Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Occupational therapists’ perspectives on an evidence-based, client-centered assistive technology intervention

Introduction: Reviews within the field of assistive technology have shown that a client-centered approach is important for user satisfaction, and that assistive technology service delivery should be evidence-based, systematic, and structured. However, client-centered instruments and systematic, structured models are not used consistently. As part of a larger research project, an evidence-based, client-centered assistive technology service delivery process was developed and piloted. The purpose of this study was to investigate occupational therapists’ perspectives on this evidence-based, client-centered assistive technology intervention. Method: Ten occupational therapists, from two Danish municipalities, participated in focus groups. Data were analyzed based on a hermeneutic approach. Results: Three themes emerged from the analysis: a more refined collaboration with clients; advantages of using theoretical frameworks, structured models and instruments and challenges in using the intervention. Conclusion: By using the evidence-based, client-centered intervention, the occupational therapists found that the collaboration with the clients was refined—more emphasis was placed on shared responsibility. They found that the intervention was time-efficient in the long run; however, there seems to be a particular challenge in designing services that are inclusive of clients with cognitive limitations.
The polyHIS Tract of Yeast AMPK Coordinates Carbon Metabolism with Iron Availability

Energy status in all eukaryotic cells is sensed by AMP-kinases. We have previously found that the poly-histidine tract at the N-terminus of S. cerevisiae AMPK (Snf1) inhibits its function in the presence of glucose via a pH-regulated mechanism. We show here that in the absence of glucose, the poly-histidine tract has a second function, linking together carbon and iron metabolism. Under conditions of iron deprivation, when different iron-intense cellular systems compete for this scarce resource, Snf1 is inhibited. The inhibition is via an interaction of the poly-histidine tract with the low-iron transcription factor Aft1. Aft1 inhibition of Snf1 occurs in the nucleus at the nuclear membrane, and only inhibits nuclear Snf1, without affecting cytosolic Snf1 activities. Thus, the temporal and spatial regulation of Snf1 activity enables a differential response to iron depending upon the type of carbon source. The linkage of nuclear Snf1 activity to iron sufficiency ensures that sufficient clusters are available to support respiratory enzymatic activity and tests mitochondrial competency prior to activation of nuclear Snf1.
Further Results on Least Squares Based Adaptive Minimum Variance Control

Based on the recently established results on self-tuning regulators originally proposed by Astrom and Wittenmark, this paper presents various novel and extended results on least squares based adaptive minimum variance control for linear stochastic systems. These results establish self-optimality, self-tuning property, and the best possible convergence rate of the control law in a variety of situations of interest.
Real-time water quality detection based on fluctuation feature analysis with the LSTM model

Signal analysis and anomaly detection for water pollution early warning systems are important and necessary. In view of the nonlinear and volatile characteristics of water quality time series, this paper proposes a new method for water anomaly detection based on fluctuation feature analysis. The method has two steps. First, the water quality time series data are used to calculate the residuals between the observed value and the predicted value with the long short-term memory (LSTM) network. Second, the dynamic features are extracted by sliding time window and described by the Approximate Entropy (ApEn) which are input to the anomaly detection model with Isolation Forest. Compared with traditional anomaly detection methods, the results obtained by the proposed method show better performance in distinguishing water quality anomalies. The proposed method can be applied to real-time water quality anomaly detection and early warning.
Diverging snowfall trends across months and elevation in the northeastern Italian Alps

