Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Age- and sex-specific analysis of gait parameters in a wide age-ranged population in Korea: a cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT The aim of this study is to compare differences in gait parameters such as gait speed, step length, step length-to-height ratio (SLR), and locomotor rehabilitation index (LRI) between sexes by age groups. In total, 354 subjects (aged 15-86 years) were divided into six groups by their age such as ‘≤29,’ ‘30–39,’ ‘40–49,’ ‘50–59,’ ‘60–69,’ and ‘≥70’ to compare the difference in gait parameters between sexes over the life span. Gait parameters were measured using a Global Positioning System (GPS) based smart shoes system including insole-type pressure sensor. According to the analysis, there were significant interaction effects in gait speed, SLR, and LRI between sexes and the age groups (all p < .05). There were significant differences among the age groups in gait speed (p < .001), step length (p < .001), SLR (p < .01), and LRI (p < .001) in women, and there was a significant difference among the age groups in gait speed (p < .001) and LRI (p < .001) in men. Especially, there was a significant difference in gait speed (p < .01) and LRI (p < .05) between ‘50–59’ and ‘60–69’ age groups in women. Also, body mass index (BMI) was negatively associated with all gait parameters in women, while there were no significant correlations between BMI and gait parameters in men. Taken together, the patterns of change in gait speed may be different between sexes over the life span. In particular, the gait speed may significantly decrease as women get old from middle age to old age, and obesity can be negatively associated with gait parameters in women.
A Sensitive UV Photodetector Based on Non-Wide Bandgap MAPbBr3 Nanosheet

A sensitive ultraviolet photodetector (UVPD) based on an ultrathin MAPbBr3 nanosheet was developed in this study. A simulation based on technology computer-aided design showed that the optical absorption of MAPbBr3 can be tailored by changing the material thickness, which is reasonable considering the wavelength dependence of the absorption coefficient of MAPbBr3. In addition, an apparent blueshift of the position of the maximum photocurrent is observed upon decreasing the nanosheet thickness. These tunable optoelectronic properties resulted in a device fabricated from medium-bandgap 43-nm-thick MAPbBr3 nanosheets being sensitive to UV light illumination. The device has a maximum photoresponse at 300 nm, a responsivity of 27.2 mA $\cdot \text{W}$ −1, and a response speed of 0.103/0.087 s, respectively, which are comparable to conventional UVPDs based on low-dimensional wide bandgap materials (e.g., ZnO and TiO2). This novel UVPD has application potential to optoelectronic systems.
Factors Associated with Burnout among Resident Physicians Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic: A 2-Month Longitudinal Observation Study

Background: Burnout during residency may be a function of intense professional demands and poor work/life balance. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, NYC hospital systems were quickly overwhelmed, and trainees were required to perform beyond the usual clinical duties with less supervision and limited education. Objective: The present longitudinal study examined the effects of COVID-19 caseload over time on burnout experienced by resident physicians and explored the effects of demographic characteristics and organizational and personal factors as predictors of burnout severity. Methods: This study employed a prospective design with repeated measurements from April 2020 to June 2020. Participants were surveyed about their well-being every 5 days. Predictors included caseload, sociodemographic variables, self-efficacy, hospital support, perceived professional development, meaning in work, and postgraduate training level. Results: In total, 54 resident physicians were recruited, of whom 50% reported burnout on initial assessment. Periods of higher caseload were associated with higher burnout. PGY-3 residents reported more burnout initially but appeared to recover faster compared to PGY-1 residents. Examined individually, higher self-efficacy, professional development, meaningful work, and hospital support were associated with lower burnout. When all four predictors were entered simultaneously, only self-efficacy was associated with burnout. However, professional development, meaningful work, and hospital support were associated with self-efficacy. Conclusion: Burnout among residency is prevalent and may have implications for burnout during later stages of a physician’s career. Self-efficacy is associated with lower burnout and interventions to increase self-efficacy and the interpersonal factors that promote self-efficacy may improve physician physical and emotional well-being.
Short-Packet Communications in Multihop Networks With WET: Performance Analysis and Deep Learning-Aided Optimization

