Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Three-Dimensional Nonaxisymmetric Pole Piece Shape Optimization for Biplanar Permanent-Magnet MRI Systems

The pole pieces of a permanent-magnet system for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are optimized for maximum magnetic field homogeneity in the imaging volume. Axisymmetric and nonaxisymmetric optimized pole piece designs based on the same geometrical parameterization are presented. The optimization algorithm demonstrated is based on field calculations by the three-dimensional finite-element method and takes into account the nonlinearity of the magnetic materials involved. The necessity of the nonaxisymmetric design in obtaining suitable field homogeneity over a large imaging volume is demonstrated through comparison of various pole piece designs for a novel biplanar permanent-magnet assembly with reduced pole dimensions as required in the development of an integrated linear accelerator and MRI system for real-time image-guided adaptive radiotherapy. The sensitivity of the field inhomogeneities to geometrical variations in the nonaxisymmetric design surface is explored and statistical parameters quantifying this sensitivity are approximated.
Evaluation of Hepatoprotective Potential of Swertia tetragona Edgew

This study was designed to evaluate the hepatoprotective potential of aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts of Swertia tetragona. Both the extracts of S. tetragona showed good hepatoprotective activity against thioacetamide induced liver injury. Biochemical evidences as normalization of Serum parameters(ALP,ALT,Alkaline Phosphatase and GGT), Oxidative stress parameters(lipid peroxidation and reduced glutathione), Free radical scavengers(catalase and glutathione peroxidase), Phase II drug metabolizing enzymes(glutathione-s-transferase), Glutathione metabolizing enzymes (glutathione reductase and G-6-PD), Free radical scavengers (SOD and xanthin oxidase) and Histopathological evidences provide support to these findings.
A model-based eco-routing strategy for electric vehicles in large urban networks

A novel eco-routing navigation strategy and energy consumption modeling approach for electric vehicles are presented in this work. Speed fluctuations and road network infrastructure have a large impact on vehicular energy consumption. Neglecting these effects may lead to large errors in eco-routing navigation, which could trivially select the route with the lowest average speed. We propose an energy consumption model that considers both accelerations and impact of the road infrastructure, also separating the costs of all the possible turning movements in the transportation network by means of the adjoint graph. The approach makes use of only aggregated data available from existing map services. We demonstrate that the proposed strategy is more effective and reliable than the existing approaches in predicting vehicle energy consumption and in suggesting an energy-efficient route.
Cellular physiological effects of the MV Kyowa violet fuel‐oil spill on the hard coral, Porites lobata

The grounding of the Merchant Vessel (MV) Kyowa Violet on a coral reef near Yap, Federated States of Micronesia, in December 2002 resulted in the release of an estimated 55,000 to 80,000 gallons of intermediate fuel oil grade 180. The immediate impact was the widespread coating of mangroves and the intertidal zone along more than 8 km of coastline. Of greater concern, however, was the partitioning of the fuel oil in the water column, leading to chronic exposure of organisms in the ecosystem for a considerable period after the initial event. Herein, we report on our examination of one coral species, Porites lobata, nearly three months after the initial exposure. We investigated whether changes in cellular physiology were consistent with the pathological profile that results from the interaction of corals with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, the principal constituent of fuel oil. Specifically, we document, to our knowledge for the first time, changes in the cellular physiological condition of an exposed coral population affected by a fuel‐oil spill. We also provide evidence that the observed changes are consistent with a recent exposure to fuel oil, as evidenced by the presence of characteristic cellular lesions attributed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Finally, our data support a model for a mechanistic relationship between the cellular pathological profile of the coral and a recent petroleum exposure, such as the MV Kyowa Violet fuel oil spill.
Study on characterization of the shape factor of the cross-hollow fiber

The cross-section shape of the cross-hollow fiber was screened and tested by using computer in combination with the polarized light microscope image acquisition and analysis system,and the characterization method of the shape factor was studied.The shape factor of the fiber,such as shape factor in radius,shape factor in cross section,branch factor and volume content,was tested and compared.The cross-section shape of cross-hollow fiber was compared with that of the hollow fiber.The novel method of equivalent diameter or average diameter was brought forward to characterize the characteristic shape coefficient of the fiber.The results of the study indicated that the adopted method is rapid,simple,accurate and convenient and has practical value.
Biomechanical properties of the thoracic aorta in Marfan patients.

