Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Electrospun Nanofibers for Optimized Fiber-Shaped Wearable Sensors

: This work discusses the design of highly stretchable, piezoresistive, ﬂexible sensors obtained by electrospun nanoﬁbers collected on rotating ﬂexible wires. The resulting nanostructured sensors have a ﬁber-shape due to the inner plastic core being in intimate contact with the nanoﬁbers forming the outer shell. The ﬁnal ﬁber-shape thus facilitates the integration of the sensor into soft electronic platforms. Composite nanoﬁbers, made of polyethylene oxide and multiwall carbon nanotubes, were selected as the sensitive material that is able to combine an effective response to mechanical deformation with compatibility in contact with the human body. Two ﬂexible wire collectors were selected: a plastic wire and a plastic hollow wire. We demonstrate that the collectors induce a partially ordered distribution of NFs with good percolation behavior. Piezoresistive characterization conﬁrmed the increase in the nanoﬁbers’ electrical resistance with increasing applied pressure. The dimensionless sensitivity | ∆ R/R0| was calculated and plotted as a function of the applied pressure, demonstrating the good behavior of the new ﬁber-shaped pressure sensors.
Application of Knee Robotic Orthosis to Improve the Walking Performance of People with Post-Polio Syndrome

ABSTRACT Introduction Poliomyelitis has been considered a statutory notifiable infectious disease in Hong Kong since 1948. Approximately 15% to 80% of patients suffer from post-polio syndrome (PPS) with an increased risk of falling and chronic pain. Most of them relied on the use of knee lock-type orthoses as aids. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of using a custom-fit knee robotic orthosis on their gait performance. Materials and Methods A case series report was used for this study on a group of individuals suffering from chronic PPS who used orthoses and had a history of falling. A knee robotic orthosis was custom-fit for eight sessions of walking practice. Assessments included laboratory gait analysis, functional measures, and subjective ratings of exertional level. Pain responses were recorded to evaluate the effect of using the knee robotic orthosis on participants’ gait performance. Results Five participants completed the study in using the knee robotic orthosis. All achieved reduction in shoulder tilting and trunk swaying movement on walking at the anterior-posterior and the medial-lateral direction. A total of 80% of the study participants achieved reduction in trunk rotation movement, lower-limb circumduction, and hip hiking movement on the affected side on walking. All study participants were able to demonstrate improvement in their gait symmetry after using the knee robotic orthosis as reflected by the symmetric index improvement of kinematics. The rate of perceived exertion and the visual analog scale of pain in all study participants were reported lower when they used the knee robotic orthosis. However, the 10-m walking time achieved was longer. Conclusions The knee robotic orthosis had a positive effect on remediating the abnormal kinematics of PPS patients using conventional lock-knee orthosis after eight sessions of training practice. Reduction in the limping gait pattern and improvement in gait symmetry was achieved in using a knee robotic orthosis for walking. The chronic pain response and the physical exertional level on walking were also reduced. However, the walking speed achieved was slower. Clinical Relevance The application of the knee robotic orthosis for walking assist is new to most of the PPS patients. The positive outcomes achieved merit further research for future clinical practice.
Psychological distress in patients with cancer at the Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya, during the COVID-19 pandemic

Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text. Abstract Background: Psychosocial care for oncology patients is now recognized as a critical aspect of care because it has a positive impact on patient outcomes. Various screening tools have been validated to objectively measure the levels of distress, such as the National Comprehensive Cancer Network distress thermometer. However, there is little evidence of its use in sub-Saharan Africa, where the cancer burden continues to increase. This study sought to evaluate the levels of psychological distress in patients with cancer and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This was a single-center cross-sectional study among patients with a histological diagnosis of cancer attending the hemato-oncology and radio-oncology units at the Kenyatta National Hospital, a referral tertiary center. We used the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Distress Thermometer and Problem Checklist to define psychological distress, fear of COVID-19 scale, and Corona Anxiety Score to determine the level of fear and anxiety caused by COVID-19 given the study happened during the pandemic, and the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) to assess the performance status. Results: Of the 361 patients, the median age was 54 years (interquartile range, 43–63), and most were female (70%). The leading cancer diagnosis was breast cancer (26%), followed by cervical cancer (24%), with most of the patients having advanced disease and 28% having ECOG 3. Most (80%) patients were able to continue with their treatment despite the COVID-19 pandemic; however, 71% had a high level of fear of COVID-19 but minimal anxiety symptoms based on Corona Anxiety Score. The mean distress thermometer score was 2.7 (SD, 2.6), with 30% having a high level of distress (4 or above). ECOG status was the only variable significantly associated with high levels of distress, with the strongest association observed in the highest ECOG status (ECOG 4: OR, 6.8 [95% CI, 2.8–16.6] P < .001). Transportation was the main problem in the practical domain (62%) while fears and worries in the emotional domain (46% and 49%, respectively), and pain (65%) were the main physical problems. Conclusions: One-third of patients experienced high levels of distress. These patients reported significant concerns, such as transportation, fears, worry, and pain, in the problem checklist. There is a need to incorporate screening for distress into our patient population to help identify these patients and institute appropriate interventions.
A Probe to Surface Reactivity, Crystal Structure, and DFT Investigations for Newly Synthesized 4,5-bis(4-Nitrophenyl)-8a-phenyl-decahydro-[1,3]diazino[4,5-d]pyrimidine-2,7-dione: A Combined Theoretical and Experimental Study