In this paper, we study short-packet communications in multi-hop networks with wireless energy transfer, where relay nodes harvest energy from power beacons to transmit short packets to multiple destinations. It is proposed a novel cooperative beamforming relay selection (CRS) scheme which incorporates partial relay selection and distributed multiuser beamforming to achieve a high-reliable transmission in two consecutive hops. A closed-form expression for the average block error rate (BLER) of the CRS scheme is derived, based on which an asymptotic analysis is also carried out. To achieve optimal channel uses allocation, we formulate a fairness end-to-end throughput maximization problem which is generally NP-hard due to the non-concavity of the objective function and mixed-integer constraints. To solve this challenging problem efficiently, we first relax channel uses to be continuous and transform the relaxed problem into an equivalent non-convex one, but with a more tractable form. We then develop a low-complexity iterative algorithm relying on inner approximation framework to convexify non-convex parts that converges to at least a locally optimal solution. Towards real-time settings, we design an efficient deep convolutional neural network (CNN) with multiscale-accumulation connections to achieve the sub-optimal solution of the relaxed problem via real-time inference processes. Numerical results are presented to verify the analytical derivations and to demonstrate performance improvements of the CRS scheme over the benchmark ones in terms of BLER, reliability, latency, and throughput in various settings. Moreover, the designed CNN provides the lowest root-mean-square error compared to the state-of-the-art deep learning approaches while the CNN-aided optimization framework estimates accurately the optimal channel uses allocation with low execution time.
Economic valuation of consumers’ preferences for bush yam attributes: Implications for breeding commercial crop in Ghana

Bush yam has been underutilized and underrated for long due to its undesirable attributes or traits, hence the commercial and food security potentials of the crop have been downgraded and unexploited. This paper, therefore, explored the Ghanaian bush yam consumers’ decisionmaking behaviour towards the crop’s cultivar selection and the values they place on its diverse attributes. With the aim of examining consumers’ preference and willingness to pay for bush yam, we designed a choice experiment which was implemented through a cross-sectional survey, involving 390 bush yam consumers in the Western-North, Eastern and Central Cocoa Regions of Ghana. We employed Conditional logit to model consumers’ preference behaviour for bush yam attributes from the choice experiment and, subsequently, computed their willingness-to-pay for each attribute, following the Lancaster consumer theory, using the ratios of specific product attributes and cost parameter. Our estimates of consumers’ preferences for bush yam attribute revealed a highly significant preference for bigger tuber size, no colour change and sweet taste attributes. Age, education, marital status, and years of consumption were found to have influenced consumers’ preferences for bush yam attributes. Furthermore, we found that bush yam consumers are willing to pay extra price value for improvement in tuber size, colour change and taste to meet their indicated preferences. We, therefore, recommend that, for breeding programmes to be more effective and sustainable towards developing a commercial cultivar, breeding institutions and policy makers should focus on the preferred attributes as indicated by consumers for a successful future commercialization of bush yam in the country
Dynamic analysis of rock fall impact for a cantilever rock shed with geofoam cushion

Abstract In this study, the effect of geofoam compressible cushions on the impact response of the rockfall protection galleries located in a main artery highway connecting the southern Turkey to central Anatolia is investigated. Due to high occurrence risk of rockfall hazard at the mountainous region, permanent protection structures are required to prevent damage. Numerical analyses were carried out to evaluate the performance of EPS geofoam compressible layers with different stiffness characteristics on reducing the transmissibility of the impact forces caused by rockfalls. The kinetic energy levels, expected fall velocities for rock masses and the typical rockfall paths were assessed considering the topography of the hill. Dynamic explicit finite element analyses were performed to investigate the effect of the rockfall impact on a reinforced concrete rock shed. Stresses, strains and displacements on the structural section and the cushioning zone were monitored through the analyses. Based on the results, it was observed that geofoam has a significant effect on reducing the transmitted forces to the structure while increasing the impact duration. In terms of structural displacements, up to 75% reduction is observed when EPS cushions are placed on top of rock shed structure.
Evaluation of Some Botanicals, Thermal Treatment and Packing Materials Against Pulse Beetle Callosobruchus chinensis L. in Chickpea