Snowfall and snow accumulation play a crucial role in shaping ecosystems and human activities in the Alpine region. This resource is under threat as a consequence of the visible effects of global warming, and, therefore, it appears urgent to understand how snowfall trends have changed in time and space. In this context, we recovered data from over a hundred snowfall (HN) time series covering the period 1980–2020 over the mountain region of Trentino‐South Tyrol in the northeastern Italian Alps and analysed them to understand snowfall climatology in the region, recent trends and their dependence on elevation and timing of the season. Negative, although not always statistically significant, trends were found in the lowest elevation range (0–1,000 m a.s.l.) over the whole winter season, while some positive and even significant trends were found from January to March above 2,000 m a.s. l. The intermediate elevation range (1,000–2,000 m a.s.l.) exhibits a strong variability with no clear trend. Negative and statistically significant trends were found in April for all elevations. An attribution analysis was performed using precipitation (P), mean air temperature (TMEAN), and large‐scale synoptic descriptors, such as the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the Arctic Oscillation (AO) indices. The analysis shows that, overall, P is the driver that best explains the snowfall trends, but, for low elevations, especially during mid‐winter, TMEAN is more relevant. Low elevations are facing a clear decrease in HN due to a significant increase in mean temperatures, while high elevations during mid‐winter display a slight increase in HN, associated with a general increase in precipitation. NAO and AO indices exhibit no significant correlations with HN, except at the lowest elevations and at the beginning of the season.
A unified approach to gi/m(n)/l/k and m(n)/g/1/k queues via finite quasi-birth-death processes

In this paper, we provide a unified approach to study GI/M/LK Queses with state-dependent services and M/G/1/K Queueswith state dependent arrivals First,we describe such queses in term of finite quasi-birth-death (QBD) arrivalS. First, describe wen this paper, we treat GI/M/l/K queues with state-dependent services and M/G/l/K queues with state-dependent arrivals. First,we describe such queues in term of finite quasi-birth-death (QBD) processes by approximating the general distribution on term of phase-type distributions. Then by solving the corresponding Matrix equation for the QBD processes and by showing that the results obtained are free from the representation we drive various existing results together with some new result for important characteistics in queuesing systems.
Buoyancy, Soret, Dufour, and variable property effects in silicon epitaxy

In most of the previous numerical and semi-analytical studies of silicon epitaxial deposition, a common practice has been to neglect the buoyancy flow, Dufour, Soret, and property variation effects. In this paper, the authors take a critical look at the validity of that approach and point out some fallacies. The geometric configuration studied is a horizontal reactor for the susceptor tilt angles of 0 and 2.9 deg. The full Navier-Stokes equations coupled with those for the energy and species transfer are solved numerically for a range of parameters typical of commercial silicon epitaxial deposition systems. The effects of ignoring terms due to buoyancy, Dufour, Soret, and variable properties on the mass transfer rate are systematicaly evaluated. The results indicate that for typical horizontal epitaxial deposition parameters, the buoyancy and Dufour effect have negligible effect on the mass transfer rate, while the Soret and property variation have a large impact. In light of this information, it is shown that the agreement reported in the past between the experimental and numerical/analytical studies is coincidental. The implication is that these assumptions must be critically examined for a given chemical vapor deposition system and not ignored a priori. Finally, the effects of important parametersmore » - reactor height, inlet velocity, inlet concentration, and susceptor temperature - on the deposition characteristics are included to provide guidelines for controlling the epitaxial layer thickness and uniformity. « less
The effect of transparent unequal penalty rates on safety compliance for different-sized businesses

The present study investigates the relation of procedural transparency and compliance with authorities’ regulations. The underlying assumption is that procedural transparency encourages compliance with regulations. In an incentivized experiment, 666 participants took on the role of a business owner and had to fill in a form and spend a certain amount of their income as compliance costs to adhere to safety rules. In a 2 (Business Size: small vs big) × 2 (Penalty Rate: equal vs unequal) × 2 (Penalty Scheme: transparent vs nontransparent) between-subjects design, we investigated whether an unequal penalty rate for small-size in contrast to big-size businesses had a different effect on compliance when this difference was transparent compared to when it was not transparent. Business income, compliance costs, and audit probability were varied within-subject, over 18 decision rounds. We find that the deterring effect of a higher penalty rate for big-size compared to small-size businesses under a nontransparent unequal penalty scheme is attenuated when the same information is available. This supports the idea of a backfiring effect and suggests that authorities need to carefully consider what information about their procedures to communicate in order to avoid the unintended negative effects of increasing transparency.
Second-order Wagner theory for two-dimensional water-entry problems at small deadrise angles

