Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Unsupervised learning of anomalous diffusion data: an anomaly detection approach

The characterization of diffusion processes is a keystone in our understanding of a variety of physical phenomena. Many of these deviate from Brownian motion, giving rise to anomalous diffusion. Various theoretical models exists nowadays to describe such processes, but their application to experimental setups is often challenging, due to the stochastic nature of the phenomena and the difficulty to harness reliable data. The latter often consists on short and noisy trajectories, which are hard to characterize with usual statistical approaches. In recent years, we have witnessed an impressive effort to bridge theory and experiments by means of supervised machine learning techniques, with astonishing results. In this work, we explore the use of unsupervised methods in anomalous diffusion data. We show that the main diffusion characteristics can be learnt without the need of any labelling of the data. We use such method to discriminate between anomalous diffusion models and extract their physical parameters. Moreover, we explore the feasibility of finding novel types of diffusion, in this case represented by compositions of existing diffusion models. At last, we showcase the use of the method in experimental data and demonstrate its advantages for cases where supervised learning is not applicable.
Towards a comprehensive energy assessment of residential buildings: a multi-scale life cycle energy analysis framework

Buildings are directly responsible for 40% of the final energy use in most developed economies and for much more if indirect requirements are considered. This results in huge impacts which affect the environmental balance of our planet.However, most current building energy assessments focus solely on operational energy overlooking other energy uses such as embodied and transport energy. Embodied energy comprises the energy requirements for building materials production, construction and replacement. Transport energy represents the amount of energy required for the mobility of building users.Decisions based on partial assessments might result in an increased energy demand during other life cycle stages or at different scales of the built environment. Recent studies have shown that embodied and transport energy demands often account for more than half of the total lifecycle energy demand of residential buildings. Current assessment tools and policies therefore overlook more than 50% of the life cycle energy use.This thesis presents a comprehensive life cycle energy analysis framework for residential buildings. This framework takes into account energy requirements at the building scale, i.e. the embodied and operational energy demands, and at the city scale, i.e. the embodied energy of nearby infrastructures and the transport energy of its users. This framework is implemented through the development, verification and validation of an advanced software tool which allows the rapid analysis of the life cycle energy demand of residential buildings and districts. Two case studies, located in Brussels, Belgium and Melbourne, Australia, are used to investigate the potential of the developed framework.Results show that each of the embodied, operational and transport energy requirements represent a significant share of the total energy requirements and associated greenhouse gas emissions of a residential building, over its useful life. The use of the developed tool will allow building designers, town planners and policy makers to reduce the energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions of residential buildings by selecting measures that result in overall savings. This will ultimately contribute to reducing the environmental impact of the built environment.
Targeting HGF/c-Met Axis Decreases Circulating Regulatory T Cells Accumulation in Gastric Cancer Patients

Simple Summary Restoring an effective immune response is the key goal of immunotherapy. One of the major mechanisms of tumor-induced immunosuppression is regulatory T cells (Treg) accumulation. In this study, using in vitro and in vivo analysis, we assessed the impact of the HGF/c-Met pathway, involved notably in tumor angiogenesis, on Treg accumulation in patients with gastric cancer. First, we reported that c-Met is expressed on circulating monocytes of gastric cancer patients and this expression seems to be associated with the worst outcome. Secondly, during in vitro cultures, c-Met+ monocytes differentiate into dendritic cells with tolerogenic properties able to induce the proliferation of Treg. Finally, rilotumumab, an anti-HGF antibody, decreases the percentage of circulating Treg in gastric cancer patients. Using HGF/c-Met inhibitors to partially reverse immunosuppression could lead to the development of new treatment associations, for example with immune checkpoint blockers. Abstract Elucidating mechanisms involved in tumor-induced immunosuppression is of great interest since it could help to improve cancer immunotherapy efficacy. Here we show that Hepatocyte Growth Factor (HGF), a pro-tumoral and proangiogenic factor, and its receptor c-Met are involved in regulatory T cells (Treg) accumulation in the peripheral blood of gastric cancer (GC) patients. We observed that c-Met is expressed on circulating monocytes from GC patients. The elevated expression on monocytes is associated with clinical parameters linked to an aggressive disease phenotype and correlates with a worse prognosis. Monocyte-derived dendritic cells from GC patients differentiated in the presence of HGF adopt a regulatory phenotype with a lower expression of co-stimulatory molecules, impaired maturation capacities, and an increased ability to produce interleukin-10 and to induce Treg differentiation in vitro. In the MEGA-ACCORD20-PRODIGE17 trial, GC patients received an anti-HGF antibody treatment (rilotumumab), which had been described to have an anti-angiogenic activity by decreasing proliferation of endothelial cells and tube formation. Rilotumumab decreased circulating Treg in GC patients. Thus, we identified that HGF indirectly triggers Treg accumulation via c-Met-expressing monocytes in the peripheral blood of GC patients. Our study provides arguments for potential alternative use of HGF/c-Met targeted therapies based on their immunomodulatory properties which could lead to the development of new therapeutic associations in cancer patients, for example with immune checkpoint inhibitors.
Prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors among patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) in Erbil city