The pulse beetle Callosobruchus chinensis (L.) is a major pest of stored chickpea. In the present study, efficacy of neem (0.5 and 1.0%) and turmeric powders (0.5 and 1.0%) has been evaluated against this pest, in combination with mustard oil (0.3%), thermal treatment @ 60oC for 20 min and packing materials including open, PP (polypropylene) and LD (low density polyethylene). The results revealed increased efficacy with concentration of neem and turmeric powder. Use of neem oil @ 1.0%+ mustard oil @ 0.3% kept in open packing, proved to be significantly superior at four months of storage. Turmeric powder @ 0.5%+ mustard oil @ 0.3% treated grains showed a significantly better germination. Moisture content differed significantly with treated samples. The colour change and myroflora incidence were comparatively minimum with neem leaf powder @ 0.5%+ mustard oil @ 0.3% treated samples. Thermal treated grains proved superior compared to botanicals, whereas, colour change led to significantly lesser effect. Among the packings, PP and LD packed samples significantly influenced the infestation and germination irrespective of the botanicals.
Configuration design in scalable reconfigurable manufacturing systems (RMS); a case of single-product flow line (SPFL)

The dynamic nature of today’s manufacturing industry, which is caused by the intense global competition and constant technological advancements, requires systems that are highly adaptive and responsive to demand fluctuations. Reconfigurable manufacturing systems (RMS) enable such responsiveness through their main characteristics. This paper addresses the problem of RMS configuration design, where the demand of a single product varies throughout its production life cycle, and the system configuration must change accordingly to satisfy the required demand with minimum cost. A two-phased method is developed to handle the primary system configuration design and the necessary system reconfigurations according to demand rate changes. This method takes advantage of Reconfigurable Machine Tools in RMS. In fact, by adding/removing modules to/from a specific modular reconfigurable machine, its production capability could be increased, with lower cost. A novel mixed integer linear programming formulation is presented in the second phase of the method to optimise the process of selecting the best possible transformation for the existing machine configurations. Two different cases are designed and solved by implementing the established method. The results of these cases in terms of capital cost, capacity expansion cost, unused capacity and number of transformations, are compared with two hypothetical scenarios. Analyses of the obtained results indicate the efficiency of the proposed approach and offer a promising outlook for further research.
Evaluation of pavement surface texture at the network level

ABSTRACT In this study, variations in surface texture depth within a given roadway project and across different projects were studied. Network-level surface texture data were collected on the highway network in using a 3D laser system (LCMS). Differences in mean texture depth (MTD) were estimated for five surface types (Portland concrete cement, PCC; Superpave mixes, SM-9.5A & SR-12.5A; Chip seal; Ultra-thin bonded asphalt surface, UBAS) considering the random effects of project location, surface age and annual average daily traffic. Variations in surface texture were also investigated at the horizontal curves. In addition, the relationship between the texture depth and the skid number obtained by the ASTM skid trailer were investigated. Results show that there are significant differences in average texture depth within a project and across projects. Highest MTDs were obtained for UBAS and lowest for PCC. At the network level, skid number did not correlate well with the MTDs, irrespective of surface type. However, project-level correlation is quite acceptable.
Detecting anticipatory design strategies: the case of asylum policy in Italy