The theory of Wagner from 1932 for the normal symmetric impact of a two-dimensional body of small deadrise angle on a half-space of ideal and incompressible liquid is extended to derive the second-order corrections for the locations of the higher-pressure jet-root regions and for the upward force on the impactor using a systematic matched-asymptotic analysis. The second-order predictions for the upward force on an entering wedge and parabola are compared with numerical and experimental data, respectively, and it is concluded that a significant improvement in the predictive capability of Wagner's theory is afforded by proceeding to second order.
Spatial Clustering of Tuberculosis-HIV Coinfection in Ethiopia at Districts Level

Background Tuberculosis (TB) is a preventable and treatable disease but it is the leading cause of death among people living with HIV (PLHIV). In addition, the emergence of the HIV pandemic has also had a major impact on TB incidence rates. There are studies in spatial patterns of TB and HIV separately in Ethiopia; there is, however, no information on spatial patterns of TB-HIV coinfection in the country at the districts level at least using yearly data. This paper, therefore, aimed at determining the spatial clustering of TB-HIV coinfection prevalence rates in the country at the districts level on an annual basis over a four-year period, 2015–2018. Methods District-level aggregated data on the number of TB-HIV infections were obtained from the Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health for 2015 to 2018. The univariate and bivariate global Moran's index, Getis-Ord Gi∗ local statistic, a chi-square test, and a modified t-test statistic for Spearman's correlation coefficient were used to evaluate the spatial clustering and spatial heterogeneity of TB among PLHIV and HIV among TB patients prevalence rates. Results The district-level prevalence rate of HIV among TB patients was positively and significantly spatially autocorrelated with global Moran's I values range between 0.021 and 0.134 (p value <0.001); however, the prevalence of TB among PLHIV was significant only for 2015 and 2017 (p value <0.001). Spearman's correlation also shows there was a strong positive association between the two prevalence rates over the study period. The local indicators of spatial analysis using the Getis–Ord statistic revealed that hot-spots for TB among PLHIV and HIV among TB patients have appeared in districts of various regions and the two city administrations in the country over the study period; however, the geographical distribution of hotspots varies over the study period. Similar trends were also observed for the cold-spots except for 2017 and 2018 where there were no cold-spots for TB among PLHIV. Conclusions The study presents detailed knowledge about the spatial clustering of TB-HIV coinfection in Ethiopia at the districts level, and the results could provide information for planning coordinated district-specific interventions to jointly control both diseases in Ethiopia.
Structural basis for recruitment of host CypA and E3 ubiquitin ligase by maedi-visna virus Vif

Lentiviral Vif molecules target the host antiviral APOBEC3 proteins for destruction in cellular ubiquitin-proteasome pathways. Different lentiviral Vifs have evolved to use the same canonical E3 ubiquitin ligase complexes, along with distinct noncanonical host cofactors for their activities. Unlike primate lentiviral Vif, which recruits CBFβ as the noncanonical cofactor, nonprimate lentiviral Vif proteins have developed different cofactor recruitment mechanisms. Maedi-visna virus (MVV) sequesters CypA as the noncanonical cofactor for the Vif-mediated ubiquitination of ovine APOBEC3s. Here, we report the cryo–electron microscopy structure of MVV Vif in complex with CypA and E3 ligase components. The structure, along with our biochemical and functional analysis, reveals both conserved and unique structural elements of MVV Vif and its common and distinct interaction modes with various cognate cellular proteins, providing a further understanding of the evolutionary relationship between lentiviral Vifs and the molecular mechanisms by which they capture different host cofactors for immune evasion activities.
Hydrological Responses to Land Use/Land Cover Changes in Koga Watershed, Upper Blue Nile, Ethiopia