Background: Polycystic ovarian syndrome is a common endocrine disorder of women during reproductive age, associated with increased risk of cardiometabolic diseases. Objective: To assess the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in patients with the polycystic ovarian syndrome in comparison to age-matched control. Patients and Methods: This cross-sectional studyis conducted in Erbil city fromSeptember 2020 to January 2021. It included 40 cases of polycystic ovarian syndrome and 40 cases of healthy controls. Participants underwent detailed history, physical examination. Laboratory investigations (blood sugar, lipid profile, serum testosterone and serum prolactin) and pelvic ultrasound were done for them. Data analysis was performed by Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. Results: Women with the polycystic ovarian syndrome have a higher proportion to obesity, abnormal blood sugar, and dyslipidemia, they have higher rate of menstrual irregularity, hyperandrogenic state and hirsutism, than age-matched control. The risk for hypertension remains the same for both PCOS and the control group. Conclusion: The proportion of obesity, diabetes, and dyslipidemia is higher in Polycystic ovarian syndrome than the control group. Keywords: Polycystic ovarian syndrome, obesity, diabetes mellitus, heart disease
CFD simulation of highly transient flows

This thesis describes the fundamental extension and extensive testing of a robust CFD model for predicting outflow following the failure of pressurised hydrocarbon pipelines. The main thrust of the study involves the extension of the basic outflow model to account for complex pipeline systems, improvements of the theoretical basis and numerical stability. The basic model, based on the numerical solution of conservation equations using the method of characteristics, incorporates a suitable equation of state to deal with pipelines containing pressurised multi-component hydrocarbon mixtures. It utilises the homogeneous equilibrium flow (HEM) assumption, where the constituent phases in a two-phase mixture are assumed to be at thermal and mechanical equilibrium. The first part of the study focuses on the development of an outflow model to simulate the failure of multi-segment pipelines incorporating valves and fittings passing through terrains of different inclinations. In the absence of real data, the numerical accuracy of the model is assessed based on the calculation of a mass conservation index. The results of a case study involving the comparison of the simulated outflow data based on the failure of a multi-segment pipeline as opposed to an equivalent single segment pipeline containing gas, liquid or two-phase inventories are used to highlight the impact of pipeline complexity on the simulated data. The development and extensive testing of two models, namely the Hybrid Model and the Modified Homogeneous Equilibrium Model (MHEM) each addressing a principal limitation of the HEM are presented next. The Hybrid Model deals with the failure of the HEM in predicting post-depressurisation outflow for inclined pipelines containing two-phase mixtures or liquids through its coupling with a hydraulic flow model. The MHEM on the other hand addresses the failure of the HEM to accurately predict the discharge rates of flashing/ two-phase fluids discharging through an orifice. Finally, the dilemma of the appropriate choice of the size and duration of the numerical discritisation steps expressed in terms of the Courant, Friedrichs and Lewy (CFL) criterion on the stability and computational workload of the pipeline failure model is investigated for different classes of hydrocarbon inventories. These include gas, liquid (flashing and incompressible) and two-phase mixtures.
EVANESCENT WAVE REDUCTION USING A SEGMENTED WAVEMAKER IN A TWO DIMENSIONAL WAVE TANK

The concept of a segmented wavemaker, in a two dimensional tank, has been investigated analytically to see if it can reduce the effect of parasitic evanescent waves in a wave tank. Evanescent waves can contaminate test areas in tanks leading to unreliable results, but are typically avoided by establishing the test area two to three times the water depth away from the wavemaker. This space requirement can be quite restrictive in terms of the necessary tank size and, with the increasing interest in off-shore renewable energy, many technology developers may not be able to afford a workspace large enough to accommodate a long tank. Previously, flexible wavemakers have been designed to tackle the problem and, in some cases have proven very effective in eliminating evanescent waves at the wavemaker’s “tuned” frequency. However, flexible wavemakers have been shown to have little benefit in modeling panchromatic seas. Discussed here is the linear potential theory of a segmented wavemaker designed to reduce the evanescent waves in a tank over a large frequency range. Each segment in the segmented wavemaker is programmed with an individual stroke, allowing the system to best approximate the horizontal displacement of the fluid over the depth of the water in a naturally occurring wave. A comparison of the influence of evanescent waves created by segmented wavemakers, piston and hinged paddle wavemakers, on the free surface elevation is presented.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Automated Compensation Scheme Design for Operational Amplifier via Bayesian Optimization

