Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characterization and Tissue Tropism of Newly Identified Iflavirus and Negeviruses in Glossina morsitans morsitans Tsetse Flies

Tsetse flies cause major health and economic problems as they transmit trypanosomes causing sleeping sickness in humans (Human African Trypanosomosis, HAT) and nagana in animals (African Animal Trypanosomosis, AAT). A solution to control the spread of these flies and their associated diseases is the implementation of the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT). For successful application of SIT, it is important to establish and maintain healthy insect colonies and produce flies with competitive fitness. However, mass production of tsetse is threatened by covert virus infections, such as the Glossina pallidipes salivary gland hypertrophy virus (GpSGHV). This virus infection can switch from a covert asymptomatic to an overt symptomatic state and cause the collapse of an entire fly colony. Although the effects of GpSGHV infections can be mitigated, the presence of other covert viruses threaten tsetse mass production. Here we demonstrated the presence of two single-stranded RNA viruses isolated from Glossina morsitans morsitans originating from a colony at the Seibersdorf rearing facility. The genome organization and the phylogenetic analysis based on the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) revealed that the two viruses belong to the genera Iflavirus and Negevirus, respectively. The names proposed for the two viruses are Glossina morsitans morsitans iflavirus (GmmIV) and Glossina morsitans morsitans negevirus (GmmNegeV). The GmmIV genome is 9685 nucleotides long with a poly(A) tail and encodes a single polyprotein processed into structural and non-structural viral proteins. The GmmNegeV genome consists of 8140 nucleotides and contains two major overlapping open reading frames (ORF1 and ORF2). ORF1 encodes the largest protein which includes a methyltransferase domain, a ribosomal RNA methyltransferase domain, a helicase domain and a RdRp domain. In this study, a selective RT-qPCR assay to detect the presence of the negative RNA strand for both GmmIV and GmmNegeV viruses proved that both viruses replicate in G. m. morsitans. We analyzed the tissue tropism of these viruses in G. m. morsitans by RNA-FISH to decipher their mode of transmission. Our results demonstrate that both viruses can be found not only in the host’s brain and fat bodies but also in their reproductive organs, and in milk and salivary glands. These findings suggest a potential horizontal viral transmission during feeding and/or a vertically viral transmission from parent to offspring. Although the impact of GmmIV and GmmNegeV in tsetse rearing facilities is still unknown, none of the currently infected tsetse species show any signs of disease from these viruses.
Red Light Running Behavior of Electric Bicycles at Signalized Intersections in China

A comparative analysis was conducted on the red light running behavior of the riders of scooter-style electric bicycles (e-scooters), bicycle-style electric bicycles (e-bikes), and bicycles as they crossed signalized intersections. The crossing behaviors of 5,646 riders (1,568 e-bikes, 2,612 e-scooters, and 1,466 bicycles) were observed. The average red light running rates for e-bikes, e-scooters, and bicycles at the selected sites were 24.9%, 25.0%, and 18.3%, respectively. The rates for e-bikes and e-scooters were significantly higher than those for bicycles. The difference in the rates between e-bikes and e-scooters was not statistically significant. A binary logit model was developed to evaluate how various factors affected the red light running rates of two-wheeled vehicles at signalized intersections. Results of a comparison of traffic conflicts caused by various red light running two-wheeled vehicles indicated that bicycles were slightly more likely to be involved in traffic conflicts than e-bikes or e-scooters as they crossed intersections during a red pedestrian phase. Also, e-bikes were less likely than e-scooters and bicycles to be involved in traffic conflicts in the middle stage of a red pedestrian phase. Both e-scooters and e-bikes had higher crossing speeds than bicycles. Although e-scooters traveled at speeds significantly higher than e-bikes did when crossing intersections during green phases, the difference in crossing speeds between red light running e-bikes and red light running e-scooters was not statistically significant.
Arthrodesis of the Trapeziometacarpal Joint Using a Chevron Osteotomy and Plate Fixation

Introduction. Trapeziometacarpal (TM) osteoarthritis is common. Despite the availability of numerous surgical options, none has been definitively proven to be superior. This study aims to determine the union rate and key strength following arthrodesis using a chevron osteotomy and plate fixation. Methods. 32 consecutive cases of TM joint arthrodesis performed between 2001 and 2006 were retrospectively identified. A chevron osteotomy was used to resect joint surfaces and fixation obtained using an AO mini T-plate. The patients were followed up for a mean of 65 months. Outcomes included visual analogue pain score, patient satisfaction, pinch strength, radiographic union, radiographic signs of scaphotrapezial arthritis, and complications. Results. The 32 cases included 16 females and 8 males with an average age of 56 years. Overall there was a 90% patient satisfaction rate. Average key pinch strength was 8.4 kg and pain score was 2.5. The union rate was 94%, and the two patients with nonunion underwent successful revision surgery. Only one case of radiographic progression of scaphotrapezoid arthritis was identified during followup. Conclusion. TM joint arthrodesis using a chevron osteotomy and plate fixation has high patient satisfaction and low nonunion rates. The authors endorse this technique in the management of TM joint osteoarthritis.
EFFECTS OF EIGHT WEEKS PILATES EXERCISES ON BODY COMPOSITION OF MIDDLE AGED SEDENTARY WOMEN