ABSTRACT For decades, the academic literature on migration policy change suggested that migration policies in Western Europe had become overall more liberal. Yet, in an age of strong polarization, highly institutionalized policy regimes are likely to change. Adopting the theoretical lens of policy feedback literature, this paper argues that a better grasp of policy dynamics in the field of migration requires a more nuanced definition of the policy. Namely, we contend that the stability of liberal arrangements constitutes only an apparent paradox. Indeed, disentangling paradigms and instruments may enable different patterns of change and stability to emerge, as well as the role of agency. We build this argument using Italian reception policy as the case for a theory-building study on the drivers of change and stability of asylum policy regimes. Our study also suggests the benefits of applying a micro-level analysis to uncover agent-based mechanisms of policy entrenchment.
Childbirth Satisfaction during the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Hospital in Southwestern Spain

Satisfaction, in relation to care received, is a good indicator of quality of care. The objective of this study was to analyze the degree of satisfaction with childbirth and postpartum care as reported by women from one hospital in southwestern Spain during the COVID-19 pandemic. Factors that influenced care were also examined. A cross-sectional study was carried out between the months of October 2020 and February 2021. Satisfaction was measured through the COMFORTS scale, validated in Spanish. A final sample of 116 women was included in the study. The mean age was 32.08 (±4.68) years. A total of 111 (95.69%) women were satisfied or very satisfied with the care received. The median satisfaction score was higher among multiparous women (187 (199–173)) than among primiparous women (174 (193–155.50)) (p = 0.003). Differences in satisfaction were found as a function of the use of epidural analgesia, being higher among women who had planned its use but ultimately did not use it (188 (172.50–199.75)) or who planned its use and did (186 (169.50–198)) than among those who had not planned to use epidural analgesia but ultimately received it (173.50 (187.50–146.25)) or those who did not use it, as planned, before childbirth (172 (157–185)) (p = 0.020). Overall satisfaction rate between SARS-CoV-2-negative women assisted was high. Parity and use of epidural analgesia were two factors influencing satisfaction scores in our sample.
Exact Closed-Form Shielding Effectiveness of Planar Screens With Small Parallel Loops

The magnetic shielding effectiveness of a single planar screen of infinite extent against a parallel current loop source is evaluated through an analytic closed-form expression which is valid for arbitrarily thick screens and for any source-observation distance. The only assumption in the formulation consists in considering small loops having a constant current. The resulting formula can be expressed in terms of only elementary functions and is believed to represent the most general closed-form expression for the magnetic shielding effectiveness of a planar screen in the presence of a parallel loop. Numerical results are provided to show the generality and the validity of the proposed formula.
Topics in Nonlinear Filtering Theory.

Abstract : This thesis studies two topics in the theory of nonlinear filtering, the use of multiple stochastic integrals to analyze filters, and the use of Lie algebraic and operator-theoretic techniques to discover new, finite-dimensionally solvable filtering problems. The main results of the multiple integral techniques are: (1) A simplier and more insightful proof of a result of S. Marcus on filtering polynomials functions of a Gauss-Markov process, (2) A formula for representing the product of two multiple integrals as a sum of multiple integrals, thus providing a rudimentary calculus of multiple integral expansions, (3) An expansion of the optimal means square filter as a ratio of two multiple integral expansions, and (4) Integral equations for the kernels of the best mean square filter of the class of (finite) r order multiple integral expansions. The problem of estimating a diffusion process observed in white noise is studied with Lie algebra techniques. Necessary conditions, and in the scalar case, necessary and sufficient conditions, are given for estimation algebra finite dimensionality. Examples of scalar problems with fin. dim. estimation algebras are discussed, and it is shown that, from among them, no new cases exist for which Zakai's equation can be solved by a Wei-Norman type method. (Author)
Economic survival duration of Thai workers during COVID-19

This study examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the livelihood and economic survival of Thai citizen workers, using The Asia Foundation ’ s survey data which were conducted in May 2020 (first round), August 2020 (second round) and November 2020 (third round). We adopt the Cox proportional-hazards regression with lasso estimation to estimate the coefficients and perform variable selection simultaneously. The model allows us to identify the vulnerable groups with risks of consumption inadequacy. The empirical results show that those workers characterized as low-educated, unemployed, unskilled, working in the tourism sector and living in the northeastern or southern regions are less likely to sustain their consumption. However, our study highlights that higher education is a crucial factor influencing the survivability of Thai workers. Regarding the role of government schemes, the result shows that that a set of cash assistance programs is less likely to increase the survivability of the non-agricultural workers.
Dielectric Response in Ferroelectrics Near Polarization Switching: Analytical Calculations, First-Principles Modeling, and Experimental Verification