Operational amplifier is a basic component for analog circuit design. The compensation network of an operational amplifier is crucial to improve the stability of the operational amplifier. In this paper, we present an automated compensation scheme design approach for operational amplifiers. We map the behavioral-level description of the operational amplifier to an acyclic graph and transfer the compensation design problem into a topology optimization problem. A feature mapping method is proposed to encode the graph and a bi-level Bayesian optimization approach is proposed to efficiently solve the topology optimization problem. Experimental results show that our proposed method can obtain competitive three-stage operational amplifiers compared to manual designs.
Cultural Context and its Impact on Requirements Elicitation in Thailand

This paper reports one part of an ethnographic study of how software analysts in Thai software houses undertake the requirements engineering process. In this paper the impact of Thai culture on the elicitation of requirements in information systems developed will be reported. The important role of requirements for software and systems development can be traced to the early study of software engineering. Software developers realised that errors during the requirements phase caused high cost in fixing systems and often led to rejection of systems (Laudon and Laudon 1995). This paper compares the nature of elicitation of requirements by systems analysts in Thailand with standard descriptions of elicitation in requirements engineering research. Detailed descriptions of elicitation processes and an evaluation of text are used to suggest that elicitation in Thailand is affected by different use of analytical and elicitation tools, different adaptation of those tools to the elicitation process, an inability to gain full access to all users where requirements can be identified, increased time needed to uncover requirements and an inability to develop requirements specification. This has important implications for Software Houses using western consultants or organisations employing consultants not familiar with Thai Culture. Understanding the nature of the impact of Thai culture on Requirements engineering processes should ensure that project failure due to poor understanding of requirements for systems would be lessened.
Medicines for Malaria Venture COVID Box: a source for repurposing drugs with antifungal activity against human pathogenic fungi

BACKGROUND Treatment of mycoses is often ineffective, usually prolonged, and has some side effects. These facts highlight the importance of discovering new molecules to treat fungal infections. OBJECTIVES To search the Medicines for Malaria Venture COVID Box for drugs with antifungal activity. METHODS Fourteen human pathogenic fungi were tested against the 160 drugs of this collection at 1.0 µM concentration. We evaluated the ability of the drugs to impair fungal growth, their fungicidal nature, and morphological changes caused to cells. FINDINGS Thirty-four molecules (21.25%) presented antifungal activity. Seven are antifungal drugs and one is the agricultural fungicide cycloheximide. The other drugs with antifungal activity included antibiotics (n = 3), antimalarials (n = 4), antivirals (n = 2), antiparasitcs (n = 3), antitumor agents (n = 5), nervous system agents (n = 3), immunosuppressants (n = 3), antivomiting (n = 1), antiasthmatic (n = 1), and a genetic disorder agent (n = 1). Several of these drugs inhibited Histoplasma capsulatum and Paracoccidioides brasiliensis growth (15 and 20, respectively), while Fusarium solani was not affected by the drugs tested. Most drugs were fungistatic, but niclosamide presented fungicidal activity against the three dimorphic fungi tested. Cyclosporine affected morphology of Cryptococcus neoformans. MAIN CONCLUSIONS These drugs represent new alternatives to the development of more accessible and effective therapies to treat human fungal infections.
Multi-reactor configurations for multi-megawatt spacecraft power supplies

Several conceptual designs for a multimegawatt space nuclear power supply system were developed on the basis of hardware and technology from the existing multihundred kilowatt-class SP-100 reactor program. It is shown that net power outputs in the multimegawatt range can be achieved by using a modular multireactor configuration of several SP-100-derived nuclear power supplies. A variety of geometries were examined for their applicability to the multireactor configuration, showing that modular multireactor systems have the advantage of an increased redundancy in the power system, as compared with a single-reactor system, allowing higher reliabilities than those achievable with single-reactor systems. Results are presented on the Mars Cargo Mission analysis, showing that modularity allows the option of redeployment of power systems in Mars and facilitates refurbishment and turnaround of NEP transfer vehicles.
Effects of Edge Geometry on Flow Driving of a Stamped Metal Cooling Fan

Abstract: Stamped metal axial flow fans are popularly employed in electric motors as a cooling flow driving impeller. Manufacturing experiences have shown that the edge geometries of the blades have significant effects on the noise level of the electric motors. This paper presents a numerical study on the structures of the air flows driven by a stamped metal cooling fan with blunt edge, sharp edge, and zero thickness blades. The local flow velocities, pressure distributions, and overall flow driving performances are analyzed. The different noise generation levels due to the blade edge geometries are explained and correlated to the fluid flow process at various fan working conditions. Guidelines on the implementation of sharp edge stamped metal cooling fans in electric motors are provided.
Kite Model with Bridle Control for Wind-Power Generation