The multicomponent reaction of 4-nitrobenzaldehyde with acetophenone and urea in the presence of HCl was investigated, and, as a result, 4,5-bis(4-nitrophenyl)-8a-phenyl-decahydro-[1,3]diazino[4,5-d]pyrimidine-2,7-dione was synthesized. The structure of the synthesized compound was confirmed by the X-ray method. We performed Hirshfeld surfaces (HS) analysis and two-dimensional (2D) fingerprint plots for the studied compound to obtain surface reactivity and intermolecular interactions. The H∙∙∙H interactions were found to be higher, up to 32.2%, while the percentage C∙∙∙O contact was found to be the lowest among the reported interactions for single crystal packing. The energy framework analysis shows the strength of interaction energy within fragments of a single crystal at 3.08 A distances. The DFT study shows structural reactivity and a reduced HOMO-LUMO gap up to 4.0 eV. The NPA study reveals the reactivity and excellent charge transfer within the structure. The TD-DFT study reveals the absorbance in the UV region and excited state parameters during crucial transitions (transitions with maximum oscillator strength). The investigated compound shows excellent optical and nonlinear optical (NLO) properties, as indicated by its polarizability (αo) and hyperpolarizability (βo) values.
The Trace Formula and Its Applications: An Introduction to the Work of James Arthur

In May, 1999 James Greig Arthur, University Professor at the University of Toronto was awarded the Canada Gold Medal by the National Science and Engineering Research Council. This is a high honour for a Canadian scientist, instituted in 1991 and awarded annually, but not previously to a mathematician, and the choice of Arthur, although certainly a recognition of his greatmerits, is also a recognition of the vigour of contemporary Canadian mathematics.
On The Capacity of Noisy Channel with M-ary Runlength-Limited Inputs

Motivated by forthcoming of new materials that supports multi-amplitude data storage, McLaughlin and Luo [1] present some results on the capacity of noiseless (cid:1) -ary runlength-limited codes. In this paper we tackle with a M-ary noisy channel which inputs are M-ary runlength-limited sequences. We obtain a lower bound on the capacity of that a channel and calculate the power spectral density of its input sequences. The results presented here can be viewed as a generalization of that given in [2] for the binary case.
Real-Time Gait Event Detection with Adaptive Frequency Oscillators from a Single Head-Mounted IMU

Accurate real-time gait event detection is the basis for the development of new gait rehabilitation techniques, especially when utilizing robotics or virtual reality (VR). The recent emergence of affordable wearable technologies, especially inertial measurement units (IMUs), has brought forth various new methods and algorithms for gait analysis. In this paper, we highlight some advantages of using adaptive frequency oscillators (AFOs) over traditional gait event detection algorithms, implemented a real-time AFO-based algorithm that estimates the gait phase from a single head-mounted IMU, and validated our method on a group of healthy subjects. Gait event detection was accurate at two different walking speeds. The method was reliable for symmetric, but not asymmetric gait patterns. Our method could prove especially useful in VR applications since a head-mounted IMU is already an integral part of commercial VR products.
The influence of the dissipation on the stability of the rotation of a rigid body suspended on a rod

The investigation of the influence of resistance forces on the dynamics of mechanical systems is a rather topical issue. This investigation is frequently complicated by the feature that taking into account the resistance forces leads to the appearance in the perturbed equations of motion not only of dissipative terms depending on the generalized velocities but also nonpotential positional forces depending on the generalized coordinates. The latter forces create certain difficulties, since the methods of analysis of such systems have been developed insufficiently thoroughly. The stability problem for two-degree-of-freedom mechanical systems of such a type was considered in [1, 2]. In [3, 7], for systems governed by general nth-order equations, the problem of reduction of these equations to the form convenient for the application of the familiar Thomson-Tait-Chetaev theorems [7] was solved. The analytical techniques of the cited publications turned out to be especially effective for the investigation of the dynamics of symmetric mechanical systems 1 , in particular for the stability analysis of rotation of a rigid body suspended on a rod (string).
Examining the Impact of Gender Discriminatory Practices on Women’s Development and Progression at Work

