Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Snake arm robots

Bringing a new robot to market is an exciting venture. When that robot is a new type of robot the venture takes on new proportions – it becomes an adventure. Dr Rob Buckingham, managing director of OCRobotics Ltd, describes the principles of a new snake arm robot that has applications in a number of industries including aerospace (engines and airframes), nuclear, space and surgery as well as a whole range of general inspection and maintenance tasks.
Primary duct closure versus T-tube drainage after laparoscopic common bile duct exploration: a meta-analysis

Laparoscopic common bile duct exploration (LCBDE) is considered a safe and effective method for the removal of bile duct stones. However, the choice of primary duct closure (PDC) or T-tube drainage (TTD) technique after LCBDE is still controversial. This study aimed to compare the safety and effectiveness of PDC and TTD after LCBDE. Studies published before May 1, 2021 in PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases were searched to screen out randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort studies to compare PDC with TTD. Meta-analyses of fixed effect and random effect models were performed using RevMan 5.3. A total of 1865 patients were enrolled in six RCTs and ten cohort studies. Regarding RCTs, the PDC group was significantly better than the TTD group in terms of operation time, total postoperative complications, postoperative hospital stay, and hospitalization expenses (all P<0.05). Based on cohort studies of the subgroup, the PDC group had shorter operation time, shorter postoperative hospital stay, less intraoperative blood loss, and limited total postoperative complications. Statistically, there were no significant differences in bile leakage, retained stones, stone recurrence, bile duct stricture, postoperative pancreatitis, other complications, or postoperative exhaust time between the TTD and PDC groups. Based on the available evidence, compared with TTD, PDC is safe and effective, and can be used as the first choice after transductal LCBDE in patients with choledocholithiasis.
Escaping the position as ‘other’: a postcolonial perspective on refugees’ trajectories into volunteering in Danish sports clubs

Abstract The influx of refugees into Europe around 2015 has led to increasingly restrictive immigration policies and a rising political interest in using sport to promote such newcomers’ state of health and integration into European communities. This perspective is echoed in both research and programmes that are often one-sided in focusing on refugees’ sports participation in the receiving context, while their former experiences and specific interests in sport and physical activity are often neglected. Contributing with transnational and postcolonial perspectives, this article is based on a series of life history interviews with four newly arrived refugees who have taken up roles as volunteers in sports clubs in Denmark. Such trajectories are identified as bearing on their homeland experiences, while taking up volunteering also appears as an escape from their current position as ‘Others’. Further, we discuss how newcomers may challenge dominant discourses on sports-specific volunteering and develop new hybrid forms of civic involvement.
Differential effects of experimental glaucoma on intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells in mice

Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases characterized by retinal ganglion cell (RGC) loss and optic nerve damage. Studies, including this study, support that RGCs degenerate and die in a type‐specific manner following the disease insult. Here we specifically examined one RGC type, the intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cell (ipRGC), and its associated functional deficits in a mouse model of experimental glaucoma. We induced chronic ocular hypertension (OHT) by laser photocoagulation and then characterized the survival of ipRGC subtypes. We found that ipRGCs suffer significant loss, similar to the general RGC population, but ipRGC subtypes are differentially affected following chronic OHT. M4 ipRGCs, which are involved in pattern vision, are susceptible to chronic OHT. Correspondingly, mice with chronic OHT experience reduced contrast sensitivity and visual acuity. By comparison, M1 ipRGCs, which project to the suprachiasmatic nuclei to regulate circadian rhythmicity, exhibit almost no cell loss following chronic OHT. Accordingly, we observed that circadian re‐entrainment and circadian rhythmicity are largely not disrupted in OHT mice. Our study demonstrates the link between subtype‐specific ipRGC survival and behavioral deficits in glaucomatous mice. These findings provide insight into glaucoma‐induced visual behavioral deficits and their underlying mechanisms.
Impaired performances on the category cued memory test in mild Alzheimer's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies: A comparative validity study.

Cued recall taps amnesia of "the hippocampal type" as typically found in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Studies investigating the validity of cued recall measures in AD have typically been conducted in research settings. The Category Cued Memory Test (CCMT-48) measures learning/memory using the same categories during encoding and acquisition. The aim of this study was to investigate how frequently impairments were found on the CCMT-48 mild AD patients from a memory clinic (N = 77). We used a case-oriented approach where individually observed scores were compared to expected scores derived from regressions-based normative data. We also investigated if CCMT-48 performances differed in patients with mild AD and Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) (N = 90). The results showed a significantly higher frequency of impairment in the AD group as compared to the DLB group for scores below 10th percentile-estimate (impaired: AD 88%; DLB 69%) and 5th percentile-estimate (impaired: AD 82%; DLB 53%). In conclusion, a very high frequency of impairment of a picture-based cued recall test in AD patients (very high sensitivity) in a memory clinic setting. However, specificity is not optimal since impairments also frequently occurred in DLB where memory problems could be assumed to be part of attentional deficits and poor retrieval strategies.
Ultra-wideband printed modified triangular monopole antenna

