Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Brief Breathing Space: Experiences of Brief Admission by Self-Referral for Self-Harming and Suicidal Individuals with a History of Extensive Psychiatric Inpatient Care

Abstract Individuals with severe self-harm and experiences of lengthy psychiatric admissions often have complex mental health conditions and are at risk of suicide. In this qualitative study, self-harming individuals with >180 days of psychiatric admission over 12 months shared their experiences of Brief Admission (BA), a standardized crisis-management intervention encouraging self-admission and autonomy. Phenomenological hermeneutic analysis formulated BA as a worthy respite, replacing an old system of having to prove need ‘in blood’ or wait and get worse. Successes and struggles in early help-seeking, interpreted in the light of human rights and person-centered care, suggested that individual development of autonomy depended on perceived focus on recovery and compassion. Future research may consider ethical and health-economic aspects of BA in a broader perspective.
Adaptive Fuzzy Backstepping Tracking Control for Flexible Robotic Manipulator

In this paper, an adaptive fuzzy state feedback control method is proposed for the single-link robotic manipulator system. The considered system contains unknown nonlinear function and actuator saturation. Fuzzy logic systems (FLSs) and a smooth function are used to approximate the unknown nonlinearities and the actuator saturation, respectively. By combining the command-filter technique with the backstepping design algorithm, a novel adaptive fuzzy tracking backstepping control method is developed. It is proved that the adaptive fuzzy control scheme can guarantee that all the variables in the closed-loop system are bounded, and the system output can track the given reference signal as close as possible. Simulation results are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Dynamic modeling and analysis of contact interaction of a passive biped-walking robot

The main purpose of this work is to present and discuss a general approach for the dynamic modeling and analysis of a passive biped walking, with particular focus on the feet-ground contact interaction. In contrast to McGeer’s passive dynamic models, normal forces and frictional forces acting on the feet and ground have been taken into account in the proposed model. This study aims at examining and comparing several forces models dealing with different approaches in the context of multibody system dynamics. The dynamics equations are obtained by forward dynamics. The normal forces acting on the feet of the passive biped are described based on the viscoelastic contact model. In turn, the frictional forces and the slippage is solve by the equations of Bengisu law for dry friction. For this purpose, a passive walking and the contact and friction force are discussed. The preliminary results obtained are quite promising of the passive biped-walking robot utilized.
Developmental–behavioral profiles in children with autism spectrum disorder and co‐occurring gastrointestinal symptoms

Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are frequently reported in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We evaluated the frequency and severity of GI symptoms in preschool‐aged children with ASD compared to participants with typical development (TD). Our goal was to ascertain whether GI symptoms are associated with differences in sex or developmental and behavioral measures. Participants were between 2 and 3.5 years of age and included 255 children with ASD (184 males/71 females) and 129 age‐matched TD controls (75 males/54 females). A parent interview was used to assess GI symptoms (abdominal pain, gaseousness/bloating, diarrhea, constipation, pain on stooling, vomiting, difficulty swallowing, blood in stool or in vomit). Children with GI symptoms in each diagnostic group were compared to children without GI symptoms on measures of developmental, behavioral, and adaptive functioning. GI symptoms were reported more frequently in children with ASD compared to the TD group (47.8% vs. 17.8%, respectively). Children with ASD were also more likely to experience multiple GI symptoms (30.6% vs. 5.4%). GI symptoms were equally common in males and females across both diagnostic groups. There were no statistically significant differences in developmental or adaptive measures based on presence of GI symptoms in either ASD or TD children. Co‐occurring GI symptoms were, however, associated with increased self‐injurious behaviors, restricted stereotyped behaviors, aggressive behaviors, sleep problems and attention problems in both ASD and TD children. In children with ASD, a higher number of GI symptoms was associated with an increase in self‐injurious behaviors, somatic complaints, reduced sleep duration, and increased parasomnias.
A Gaussian Beam Based Recursive Stiffness Matrix Model to Simulate Ultrasonic Array Signals from Multi-Layered Media

Ultrasonic testing using arrays is becoming widely used to test composite structures in the Aerospace industry. In recent years, the Full Matrix Capture (FMC) technique has been implemented to extract the signals for post-processing to form an image. The inherent anisotropy and the layering of the structure pose challenges for the interpretation of this FMC data. To overcome this challenge, modeling techniques are required that take into account the diffraction caused by finite-size transducers and the response of the structure to these bounded beams. Existing models either homogenize the entire structure, use computationally expensive finite difference time domain (FDTD) methods, or do not consider the shape of the bounded beam, which is used to test such structures. This paper proposes a modeling technique based on combining the Multi-Gaussian beam model with the recursive stiffness matrix method to simulate the FMC signals for layered anisotropic media. The paper provides the steps required for the modeling technique, the extraction of the system efficiency factor, and validation of the model with experimentally determined signals for aluminum as an isotropic material such as aluminum and Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) laminate as a layered material. The proposed method is computationally inexpensive, shows good agreement with the experimentally determined FMC data, and enables us to understand the effects of various transducer and material parameters on the extracted FMC signals.
Food Supply Chain: Are UK Small to Medium Sized Enterprises (SME) Aware of Concept, Drivers, Benefits & Barriers, and Frameworks of Traceability?