Ferroelectrics (FEs) are increasingly used in nonvolatile memory applications. However, the impact of the electric dipole switching on its material parameters, in particular on the dielectric response, is not fully understood. In this work, an analytical model, linking the dielectric response to the potential energy curve, is first used to qualitatively illustrate the nonconstant evolution of the dielectric response with applied electric field. Increasing precision, we then show from first-principles density functional theory simulations that defect-free FE materials undergo changes in potential energy near the FE switching that lead to vibrational modes softening, which impacts the dielectric response. In particular, we observe that the dielectric response $\varepsilon $ of an FE material with antialigned polarization increases as the applied electric field increases toward the coercive field. We incorporate this new insight in the time-dependent NLS-based predictions and demonstrate that this evolution of the dielectric response right before polarization reversal is required for a proper match between experiment and prediction of the capacitance–voltage (CV) characteristics of the metal–ferroelectric–metal (MFM) capacitor.
Strategy Development for Microalgae Spirulina Platensis Biomass Cultivation in a Bubble Photobioreactor to Promote High Carbohydrate Content

As a counter to climate change, energy crises, and global warming, microalgal biomass has gained a lot of interest as a sustainable and environmentally favorable biofuel feedstock. Microalgal carbohydrate is considered one of the promising feedstocks for biofuel produced via the bioconversion route under a biorefinery system. However, the present culture technique, which uses a commercial medium, has poor biomass and carbohydrate productivity, creating a bottleneck for long-term microalgal-carbohydrate-based biofuel generation. This current investigation aims toward the simultaneous increase in biomass and carbohydrate accumulation of Spirulina platensis by formulating an optimal growth condition under different concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorous in flasks and a bubble photobioreactor. For this purpose, the lack of nitrogen (NaNO3) and phosphorous (K2HPO4) in the culture medium resulted in an enhanced Spirulina platensis biomass and total carbohydrate 0.93 ± 0.00 g/L and 74.44% (w/w), respectively. This research is a significant step in defining culture conditions that might be used to tune the carbohydrate content of Spirulina.
The influence of weather on the migration behaviour of Eurasian Bitterns Botaurus stellaris

ABSTRACT Capsule Migration studies of tagged Eurasian Bitterns Botaurus stellaris provide information on the behaviour of this secretive species in relation to weather conditions. Aims To study if cold spells trigger southward migration in resident Eurasian Bitterns. To describe migratory behaviour including flight routes, altitudes, flight direction in relation to wind speed and direction, and general characteristics of stopping sites. Methods Six adult Eurasian Bitterns from Dutch breeding areas were followed for two to five years using ARGOS-PTT/GPS transmitters or GPS trackers. Results Four individuals remained at the breeding sites in winter and did not migrate in response to cold spells. Two individuals covered distances of 300 and 1600 km between stopping sites. They migrated predominantly at night, but over the Sahara they extended flights into daylight hours. Depending on wind assistance, flight speeds (groundspeed) varied between 3.6 and 26 ms−1. Flight altitude varied from just above sea level when facing headwinds, to almost 2000 m above sea level under tail wind conditions. Repeatedly tracked individuals showed substantial variation in routes and stopping sites between successive migrations. These flight patterns appeared influenced by the speed and direction of the winds encountered en route. Conclusions Eurasian Bitterns were either migratory or resident and the latter individuals did not perform facultative movements at the onset of cold spells. The flight speed, flight altitudes, and routes of migrating birds were influenced by wind conditions. This likely explains the variable use of stopping sites between years.