A new printed monopole configuration, the vertex chopped printed triangular monopole antenna, is proposed. It gives an ultra-wide impedance bandwidth ratio of 12.6:1 for a voltage standing wave ratio of 2 and over 25:1 for a voltage standing wave ratio equal to 2.6. Experiments were performed to measure the bandwidth and the radiation patterns of this antenna, which tally well with simulated results.
Quantitative - Spatial Analysis of Soil Loss by Laminar Erosion and Comparison with NDVI Method of the Municipalities of Mandaguaçu and Presidente Castelo Branco / PR

Environmental monitoring is essential for society to maintain balance with the environment, given this fact, several methods from the science of geoprocessing and remote sensing were created to assist in the task. The present work used the Universal Soil Loss Equation to verify the spatiality of laminar erosions in the municipalities of Mandaguaçu and Presidente Castelo Branco, both in Paraná, in addition to comparing their results with data from the Digital Vegetation Index (NDVI) to obtain relationships between the loss of soils and the development or lack of vegetation. The results identified several foci of laminar erosion in the study area, as a possible cause, soils from the highly erodible Caiuá Sandstone can be considered, as well as topographic factors of the EUPS LS factor. It should be noted that the use of digital tools, satellite images and map algebra is not essential for environmental monitoring studies.
Beta-Blockers and Contrast-Induced Nephropathy

We read the article entitled “Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index May Predict the Development of Contrast-Induced Nephropathy in Patients With ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction” by Bağci et al. with interest. They found that the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) is an independent predictor of the contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN). Several studies assessed prophylactic beta-blocker use for their protective effects on renal function. Gunebakmaz et al. found that pretreatment with nebivolol is protective against the nephrotoxic effects of contrast media in 120 patients who underwent coronary angiography. Avci et al. showed that the incidence of CIN was significantly lower in a nebivolol group compared with a metoprolol group in 90 patients with stable coronary angina pectoris. Bhandari et al. demonstrated that pre-angiography beta-blocker usage was an independent predictor of all-cause mortality in patients with end-stage liver disease and showed that the incidence of CIN was significantly lower in patients using beta-blockers before the procedure. In a study in rats, a lower rate of CIN was detected with nebivolol, which has β1-selective and vasodilator properties. In the Bağci et al. study, beta-blocker use before hospitalization was similar in both the CIN and no CIN groups. However, beta-blocker usage was significantly (P = .003) greater in the group without CIN than in patients with CIN as part of hospital treatment. How long after (or possibly even before? ) contrast administration was beta-blocker treatment started? This was not the primary subject of the study, but this information could be relevant. Could the difference in betablocker usage have affected the study results? We thank the authors for their valuable contribution to the literature.
A broad analysis of short-term overreactions in the market for cryptocurrencies

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to analyze market inefficiencies in the market for cryptocurrencies by providing a comprehensive analysis of short-term (over)reactions that follow significant price changes of such currencies.Design/methodology/approachThis study identifies and analyzes overreactions and mispricing in markets for cryptocurrencies by applying a broad set of thresholds that depend on market-specific dynamics and volatilities. This study also analyzes the returns on days following abnormal returns and identifies significant differences from normal returns using the t-test and the Mann–Whitney U-test. The researchers further complement the literature by using end-of-the-day returns in addition to high-low returns. Additionally, this study considers a broad sample of 50 cryptocurrencies for an expanded time span (2015–2020) that includes the big currencies as well as smaller currencies.FindingsFindings detect the existence of overreactions and, thus, market inefficiencies in crypto markets. The findings for different methodological approaches are similar, which underpins the robustness of the findings. By considering a broad sample that includes small and big currencies, we can show the existence of a market size effect. By considering a broad set of thresholds, the authors further found evidence for a magnitude effect, which means that higher initial abnormal returns are related to higher inefficiencies.Practical implicationsThis paper has practical implications. Market inefficiencies were detected, which can be used in practical trading to obtain excess returns. In fact, methodological approach of this study and its results can be used to derive a strategy for trading in cryptocurrencies that can be easily implemented. Based on the study’s findings, the authors can expect positive access returns by applying this trading strategy.Originality/valueThe authors complement the literature on market inefficiencies and mispricing in crypto markets by analyzing price patterns after initial abnormal returns. Researchers contribute by applying different methodological approaches in addition to the approaches used so far, by considering a set of different thresholds and by applying a much broader data set that enables the study to analyze additional aspects.
Neutral Dissociation of Pyridine Evoked by Irradiation of Ionized Atomic and Molecular Hydrogen Beams