Although there has been a worldwide cry for gender equity within organizations, gender discriminatory practices continue to be a challenge. Many women still suffer from gender discrimination and remain at the bottom of organizational structures despite their efforts to ascend. This paper seeks to examine the link between gender discriminatory practices and women’s skill development and progression within the workplace. The study espoused a quantitative approach. A questionnaire survey was self-administered online to 412 women through a convenient non-probability sampling method. Descriptive tendencies, test normality, validity, reliability, and regression analysis were performed using the statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS), AMOS 27. The results reveal that women’s skill development is impacted by workplace gender discriminatory practices, and the career progression of women is linked to their skill development. Yet it rejects the claim that workplace gender discriminatory practices impact women’s career progression. While having a gender-friendly work environment is applaudable, developing women’s skills and promoting their advancement at work will require more effort from companies. Organizations need to be deliberate about the skills development and career progression of women and institutionalize initiatives that directly encourage women to engage in developmental activities as well as initiatives geared towards promoting women’s career advancement.
Effect of Combining Nano- and Microfillers for the Assessment of Thermal Class of Glass Fiber-Reinforced Epoxy Composites for Outdoor Insulation

The present work was taken up with the objective to develop a compact and reliable hybrid composite insulation, investigate the thermal properties of the developed composites, and correlate the experimental data with the results of mathematical modeling. A composite material made of unidirectional glass fibers reinforced with epoxy resin and containing silica, alumina, and aluminatrihydrate fillers was fabricated using the pultrusion technique. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), thermal conductivity, and coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) were conducted on the developed composites. The energy of activation was estimated from the thermograms using mathematical models to assess the thermal class of the composites. Though the G-E composite is typically classified under class-F insulation, the study has established that the unique filler combination has a higher temperature index ranging between 156 °C and 166 °C. The improvement in thermal performance was observed when each filler is present in a weight percentage of 10%. The hybrid composites have excellent thermal conductivity (0.43 W/mK), a low CTE ( $22.1~\mu \text {m}/\text {m}\cdot ^{\circ }\text{C}$ ), and hence useful for high-temperature insulation applications such as circuit breakers, vacuum interrupters, transformers, and switching gears.
An asynchronous metamodel-assisted memetic algorithm for CFD-based shape optimization

This article presents an asynchronous metamodel-assisted memetic algorithm for the solution of CFD-based optimization problems. This algorithm is appropriate for use on multiprocessor platforms and may solve computationally expensive optimization problems in reduced wall-clock time, compared to conventional evolutionary or memetic algorithms. It is, in fact, a hybridization of non-generation-based (asynchronous) evolutionary algorithms, assisted by surrogate evaluation models, a local search method and the Lamarckian learning process. For the objective function gradient computation, in CFD applications, the adjoint method is used. Issues concerning the ‘smart’ implementation of local search in multi-objective problems are discussed. In this respect, an algorithmic scheme for reducing the number of calls to the adjoint equations to just one, irrespective of the number of objectives, is proposed. The algorithm is applied to the CFD-based shape optimization of the tubes of a heat exchanger and of a turbomachinery cascade.
Efficacy of Continuous Femoral Nerve Block with Stimulating Catheters Versus Nonstimulating Catheters - A Systematic-Narrative Review

A femoral nerve block is simple to perform, has a high rate success, carries a low risk of complications, and it is widely used technique for surgical anesthesia and post-operative pain management of the lower extremity. It provides analgesia to the anterior thigh, including the flexor muscles of the hip and extensor muscles of the knee and therefore, it is well suited for surgeries that involve the hip, the knee or the anterior thigh zone. The femoral nerve block is often associated with sciatic nerve block in order to achieve a lower extremity analgesia. The anterior approach to the femoral nerve block initially described as a 3-in-1 block by Winnie et al (Winnie et al., 1973), suggested that the femoral, lateral femoral cutaneous, and obturator nerves could be blocked from a single paravascular injection at a point inferior to the inguinal crease. Studies have since showed that the femoral can be reliably blocked by a single injection, the lateral femoral cutaneous nerves is blocked in 95%, but the obturator nerve is almost always spared (Parkinson et al., 1989). Therefore, a 3-in-1 block with the paravascular approach seems difficult to obtain, and, as a consequence, when all three nerves need to be anesthetized a posterior lumbar plexus block or a multitruncular block should be performed. The anterior approach to the femoral nerve is similar for “single shot” or continuous nerve blocks. A femoral nerve block can be obtained with single shot of local anesthetic or by using a continuous catheter technique. The localization of the femoral nerve can be obtained by the use of nerve stimulator or with ultrasound guidance. When using single shot technique, the local anesthetic agent is injected through the needle after location of the nerve with the nerve stimulator. When using continuous catheter techniques, the nerve can be stimulated via the needle through which the catheter is placed, or via both the needle and the catheter itself. This narrative review summarizes the evidence derived from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and retrospective analysis, in order to determine the efficacy of continuous femoral nerve block comparing the use of stimulating catheters with non-stimulating catheters for lower-extremity surgery. Furthermore, we explore the adjunctive use of ultrasonography for femoral nerve block.
Cross-sectional modelling of thin-walled composite beams

