 100 samples inoculated, only 14 yielded a growth, thus emphasizing unreliability of clinical criteria to diagnose TBM. CSF biochemistry was found insignificant for the diagnosis of TBM (p = 2.260). The CSF cytology, however, was found significant for diagnosing TBM (p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS The study showed that BACTEC MGIT 960 can be effectively used as a rapid diagnostic tool for the diagnosis of extra pulmonary tuberculosis.