The interactions of ions with molecules and the determination of their dissociation patterns are challenging endeavors of fundamental importance for theoretical and experimental science. In particular, the investigations on bond-breaking and new bond-forming processes triggered by the ionic impact may shed light on the stellar wind interaction with interstellar media, ionic beam irradiations of the living cells, ion-track nanotechnology, radiation hardness analysis of materials, and focused ion beam etching, deposition, and lithography. Due to its vital role in the natural environment, the pyridine molecule has become the subject of both basic and applied research in recent years. Therefore, dissociation of the gas phase pyridine (C5H5N) into neutral excited atomic and molecular fragments following protons (H+) and dihydrogen cations (H2+) impact has been investigated experimentally in the 5–1000 eV energy range. The collision-induced emission spectroscopy has been exploited to detect luminescence in the wavelength range from 190 to 520 nm at the different kinetic energies of both cations. High-resolution optical fragmentation spectra reveal emission bands due to the CH(A2Δ→X2Πr; B2Σ+→X2Πr; C2Σ+→X2Πr) and CN(B2Σ+→X2Σ+) transitions as well as atomic H and C lines. Their spectral line shapes and qualitative band intensities are examined in detail. The analysis shows that the H2+ irradiation enhances pyridine ring fragmentation and creates various fragments more pronounced than H+ cations. The plausible collisional processes and fragmentation pathways leading to the identified products are discussed and compared with the latest results obtained in cation-induced fragmentation of pyridine.
Effects of Delta-Shaped Obstacles on the Thermal Performance of Solar Air Heater

An experimental investigation has been carried out to study the effect of delta-shaped obstacles mounted on the absorber surface of an air heater duct with an aspect ratio 6 : 1 resembling the conditions close to solar air heaters. This study encompassed the Reynolds number (Re) ranging from 3400 to 27600, longitudinal pitch of the obstacle ( P l / e ) varied from 3/2 to 11/2, and relative obstacle height (e/H) varied from 0.25 to 0.75. The relative obstacle transverse pitch ( P t / b ) = 7 / 3 and the angle of attack of flow on obstacle = 90° are kept constant during the whole experimentation. By comparing the heat transfer data obtained from the obstacle-mounted duct with that of smooth duct under similar geometrical and flow conditions, the obstacle-mounted duct enhances the heat transfer by 3.6-times at Re = 7276.82, P l /e= 3 / 2 , and e / H = 0.75 .
Laboratory Measurements of Zeta Potential in Fractured Lewisian Gneiss: Implications for the Characterization of Flow in Fractured Crystalline Bedrock

Despite the broad range of interest and possible applications, the controls on the electric surface charge and the zeta potential of gneiss at conditions relevant to naturally fractured systems remain unreported. There are no published zeta potential measurements conducted in such systems at equilibrium, hence, the effects of composition, concentration and pressure remain unknown. This study reports zeta potential values for the first time measured in a fractured Lewisian gneiss sample saturated with NaCl solutions of various concentrations, artificial seawater and artificial groundwater solutions under equilibrium conditions at confining pressures of 4 MPa and 7 MPa. The constituent minerals of the sample were identified using X-ray diffraction and linked to the concentration and composition dependence of the zeta potential. The results reported in this study demonstrate that the zeta potential remained negative for all tested solutions and concentrations. However, the values of the zeta potential of our Lewisian gneiss sample were found to be unique and dissimilar to pure minerals such as quartz, calcite, mica or feldspar. Moreover, the measured zeta potentials were smaller in magnitude in the experiments with artificial complex solutions compared with those measured with NaCl, thus suggesting that divalent ions (Ca2+, Mg2+ and SO42−) acted as potential determining ions. The zeta potential was also found to be independent of salinity in the NaCl experiments, which is unusual for most reported data. We also investigated the impact of fracture aperture on the electrokinetic response and found that surface electrical conductivity remained negligibly small across the range of the tested confining pressures. Our novel results are an essential first step for interpreting field self-potential (SP) signals and facilitate a way forward for characterization of water flow through fractured basement aquifers.
Investigation of transformer oil electrification in a spinning disk system

The author presents a novel measurement system for testing electrification of transformer oil when moving a solid phase in a liquid-phase environment. The system is based on hydrodynamic phenomena occurring for a rotating disc in liquid. It is concluded that the spinning disc system is useful for examining the electrification of transformer oil. The results obtained, particularly those concerning the effect of oil aging electrification, agree with the results obtained by means of A. Klinkenberg's (1958) system. >
Global identification of mechanical and electrical parameters of asynchronous motor driven joint with a fast CLOE method