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of 8 weeks regular Pilates mat-work exercises program on body composition of sedentary middle aged women. Method. The total of 20 healthy middle aged sedentary women voluntarily participated in this study. The mean age and body weight of subjects in control and experiment group were 41,2+8,67 years and 67,1 + 16,106 kg. , 38,5+3,89 years and 62,8 + 8,766 kg respectively. While experiment group performed three exercise sessions per week and each session lasted 45 minutes at %40-60 intensity, control group did not participate in any activity during study. All subjects’, height, weight, waist-hip ratio, body mass index, body fat percentage and lean body mass were measured by standardized tests and equipments before and after exercise program. The data were analyzed with Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test by using SPSS 10.0 Package Program. Results. As a results of this study; significant decrements were observed in percent body fat of women in Pilates exercise group (p<0,05). Conclusions. As conclusion it could be said that; this type of regular pilates exercises are effective on reducing percent body fat of middle aged sedentary women.
Heat stress during development makes antlion larvae more responsive to vibrational cues

Abstract We investigated the effects of heat stress on the responsiveness to vibrational cues, our measure of perceptual ability, in Myrmeleon bore antlion larvae (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae). We reared these trap-building predatory larvae under 2 heat stress regimes (mild, 30°C, and harsh, 36°C), and after they progressed from one instar stage to another, we tested their perceptual ability in common unchallenging conditions. We hypothesized that exposure to the harsh heat stress regime would impose costs resulting in handicapped vibration responsiveness. We found that the harsh heat stress regime generated more stressful conditions for the larvae, as evidenced by increased mortality and postponed molting, and the loss of body mass among larger larvae. Furthermore, among the individuals who remained alive, those originating from the harsh heat stress regime were characterized by higher vibration responsiveness. Our results suggest 2 not mutually exclusive scenarios. Costly heat stress conditions can sieve out individuals characterized by poor perceptual ability or surviving individuals can attempt to hunt more efficiently to compensate for the physiological imbalance caused by heat stress. Both of these mechanisms fit into the ongoing debate over how adaptation and plasticity contribute to shaping insect communities exposed to heat stress.
Relationship between job design, macroergonomics, and productivity

Technological advancement and human development have always shared a close relationship. This is especially true in manufacturing systems with human operators. The harmony between the manufacturing and human systems is emphasized in a sociotechnical systems approach. This article first presents examples of job design where human factors have been applied. Second, it explores the relationships between microergonomics, macroergonomics, and the concept of self-organizing systems. Finally, it demonstrates how job design and macroergonomics can be integrated to create self-organization, which leads to higher productivity. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Filling gaps in trustworthy development of AI

Description Incident sharing, auditing, and other concrete mechanisms could help verify the trustworthiness of actors The range of application of artificial intelligence (AI) is vast, as is the potential for harm. Growing awareness of potential risks from AI systems has spurred action to address those risks while eroding confidence in AI systems and the organizations that develop them. A 2019 study (1) found more than 80 organizations that have published and adopted “AI ethics principles,” and more have joined since. But the principles often leave a gap between the “what” and the “how” of trustworthy AI development. Such gaps have enabled questionable or ethically dubious behavior, which casts doubts on the trustworthiness of specific organizations, and the field more broadly. There is thus an urgent need for concrete methods that both enable AI developers to prevent harm and allow them to demonstrate their trustworthiness through verifiable behavior. Below, we explore mechanisms [drawn from (2)] for creating an ecosystem where AI developers can earn trust—if they are trustworthy (see the figure). Better assessment of developer trustworthiness could inform user choice, employee actions, investment decisions, legal recourse, and emerging governance regimes.
Iterative Proportional Fitting Procedure to Determine Bus Route Passenger Origin–Destination Flows