Purpose – In this paper the degree of understanding of traceability concept, drivers, systems’ characteristics, benefits and barriers, and frameworks is tested with focus on UK small and medium businesses (SMEs) that operate in the food supply chain (FSC). Design/methodology/approach – This study employs a survey strategy by means of a questionnaire that was sent to food and drink companies operating in the FSC. 164 SMEs answered the questionnaire. Answers were analysed by means of frequency distributions, contingency tables, coding, and pattern matching. Findings – UK SMEs appear to have a moderate understanding of the definition of traceability. The main drivers for traceability implementation are product safety and quality, even more than regulation. It is also found that SMEs do not consider technology as driver to implement traceability. In term of frameworks employed, about half of the SMEs stated that they were regulatory compliant, and followed industry standards. Furthermore, in term of traceability systems’ characteristics, one out of three companies have a basic system in place (only regulatory compliant), while two out of three have a more sophisticated system, with many companies voluntarily tracing the material during the production process, while chain traceability appears not to be widely implemented. Finally, it is felt that the benefits of traceability outweigh the barriers/disadvantages, with the main benefits found in the area of crisis management. Nonetheless, it appears that many benefits are still unknown to SMEs, especially in relation to the firm’s operations/strategy. Some implications for government and managers are suggested. Originality/value – This study fills the gap found in the literature where few recent academic papers focused attention on SMEs awareness of traceability in the FSC.
Modified Differential Evolution Algorithm: A Novel Approach to Optimize the Operation of Hydrothermal Power Systems while Considering the Different Constraints and Valve Point Loading Effects

This paper proposes an efficient and new modified differential evolution algorithm (ENMDE) for solving two short-term hydrothermal scheduling (STHTS) problems. The first is to take the available water constraint into account, and the second is to consider the reservoir volume constraints. The proposed method in this paper is a new, improved version of the conventional differential evolution (CDE) method to enhance solution quality and shorten the maximum number of iterations based on two new modifications. The first focuses on a self-tuned mutation operation to open the local search zone based on the evaluation of the quality of the solution, while the second focuses on a leading group selection technique to keep a set of dominant solutions. The contribution of each modification to the superiority of the proposed method over CDE is also investigated by implementing CDE with the self-tuned mutation (STMDE), CDE with the leading group selection technique (LGSDE), and CDE with the two modifications. In addition, particle swarm optimization (PSO), the bat algorithm (BA), and the flower pollination algorithm (FPA) methods are also implemented through four study cases for the first problem, and two study cases for the second problem. Through extensive numerical study cases, the effectiveness of the proposed approach is confirmed.
Prospective Implementation of a Risk Prediction Model for Bloodstream Infection Safely Reduces Antibiotic Usage in Febrile Pediatric Cancer Patients Without Severe Neutropenia.

PURPOSE Management of febrile pediatric patients with cancer with an absolute neutrophil count of 500/µL or greater is unclear. The Esbenshade Vanderbilt (EsVan) risk prediction models have been shown to predict bloodstream infection (BSI) likelihood in this population, and this study sought to prospectively validate and implement these models in clinical practice. METHODS Data were prospectively collected on febrile pediatric patients with cancer with a central venous catheter from April 2015 to August 2019 at a single site, at which the models (EsVan: 2015 to 2017; EsVan2: October 2017 to 2019) were initially developed and subsequently implemented for clinical management in well-appearing nonseverely neutropenic individuals. It was recommended that patients with low BSI risk (< 10%) be discharged home without antibiotics, those with intermediate BSI risk (10%-39.9%) be administered an antibiotic before discharge, and those with high BSI risk (> 40%) be admitted on broad-spectrum antibiotics. Seven-day outcomes were then collected and EsVan models were prospectively validated and C-statistics estimated. RESULTS In 937 febrile, nonsevere neutropenia episodes, frequencies of low-, intermediate-, and high-risk episodes were 88.9%, 8.6%, and 2.3% respectively. BSI incidence was 4.2% (39 of 937). Within risk groups, low-risk BSI incidence was 1.9% (16 of 834) with BSI incidence of 13.6% and 54.5% for intermediate- and high-risk episodes, respectively. Empirical intravenous antibiotics were administered in 21.1% of low-risk episodes at presentation and at 7 days postpresentation, 72.3% of episodes never required intravenous antibiotics. There were no deaths or clinical decompensations attributable to antibiotic delay. For BSI detection, EsVan and EsVan2 models applied to the new cohort achieved C-statistics of 0.802 and 0.824, respectively. CONCLUSION Prospective, real-time clinical utilization of the EsVan models accurately predicts BSI risk and safely reduces unnecessary antibiotic use in febrile, nonseverely neutropenic pediatric patients with cancer.
The responses of plant leaf CO 2 /H 2 O exchange and water use efficiency to drought: a meta-analysis