In many cases of new actuation of compliant controlled or bio-inspired joint driven robot, a global identification of electrical and mechanical coupled dynamics is required. This paper proposes a technique which mixes a closed loop output error method with the inverse dynamic identification model method which allows using linear least-squares technique to estimate the parameters. A first approach which has been validated on a DC motor allows a decoupled identification of the electrical and mechanical dynamics but fails to make a simultaneous identification. A major improvement of that method is proposed to carry out the coupled identification of both mechanical and electrical parameters. A validation on an asynchronous motor driven joint shows the effectiveness of the new procedure.
Vascular Effects of Low-Dose ACE2 Inhibitor MLN-4760—Benefit or Detriment in Essential Hypertension?

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infects host cells through angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). Concurrently, the product of ACE2 action, angiotensin 1–7 (Ang 1–7), binds to Mas receptors within the cardiovascular system and provides protective effects. Therefore, it is crucial to reveal the role of ACE2 inhibition, especially within pre-existing cardiovascular pathologies. In our study, we imitated the action of SARS-CoV-2 in organisms using the low dose of the ACE2 inhibitor MLN-4760 with the aim of investigating to what degree ACE2 inhibition is detrimental to the cardiovascular system of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs), which represent a model of human essential hypertension. Our study revealed the complex action of MLN-4760 in SHRs. On the one hand, we found that MLN-4760 had (1) (pro)obesogenic effects that negatively correlated with alternative renin-angiotensin system activity and Ang 1–7 in plasma, (2) negative effects on ACE1 inhibitor (captopril) action, (3) detrimental effects on the small arteries function and (4) anti-angiogenic effect in the model of chick chorioallantoic membrane. On the other hand, MLN-4760 induced compensatory mechanisms involving strengthened Mas receptor-, nitric oxide- and hydrogen sulfide-mediated signal transduction in the aorta, which was associated with unchanged blood pressure, suggesting beneficial action of MLN-4760 when administered at a low dose.
Looking Abroad for Growth: A Study of International Student’s Symbolic Motivations in Attending South Korean Universities

South Korean universities have been facing student shortages to sustain their growth due to its severe population decline. The Korean government has since introduced policies to attract more international students to the country. The present study examined the prestige-seeking tendencies of international students in Korea and their influence on students’ satisfaction levels. The five dimensions of prestige-seeking behavior were adopted to help explain students’ satisfaction levels. Research samples were current and former international students in Korea. The findings reveal the quality of the education did not contribute directly to the students’ overall satisfaction level. Instead, it was hedonic elements that affected satisfaction. Moreover, status, snob, and bandwagon effects contributed significantly to the quality and hedonic motives.
Entrepreneurship imperatives in higher education institutions: The case of Australian universities

Earlier research has not explicitly emphasised the dynamic integration of entrepreneurship imperatives and transformation in developing the entrepreneurial university. The purpose of this research is to examine the linkage between the strategic intents articulated by universities and their corresponding level of entrepreneurship transformation. This article develops a theoretical framework to examine transformational imperatives, applying a data analytical approach to assess strategic documents using automated content analysis and complex algorithms. Australian universities were chosen for the research given the specific context of the higher education sector and the availability of strategic documents on the institutions’ websites. In the research context, the findings show that, while there are some variances with specific institutions, Australian universities in general, and several groups of universities in particular, expressed different levels of determination, ranging from moderate to moderately strong, to transform themselves into being entrepreneurial. Universities’ management can benefit from the theoretical framework developed in this research to craft strategies to further adopt entrepreneurship imperatives. Implications are also provided to inform universities, industry and government with regard to enhancing the dynamics of entrepreneurship ecosystems.
The combined Shewhart-CUSUM sign charts

Abstract A Shewhart control chart is highly effective for detecting large process shifts, however, it is relatively less sensitive to the small shifts. A CUSUM chart is more efficient than a Shewhart chart for detecting small process shifts but it is inferior to that for detecting the large ones. This paper proposes the nonparametric combined Shewhart-CUSUM (CSC) control charts based on the sign statistic. By appropriately choosing the design parameters, a CSC chart exhibits a trade-off statistical performance between that of the Shewhart and CUSUM sign charts. That is, its performance lies between the performances of the Shewhart and CUSUM sign charts for detecting a process shift of any size. The expressions for the zero-state and steady-state average run lengths of the CSC chart are obtained using a Markov chain approach. An example illustrating the implementation of this chart is provided.