The advent of automatic passenger counter (APC) technologies is resulting in the collection of comprehensive boarding and alighting data on an ongoing basis across transit networks. The availability of APC data offers a new opportunity to determine origin–destination (O-D) flows on a frequent and comprehensive basis. In this paper, the performance of a simple procedure for route-level O-D flow determination requiring only boarding and alighting data is investigated. Specifically, the performance of the iterative proportional fitting (IPF) procedure used with a null base matrix is examined on the basis of a field experiment in which true O-D flows are observed. Because of the noninformative nature of the null matrix, using the IPF procedure with the null matrix as its input base may not be expected to produce good results. In a comparison of empirical results with those produced by other benchmark procedures, the IPF–null procedure is found to perform surprisingly well. The quality of the resulting matrices appears to be roughly similar to that of matrices derived from an onboard survey, the benchmark for what has been achieved in practice, but at much higher cost. The results indicate that much can be gained from using readily available APC data, even when the simple IPF–null procedure is applied. Moreover, using the better base obtained from an onboard survey with the IPF procedure improved performance, but less markedly compared with use of the null base; this difference indicates that combining onboard survey information with APC data provides a better O-D matrix than what can be derived from an onboard survey alone, even when the simple IPF procedure is used.
Effect of vermicompost on growth of brinjal plant ( Solanum melongena) under field conditions

The study was aimed at understanding the effect of vermicompost on the growth and productivity of brinjal plant. The vermicompost of cow dung, garden waste and kitchen waste in combination were used with brinjal plants under field conditions. The different treatments affected the seed germination of the test crop significantly. Plant height, number of leaves and fruit weight ware higher in the vermicompost treated field as compared to control and no disease incidence was observed in the fruits of vermicompost treated plot. The study revealed that vermicompost amendments affected brinjal crop differently and we recommend that while raising brinjal crop farmers should use vermicompost instead of synthetic fertilizers.
Towards Robust Blood Pressure Estimation From Pulse Wave Velocity Measured by Photoplethysmography Sensors

In recent years, advances in biosensing devices have greatly increased the ability of sensing human biological vital signs. These advances have allowed physicians to better assess the health status of patients. Among them, blood pressure (BP) sensing has been the dominant one, showing the most potential for growth. Despite much progress, a rapid, robust, and easy-accessed way for BP sensing is still much needed for the emerging point-of-care market. To tackle this challenge, in this paper, we present a BP measurement unit that is developed based on two photoplethysmography (PPG) sensors from which pulse wave velocity (PWV) of blood flow can be derived. A robust time difference of collected two subsequent PPG waveforms between two heartbeats was used to calculate PWV. The systolic and diastolic BPs from 26 participants were estimated by using the derived PWV as the input of machine learning (ML) models. Upon testing multiple ML models, the Gaussian process regressor achieved the highest R2 score of >0.88 and >0.62 for the systolic BP and diastolic BP, respectively. These R2 scores are among the best that can be achieved with state-of-art non-invasive BP measurement devices. This work demonstrates that PPG-based sensors for PWV and BP estimation, combined with ML, have a great potential of becoming a complementary way to measure biological vital signs.
The Characteristic of Fe as a β-Ti Stabilizer in Ti Alloys

It is well known that adding elements, especially β-Ti stabilizers, are holding a significant effect on titanium alloy strength due to the solution and precipitate strengthening mechanisms. In order to reveal the Fe strengthening mechanism in titanium, this study investigate the effect of Fe on the stability of β-Ti and the phase transition between α, β and ω phase with first-principle calculations. According to our study, Fe is a strong β-Ti phase stabilizer could owe to the 3d orbital into eg and t2g states which results in strong hybridization between Fe-d orbital and Ti-d orbital. The phase transition from ω to β or from α to β becomes easier for Fe-doped Ti compared to pure titanium. Based on our results, it is found that one added Fe atom can lead the phase transition (ω → β) of at least nine titanium atoms, which further proves that Fe has a strong stabilizing effect on β-Ti phase. This result provides a solid guide for the future design of high-strength titanium with the addition of Fe.
Experimental and Numerical Investigation of the DrivAer Model

Automotive aerodynamic research often focuses on strongly simplified car models, such as the Ahmed body and the SAE model. Due to their high degree of abstraction, however, interference effects are often neglected which leads to an unrealistic representation of the flow field. Consequently, these results cannot be directly used for the aerodynamic optimization of production vehicles. On the other hand, aerodynamic investigations of real production vehicles are often limited due to the restricted availability of the geometric data. Therefore, a new realistic generic car model for aerodynamic research — the DrivAer body — is proposed. This paper focuses on the development of the model, summarizes first experimental results of the different configurations of the fastback geometry and compares them to numerical simulations performed using the open source software OpenFOAM®. Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Operation of Distribution Systems with PEVs and Smart Loads