A formulation for computationally efficient method of modelling the cross-sectional properties of a thin-walled, multi cell, and prismatic beam with anisotropic material properties, is presented. The formulation is straightforward to facilitate sensitivity analysis, making it suitable for optimization framework. Starting from shell kinematics, the Variational Asymptotic Method is used to formulate asymptotically correct expression of the energy functional in terms of small parameters inherent to thin-walled, and slender structures. Using the Saint Venant’s theory and the solvability conditions, the energy functional is written in terms of the cross-sectional forces and inverse of the Timoshenko stiffness matrix. Finite element method is then employed to discretize the cross-section using 1D hermitian beam elements and the cross-sectional stiffness properties are evaluated numerically. Results from the current method are then compared with VABS and NABSA, showing improved solution for the shear and coupling terms of the Timoshenko stiffness matrix.
Characteristics and Antioxidant Activities of Instant Fish Ball Flour from Tuna Trimmings with Addition of Various Extracts from Natural Ingredients

This study aims to determine the chemical characteristics and antioxidant activity of instant fish ball flour from tuna trimmings with the addition of various extracts of natural ingredients. This study used an exploratory method with 4 treatments, namely the addition of purple sweet potato extract, root tuber extract, carrot extract, butterfly pea extract and control. The results obtained were instant fish ball flour has protein content of about 19%, water content of about 8%, fat content of about 3%, ash content of about 1.5% and carbohydrate content of about 67-68% for all treatments. In addition, the fish ball flour obtained also had antioxidant activity of 8.47, 13.87, 25.27, 22.96, 17.64 ppm / 100 ppm for the control treatment, purple sweet potato, beetroot, carrot and butterfly pea, respectively. Overall the fish ball flour obtained has sufficient nutritional value and also functional value that can be used in the manufacture of fish balls.
Determinants of income in smallholder buffalo farms in Sijunjung, West Sumatra

As part of the agricultural sector, people in the Sijunjung district also make the livestock subsector part of the family’s economic source, where the type of livestock that has been cultivated for a long time is buffalo. Sijunjung is one of the areas in the Sijunjung district which has the potential to develop buffalo farms because it has the highest livestock population. This study aims to determine the model of buffalo livestock raising, and the income of buffalo farmers in Sijunjung District and to analyze the factors that affect the income of buffalo farming in Sijunjung District. This research method uses a survey method by interviewing 35 respondents. Data analysis used descriptive statistical analysis methods and inferential statistics using multiple linear regression analysis. The results showed that most of the farmers (40%) had buffalo in the range of 1-5 heads. Buffalo livestock farming is only used as a side business, where only 17.1% make buffalo farming their main business. Furthermore, the status of livestock ownership in general (65.7%) is a profit-sharing system that in West Sumatra is known as seduaan. The buffalo-rearing system is semi-intensive. The average income of farmers from buffalo farming for one year is Rp. 8,618,669, -. The factor of farm scale, age of the farmer, and the number of calves showed a significant effect on the income of the buffalo farming, while the factors of the number of buffaloes, education, experience, and fixed costs did not significantly affect the income of the buffalo farming.
The Impacts of Neutron Star Structure and Base Heating on Type I X-Ray Bursts and Code Comparison

Type I X-ray bursts are rapidly brightening phenomena triggered by thermonuclear burning on the accreting layers of a neutron star (NS). The light curves represent the physical properties of NSs and the nuclear reactions on the proton-rich nuclei. The numerical treatments of the accreting NS and physics of the NS interior are not established, which shows uncertainty in modeling for observed X-ray light curves. In this study, we investigate theoretical X-ray burst models compared with burst light curves with GS 1826-24 observations. We focus on the impacts of the NS mass and radius and base heating on the NS surface using the MESA code. We find a monotonic correlation between the NS mass and the parameters of the light curve. The higher the mass, the longer the recurrence time and the greater the peak luminosity. While the larger the radius, the longer the recurrence time, the peak luminosity remains nearly constant. In the case of increasing base heating, both the recurrence time and peak luminosity decrease. We also examine the above results with a different numerical code, HERES, based on general relativity and consider the central NS. We find that the burst rate, energy, and strength are almost the same in two X-ray burst codes by adjusting the base heat parameter in MESA (the relative errors ≲5%), while the duration and rise times are significantly different between (the relative error is possibly ∼50%). The peak luminosity and the e-folding time change irregularly between two codes for different accretion rates.