Information on land use and land cover modification and their related problems for the streamflow and sediment yield are crucial for spatial planners and stakeholders to devise suitable catchment resources management plans and strategies. This research sought to assess the changes in land use and land cover (LULC) effects on the streamflow and sediment yield of the Koga watershed. Landsat-5 TM, Landsat-7 ETM+, and Landsat-8 OLI data were used to create the land use and land cover maps. The LULC type identification analysis was performed by using ERDAS Imagine 2015. After the supervised classification, the land use and land cover maps for three distinct years (1991, 2008, and 2018) were generated, and the accuracy of the maps was reviewed. The LULC change analysis results were pointed out, as there was an appreciable LULC change in the study watershed. Agricultural land increased by 14.21% over the research period, whereas grassland decreased by 22.91%. The other LULC classes (built-up area, forest area, water body, and wetland) increased by 0.39%, 6.36%, 4.30%, and 0.46%, respectively. Contrarily, bushland decreased by 2.80%. Human activities were decisive in the significant land use alterations within the catchment. The flow rate of the river basin increased over the rainy season in the years 1991–2008 and declined in the drier months. The watershed’s sediment yield increased from 1991 to 2008 as a result of the extension of its agricultural area. Thus, the findings of this investigation demonstrated that the flow and sediment yield characteristics are changed because of the modifications within the LULC in the catchment. Some downstream and upstream parts of the area are exposed to comparatively high erosion, and the maximum amount of sediment is generated during the rainy season.
NETWORKS OF NANOPARTICLES IN ORGANIC – INORGANIC COMPOSITES: ALGORITHMIC EXTRACTION AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

The rising global demand in energy and the limited resources in fossil fuels require new technologies in renewable energies like solar cells. Silicon solar cells offer a good efficiency but suffer from high production costs. A promising alternative are polymer solar cells, due to potentially low production costs and high flexibility of the panels. In this paper, the nanostructure of organic–inorganic composites is investigated, which can be used as photoactive layers in hybrid–polymer solar cells. These materials consist of a polymeric (OC1C10-PPV) phase with CdSe nanoparticles embedded therein. On the basis of 3D image data with high spatial resolution, gained by electron tomography, an algorithm is developed to automatically extract the CdSe nanoparticles from grayscale images, where we assume them as spheres. The algorithm is based on a modified version of the Hough transform, where a watershed algorithm is used to separate the image data into basins such that each basin contains exactly one nanoparticle. After their extraction, neighboring nanoparticles are connected to form a 3D network that is related to the transport of electrons in polymer solar cells. A detailed statistical analysis of the CdSe network morphology is accomplished, which allows deeper insight into the hopping percolation pathways of electrons.
Growth and Characterizations of Superconducting FeSe Films on Flexible F-Mica Substrates

This article first reports the preparation of superconducting FeSe films on fluorophlogopite-mica (F-mica) substrates by the pulsed laser deposition technique. The quality of films is significantly improved by optimizing the deposition conditions, such as substrate temperature and laser energy. Through mechanical exfoliation of F-mica substrates, the films obtain excellent flexibility. After repeated bending in the atmosphere, the surface morphology and superconducting properties of these films substantially remain unchanged. Furthermore, we use a homemade device to apply different stains to the film and conclude that the superconducting transition temperature could be enhanced under compressive strain, whereas reduced under tensile strain. This article shows the great potential of FeSe superconducting films to integrate with future flexible electronic devices.
High prevalence of Hepatitis B virus infection among pregnant women in a tertiary care hospital

Background and aims: Hepatitis B (HBV) infection is a global public health problem affecting 2 billion people worldwide. The control and management of HBV infection in the developing world, particularly among pregnant women, requires attention due to the disease’s high death and morbidity rates. Additionally, during pregnancy, the detection of HBsAg suggested the probability of vertical transmission of HBV. This investigation sought to elucidate the seriousness of HBV transmission among pregnant women who visited Jorhat Medical College and Hospital (JMCH), Jorhat. Materials and methods: A total of 5324 pregnant women were screened for HBV infection using a rapid diagnosis kit. Positive samples were further subjected to determine HBcAb and anti-HBcIgM by ELISA assay. Results: Out of this, 29 tested positive for HBsAg (0.54 %), and among these cases, 24(82.76 %) cases significantly belonged to the Mising tribe. The prevalence of HBsAg was higher (n=14, 48.27%) in the age group of 25-34 years compared to other age groups in this study. Among these, 13.8% (n=4) tested positive for HBcAb, and anti-HBcIgM was detected in 17.24% (n=5) patients. Conclusion: The prevalence of HBV infection observed among pregnant women in this study reflects a high risk of HBV perinatal transmission, particularly in a specific tribal population
Time scales in turbulent channel flow