With the evolving concept of smart grids, Local Distribution Companies (LDCs) are gradually integrating advanced technologies and intelligent infrastructures to maximize distribution system capability, modernize the grid, and lay the foundation for smart loads. With the development of smart grids, utilities and customers will be able to coordinately send, retrieve, visualize, process and/or control their energy needs for the benefit of both. This thesis first presents a novel smart distribution system operation framework for smart charging of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs). Thus, a three-phase Distribution Optimal Power Flow (DOPF) model is proposed, which incorporates comprehensive models of underground cables, transformers, voltage dependent loads, taps and switch capacitors, and their respective limits, to determine optimal feeder voltage-control settings and PEV smart-charging schedules. Various objective functions from the perspective of the LDC and customers are considered, and controlled tap, switch capacitors, and charging schemes are determined for various scenarios to address the shortcomings of uncontrolled charging, using two realistic feeder models to test and validate the proposed approach. Probabilistic studies are carried out on these two feeders, based on Monte Carlo Simulations (MCS), to account for the uncertainty in customers’ driving patterns reflected in the initial PEV state-of-charge (SOC) and charging starting time. The thesis also presents mathematical models for price-responsive and controllable loads to study for the first time the smart operation of unbalanced distribution systems with these types of smart loads, based on the previously proposed DOPF model. The price-responsive load models are represented using linear and exponential functions of the price, while a constant energy load model, controllable by the LDC, is proposed to model critical and deferrable loads. The effect of feeder peak demand constraints on the controllable loads is also examined, based on the results obtained for two realistic feeder models. The two feeders are also used to study, using MCS, the variability of elasticity parameters and their impact on the output of the DOPF. Finally, the thesis presents a load model of an EHMS residential micro-hub using neural networks (NN), based on measured and simulated data. The inputs of the NN are weather, Time-of-Use (TOU) tariffs, time, and a peak demand cap imposed by the LDC. Various NN structures are trained, tested, validated, and compared to obtain the best fit for the given data. The developed function can be readily applied to the proposed DOPF for real-time optimal operation and control of LDC distribution feeders in smart grids.
Group Prenatal Care and Emergency Room Utilization

Pregnancy-related complaints are a significant driver of emergency room (ER) utilization among women. Because of additional time for patient education and provider relationships, group prenatal care may reduce ER visits among pregnant women by helping them identify appropriate care settings, improving understanding of common pregnancy discomforts, and reducing risky health behaviors. We conducted a retrospective cohort study, utilizing Medicaid claims and birth certificate data from a statewide expansion of group care, to compare ER utilization between pregnant women participating in group prenatal care and individual prenatal care. Using propensity score matching methods, we found that group care was associated with a significant reduction in the likelihood of having any ER utilization (–5.9% among women receiving any group care and –6.0% among women attending at least five group care sessions). These findings suggest that group care may reduce ER utilization among pregnant women and encourage appropriate health care utilization during pregnancy.
Non-Prescription Antibiotics Use and Associated Factors Among Drug Retail Outlets in Ambo, Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Purpose To assess the non-prescription use of antibiotics and associated factors in Ambo Town, West Shoa, Oromia, Ethiopia. Methods An institutional-based cross-sectional study design supported with the qualitative study was conducted in Ambo Town from February 1 to March 1, 2020. Data were collected using a pretested semi-structured questionnaire and in-depth interview guide questions. Simple random sampling was used to select retail outlets and systematic random sampling to select study participants. The data analysis was done using SPSS and univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with non-prescription use of antibiotics. Thematic framework analysis was applied for the qualitative data. Results From the 421 study sample, a total of 399 participants were interviewed with a 94.8% response rate. Among the study participants, 214 (53.6) were males, 228 (57.1%) were married, 191 (47.9%) were orthodox by religion, and 343 (86%) were Oromo by ethnicity. One hundred seventy-two (43.1%; 95% CI: 38.6, 48.1) of the participants had used non-prescribed antibiotics. Being male [AOR=2.21 95% CI: 1.276, 3.835], residing in rural area [AOR=3.659, 95% CI: 1.479, 9.054], holding diploma [AOR=0.120, 95% CI: 0.025, 0.591], and hold BSC degree [AOR=0.050, 95% CI: 0.007, 0.378], and being farmer [AOR=0.034, 95% CI: 0.004, 0.285] showed significant association with the non-prescription use of antibiotics. Conclusion This study concluded that the non-prescription use of antibiotics 172 (43.1%) was relatively high. Being male, residing in a rural area, holding a diploma, BSc degree, and being a farmer were significantly associated with non-prescription use of antibiotics. So, West Shoa Zone regulatory body should actively focus on the prevention of non-prescription use of antibiotics through health communication and public awareness on the demerits of non-prescription use of antibiotics.