Persistent drought severely inhibits plant growth and productivity, which negatively affects terrestrial primary productivity worldwide. Therefore, it is important to investigate the impacts of drought on plant leaf CO2/H2O exchange and water use efficiency. This study assessed the responses of net photosynthesis (Pn), stomatal conductance (Gs), transpiration (Tr), and instantaneous water use efficiency (WUE) to drought based on a worldwide meta-analysis of 112 published studies. The results demonstrated that drought decreased Pn, Tr, and Gs significantly and differently among different moderators. C4 plants had smaller Pn reduction than C3 plants, which gives C4 plants an advantage in Pn. But their WUE decreased under drought conditions, indicating a great flexibility in C4 WUE. Annual herbs sacrificed WUE (−6.2%) to maintain efficient Pn. Perennial herbs took a different strategy in response to drought with an increased WUE (25.1%). Deciduous tree species displayed a greater increase in WUE than conifers and evergreen species. Additionally, Gs had a significant correlation with Pn and Tr, but an insignificant correlation with WUE, which could be because WUE is affected by other factors (e.g., air flow, CO2 concentration, and relative humidity). These findings have significant implications for understanding the worldwide effects of drought on plant leaf CO2/H2O exchange and water use efficiency.
An Optimization of Wind Turbine Airfoil Possessing Good Stall Characteristics by Genetic Algorithm Utilizing CFD and Neural Network

In this research, an optimization of a wind turbine airfoil is performed by Genetic Algorithm (GA) as optimization method, coupled with CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN). A pressure-based implicit procedure is applied to solve the Navier-Stokes equations on a nonorthogonal mesh with collocated finite volume formulation to calculate the aerodynamic coefficients. The boundedness criteria for the numerical procedure are determined by Normalized Variable Diagram (NVD) scheme and the k-e eddy-viscosity turbulence model is utilized. ANN has been used as surrogate model to reduce computational cost and time. Single objective and multi objective optimization of wind turbine airfoil have been performed and the results of optimization are presented. To decrease the number of design variables and producing a smooth shaped airfoil, modified Hicks-Henne functions are applied. In this process, the Eppler E387 airfoil has been applied as the base airfoil. The angle of attack varies from 0 to 20 degrees and Reynolds number of the flow is 460000. The presented technique decreases the time of optimization by 99.5%. Moreover, the results manifest the good agreement of trained ANN outputs and CFD simulation. In addition, the Multi-objective optimization can attain the better solutions than single objective to design a wind turbine airfoil with good stall characteristics.
Commodity Prices and Inflation Expectations in the United States

U.S. monetary policy can remain extraordinarily accommodative only if longer-term inflation expectations stay well-anchored, including in response to commodity price shocks. We find that oil price shocks have a statistically significant, but economically small impact on longer-term inflation compensation embedded in U.S. Treasury bonds. The estimated effect is larger for the post-crisis period, and robust to controlling for measures of liquidity risk premia. Oil price shocks are also correlated with the variance of longer-term inflation expectations in the University of Michigan Survey of Consumers in the post-crisis period. These results are not attributable to looser monetary policy - oil price increases were associated with expectations of a faster monetary tightening after the crisis. Overall, the findings are consistent with some impact of commodity prices on long-term inflation expectations and/or on inflation rate risk.
Limnological and biological characteristics of the alpine lakes of Portugal

This is the first limnological description of the so far unknown alpine lakes of Portugal. All located above 1500 m above sea level on granitic soil, these are small lakes of glacial origin and acidic nature. The biological structure is simple. The phytoand zooplankton communities of the lakes without fish were compared with those of the lakes where trout (O~zcorhytzchus tnykiss Walbaum) has been introduced. This study was undertaken for a short period of time ( September and October of 1993) and therefore it should only constitute a starting point for studies leading to preservation of these ecosystems of unique nature in the country.
Altered Snow Density and Chemistry Change Soil Nitrogen Mineralization and Plant Growth