Scaling laws for turbulent channel flow were studied, with emphasis on the near‐wall region. The scaling behavior of power spectra and autocorrelations, as well as frequency of occurrence and duration of events detected with the variable‐interval time‐averaging (VITA) technique was investigated for Reynolds numbers ranging from 13 800 to 123 000 (based on centerline velocity and channel height). The governing time scale for the near wall region (of channel flow) was found to be a mixture (the geometric mean) of inner and outer time scales. This time scale collapsed data for different Reynolds numbers on, e.g., frequency of occurrence (cf. ‘‘bursting frequency’’) of VITA‐events detected in the near‐wall region. It is tentatively proposed that this behavior is due to interaction between the outer flow and the flow in the near‐wall region.
Additive Manufacturing of Polyhydroxyalkanoate-Based Blends Using Fused Deposition Modelling for the Development of Biomedical Devices

In the last few decades Additive Manufacturing has advanced and is becoming important for biomedical applications. In this study we look at a variety of biomedical devices including, bone implants, tooth implants, osteochondral tissue repair patches, general tissue repair patches, nerve guidance conduits (NGCs) and coronary artery stents to which fused deposition modelling (FDM) can be applied. We have proposed CAD designs for these devices and employed a cost-effective 3D printer to fabricate proof-of-concept prototypes. We highlight issues with current CAD design and slicing and suggest optimisations of more complex designs targeted towards biomedical applications. We demonstrate the ability to print patient specific implants from real CT scans and reconstruct missing structures by means of mirroring and mesh mixing. A blend of Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), a family of biocompatible and bioresorbable natural polymers and Poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA), a known bioresorbable medical polymer is used. Our characterisation of the PLA/PHA filament suggest that its tensile properties might be useful to applications such as stents, NGCs, and bone scaffolds. In addition to this, the proof-of-concept work for other applications shows that FDM is very useful for a large variety of other soft tissue applications, however other more elastomeric MCL-PHAs need to be used.
Plant-Produced Mouse-Specific Zona Pellucida 3 Peptide Induces Immune Responses in Mice

Contraceptive vaccines are designed to stimulate autoimmune responses to molecules involved in the reproductive process. A mouse-specific peptide from zona pellucida 3 (mZP3) has been proposed as a target epitope. Here, we employed a plant expression system for the production of glycosylated mZP3 and evaluated the immunogenicity of plant-produced mZP3-based antigens in a female BALB/c mouse model. In the mZP3-1 antigen, mZP3 fused with a T-cell epitope of tetanus toxoid, a histidine tag, and a SEKDEL sequence. A fusion antigen (GFP-mZP3-1) and a polypeptide antigen containing three repeats of mZP3 (mZP3-3) were also examined. Glycosylation of mZP3 should be achieved by targeting proteins to the endoplasmic reticulum. Agrobacterium-mediated transient expression of antigens resulted in successful production of mZP3 in Nicotiana benthamiana. Compared with mZP3-1, GFP-mZP3-1 and mZP3-3 increased the production of the mZP3 peptide by more than 20 and 25 times, respectively. The glycosylation of the proteins was indicated by their size and their binding to a carbohydrate-binding protein. Both plant-produced GFP-mZP3-1 and mZP3-3 antigens were immunogenic in mice; however, mZP3-3 generated significantly higher levels of serum antibodies against mZP3. Induced antibodies recognized native zona pellucida of wild mouse, and specific binding of antibodies to the oocytes was observed in immunohistochemical studies. Therefore, these preliminary results indicated that the plants can be an efficient system for the production of immunogenic mZP3 peptide, which may affect the fertility of wild mice.