A compact flight dynamics model of a kite is developed by using Lagrangian formulation. The lengths of the three ropes of the bridle and the tether of the kite depend on time and are used to implement an open-loop control scheme of the kite system. By imposing simple time-periodic control laws, two pumping strategies for wind-energy generation are explored. Periodic trajectories of the system and their stability properties (Floquet characteristic multipliers) are computed numerically. As the amplitudes of the figure-eight paths are increased, the system becomes more efficient but less stable. A cyclic-fold bifurcation is detected for a very large lateral displacement of the kite. The impact of the control-law parameters on the generated power, including the period and the amplitude, is investigated. The results indicate that a correct design of the control could provide an optimal energy-generation system and a robust scheme to exploit high-altitude winds.
High-Pressure Steam-Driven Jet Pump—Part I: Mathematical Modeling

There are several proposed advanced reactor systems, which consider the utilization of a steam-driven jet pump (SDJP) as an emergency core cooling system. The steam-driven jet pump is a device without moving parts, in which steam is used as an energy source to pump cold water from a pressure much lower than the steam pressure to a pressure higher than the steam pressure. In this study, the mathematical modeling of the SDJP has been done. An experimental analysis of the high-pressure SDJP has been reported by Cattadori et al. The results of the mathematical modeling of the SDJP have been compared with Cattadori's experimental results. The comparisons show that the experimental and calculated pressure distributions are in good qualitative agreement. A parametric analysis of the SDJP is ongoing.
Impact damage detection in composite chiral sandwich panels using nonlinear vibro-acoustic modulations

This paper reports an application of nonlinear acoustics to impact damage detection in a composite chiral sandwich panel. The panel is built from a chiral honeycomb and two composite skins. High-frequency ultrasonic excitation and low-frequency modal excitation were used to observe nonlinear modulations in ultrasonic waves due to structural damage. Low-profile, surface-bonded piezoceramic transducers were used for ultrasonic excitation. Non-contact laser vibrometry was applied for ultrasonic sensing. The work presented focuses on the analysis of the modulation intensities and damage-related nonlinearities. The paper demonstrates that the method can be used for impact damage detection in composite chiral sandwich panels.
A fast response conductivity amplifier for chemical kinetics

A linear direct reading conductance amplifier which is capable of following conductance changes due to chemical reactions in solution is described. It utilizes the simplifications in circuit design offered by operational amplifiers and has a sensitivity of 0.05% in each of the six ranges covering 0.025-10-7 Omega -1. Reactions with half-lives from 2 ms to several hours may be followed.
Modeling, Simulation and Optimization of a Human Knee Orthotic Device

In order to improve the quality of human walking, the present paper is analyzing a 3D virtual model for an orthotic device which is subjected to an optimization process based on dimensional, geometric and material criteria. For geometric modeling of the human knee joint were used the embedded applications: DesignModeler, SpaceClaim under AnsysWorkbench software package and for the orthotic device it was used ProEngineer application. The orthotic device is designed to rehabilitate people with knee problems, especially for the osteoarthritis affection. The geometric model of the joint shows a 50 tilt in varus, the joint beeing affected by osteoarthritis in the medial compartment. Using Ansys simulation environment, the virtual assembly joint orthois has been subjected to a nonlinear analysis based on the contacts and on the materials used. The proposed orthotic device seeks to improve the quality of walking by minimizing the loads from the knee joint, also on cartilage and on the menisci. Finally there are beeing compared the results obtained for normal knee, OA knee and OA knee-orthosis assemblies.
Effect of self-field on the current distribution in Roebel-assembled coated conductor cables

Roebel cables are a promising solution for high current, low AC loss cables made of high-temperature superconductors in the form of coated conductors. High current creates significant self-field, which influences the superconductor’s current-carrying capability. In this paper, we investigate the influence of the self-field on the cable’s critical current and the current repartition among the different strands. In order to investigate the cable’s critical current, we analysed the influence of flux creep on the cable properties. Using the experimental material’s properties derived from measurements on a single conductor as input for our calculations, we were able to predict the critical current of the cable in two limiting situations: good current sharing and complete electrical insulation among the strands. The results of our calculations show good agreement with the measured critical current of three Roebel cable samples.
Cooperation in planning of production and working environments supported by computer graphics

A methodology for studying change processes in working life combining computer-aided planning and cooperation in project groups is evaluated. The methodology is applied and studied in a planning workshop with representatives from manufacturing industries—managers, production engineers, supervisors as well as shop floor workers—and from health-and-safety agencies utilizing the methodology for planning of production, layout, and working environment. The results are presented and discussed with respect to cooperation in project groups, outline of proposals, topics of discussion, and pictures as planning tools.