ABSTRACT Snow properties such as snow density will likely change in a warmer climate. Changes in depth and extent of snow cover have been shown to affect soil nutrient dynamics and plant growth; however, effects of a changed snow density have so far not been explicitly tested. We altered snow properties (especially depth and density according to those found on ski runs) and investigated effects on soil temperatures, soil nitrogen mineralization, plant phenology, and productivity. A denser, thinner snow cover led to reduced soil insulation and lower soil temperatures, which consequently increased net N mineralization. A denser snow cover furthermore resulted in a delay in plant phenology of up to five weeks after melt-out. The results suggest that changes in snow density, which have been largely neglected in the global change discussion until now, can cause significant changes in soil and vegetation processes.
Sarker Detection of Flow Pulsation by Microcontroller Equipped Ultrasonic Flow Meter

This thesis demonstrates that the small micro-controller present in ultrasonic flow meters can detect error inducing flow pulsations. The implemented code is provided in the appendices. The application targets the district heating industry where the use of ultrasonic flow meters is growing more and more common as they are accurate, non-intrusive and low cost. District heating companies desire accurate and low cost flow measurement. An underestimation of the flow rate leads to a loss of income and the total cost of measuring, the reading, maintenance and installation represents a relatively large part of the total cost. Recently, in competitive market, micro-controllers have become inexpensive and those are capable of doing complex computations. In this thesis, as part of self-diagnosis techniques, the detection of the pulsating flow is implemented on an 8-bit ATMEL AVR micro-controller. It saves a huge installation cost and is economically beneficial for an industry. Serial communication and data conversion are also implemented to receive velocity input data. The work shows that even with an 8-bit micro-controller flow pulsations are detectable.
Cancer Cell Acid Adaptation Gene Expression Response Is Correlated to Tumor-Specific Tissue Expression Profiles and Patient Survival

The acidic pH of the tumor microenvironment plays a critical role in driving cancer development toward a more aggressive phenotype, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. To this end, phenotypic and genotypic changes induced by adaptation of cancer cells to chronic acidosis have been studied. However, the generality of acid adaptation patterns across cell models and their correlation to the molecular phenotypes and aggressiveness of human cancers are essentially unknown. Here, we define an acid adaptation expression response shared across three cancer cell models, dominated by metabolic rewiring, extracellular matrix remodeling, and altered cell cycle regulation and DNA damage response. We find that many genes which are upregulated by acid adaptation are significantly correlated to patient survival, and more generally, that there are clear correlations between acid adaptation expression response and gene expression change between normal and tumor tissues, for a large subset of cancer patients. Our data support the notion that tumor microenvironment acidity is one of the key factors driving the selection of aggressive cancer cells in human patient tumors, yet it also induces a growth-limiting genotype that likely limits cancer cell growth until the cells are released from acidosis, for instance during invasion.
The influence of desertic aerosols on tropical cyclones

Saharan dust that crosses periodically the Atlantic in the air layer between 1000 and 5000 meters (Saharan Air Layer hereafter referred to as SAL) may play a role on the genesis and the evolution of tropical cyclones. As suggested in recent studies (Dunion and Velden, 2004, Evan et al., 2006), the presence of dust may inhibit the formation and the development of tropical cyclonic disturbances. Indeed, the SAL constitutes a dry layer and its presence usually coincides with the presence of a mid-level jet, that enhances vertical shear. Further, it modifies the radiation amount at surface level by reflecting and absorbing a part of the incident solar radiation and also induces a strong temperature inversion thus inhibiting convection. These air mass characteristics (dry warm stable layer) tend to inhibit cyclogenesis and cyclonic development. However, the influence of other periodical climatic phenomena (El Nino, climatic cycles, etc.) on the formation and production of tropical cyclones may mask the effect of the SAL. This introduces some ambiguity in the conclusions of studies that attempt to determine the influence of the SAL on cyclonic development. The work presented here constitutes an attempt to check the inhibitive role of the SAL on cyclogenesis and cyclonic evolution by using the satellite measured TOMS absorbing aerosol index values and corresponding tropical cyclone observations for the 1979-2006 period.
Research Statement Visual Question Answering and Beyond

• Aiding visually impaired users in understanding their surroundings [9] (Human: ‘What is on the shelf above the microwave? ’, AI: ‘Canned containers’ ), • Aiding analysts in making decisions based on large quantities of surveillance data (Human: ‘What kind of car did the man in red shirt leave in? ’, AI: ‘Blue Toyota Prius’ ), • Teaching children through interactive demos (Kid: ‘What animal is that? ’, AI: ‘That is Dall Sheep. You can find those in Alaska.’ ), • Interacting with personal AI assistants (such as Alexa, Siri) (Human: ‘Is my laptop in my bedroom upstairs? ’, AI: ‘Yes’, Human: ‘Is the charger plugged in? ’ ), • Making visual social media content more accessible (AI: ‘Your friend Bob just uploaded a picture from his Hawaii trip’, Human: ‘Great, is he at the beach? ’, AI: ‘No, on a mountain’ ).