Background Marfan syndrome (MFS), a genetic disorder of the connective tissue, has been strongly linked to dilation of the thoracic aorta, among other cardiovascular complications. As a result, MFS patients frequently suffer from aortic dissection and rupture, contributing to the high rate of mortality and morbidity among MFS patients. Despite the significant effort devoted to the investigation of mechanical and structural properties of aneurysmal tissue, studies on Marfan aneurysmal biomechanics are scarce. Ex vivo mechanical characterization of MFS aneurysmal tissue can provide a better insight into tissue strength outside the physiologic loading range and serve as a basis for improved risk assessment and failure prediction. Methods The mechanical and microstructural properties of MFS aneurysmal thoracic aorta (MFS, n=15, 39.5±3.91 years), non-MFS aneurysmal thoracic aorta (TAA, n=8, 52.8±4.9 years), healthy human thoracic aorta (HH, n=8, 75.4±6.1 years), and porcine thoracic aorta (n=10) are investigated. Planar biaxial tensile testing and uniaxial failure testing were utilized to characterize the mechanical and failure properties of the tissue, respectively. Verhoeff-Van Gieson (VVG) and PicroSirius Red stains were utilized to visualize the elastin and collagen fiber architecture, respectively. Results MFS tissue was found to have age-dependent but diameter-independent mechanical, structural, and morphological properties, also showing extensive elastin fiber degradation. Non-MFS thoracic aneurysmal aorta was thicker and stiffer than age-matched MFS tissue. Moreover, non-MFS thoracic aneurysmal mechanics resembled closely the mechanics of older healthy human tissue. Younger MFS tissue (<40 years) exhibited similar mechanical and structural properties to aged porcine tissue. Conclusions Both age and aneurysmal presence were found to be factors associated with increased stiffness in aortic tissue, and aortic diameter was not a significant determinant of mechanical property deterioration. Additionally, the presence of MFS was found to induce stiffening of the thoracic aorta, although not to the extent of the non-MFS aneurysm.
Barriers to cervical screening and interest in self-sampling among women who actively decline screening

Objectives Understanding why some women actively decline cervical screening could contribute to tailored intervention development. We explored reasons for non-participation in cervical screening among women who had made an active decision not to attend in the future. We also explored interest in human papillomavirus self-sampling. Methods In a population-based survey of women in Great Britain, home-based computer-assisted interviews were carried out with screening eligible women. Women reported their intention to attend for screening when next invited. They endorsed predefined barriers to screening and indicated their interest in human papillomavirus self-sampling. Results Women who had actively declined screening and those who intended to go but were currently overdue (n=543) were included in this analysis. Women who had made an active decision not to be screened in the future were more likely to endorse the barriers ‘I have other more important things to worry about’ and to perceive screening to be of low relevance based on their sexual behaviour. Most participants (70%) indicated that they would be interested in human papillomavirus self-sampling. Interest in self-sampling was greater among those who reported having had a bad experience of screening in the past, were too busy or embarrassed to attend, or would not want a man to carry out the test. Conclusions Women who had made an active decision not to attend screening felt it was of low relevance to them and that they had more important things to worry about. Shifting the perceived cost–benefit ratio for these women by offering human papillomavirus self-sampling might increase screening participation in this group.
Superpixel Coherency and Uncertainty Models for Semantic Segmentation

We present an efficient semantic segmentation algorithm based on contextual information which is constructed using super pixel-level cues. Although several semantic segmentation algorithms employing super pixel-level cues have been proposed and significant technical advances have been achieved recently, these algorithms still suffer from inaccurate super pixel estimation, recognition failure, time complexity and so on. To address problems, we propose novel super pixel coherency and uncertainty models which measure coherency of super pixel regions and uncertainty of the super pixel-wise preference, respectively. Also, we incorporate two super pixel models in an efficient inference method for the conditional random field (CRF) model. We evaluate the proposed algorithm based on MSRC and PASCAL datasets, and compare it with state-of-the-art algorithms quantitatively and qualitatively. We conclude that the proposed algorithm outperforms previous algorithms in terms of accuracy with reasonable time complexity.
An Evaluation of the Applicability of the Tripartite Constructs to Social Anxiety in Adolescents

The current study examined the tripartite model of anxiety and depression in relation to social phobia in a nonclinical sample of adolescents (ages 13–17). Adolescent/parent dyads participated in a semistructured interview and completed self-report measures of the tripartite constructs and social anxiety. Adolescents gave an impromptu speech, and heart rate was monitored. Low positive affect, high negative affect, and high physiological hyperarousal were characteristic of adolescents diagnosed with social phobia; adolescents with elevated social anxiety symptoms who did not meet criteria for social phobia did not evidence low positive affect. Heart rate reactivity during the speech was not significantly correlated with social anxiety symptomatology or with self-reported physiological hyperarousal.
Littoral diatom assemblages as bioindicators of lake trophic status: A case study from perialpine lakes in Austria

Littoral diatom assemblages from different natural substrates (stones, mud, reeds) were used for estimating trophic status in seven perialpine lakes near Salzburg (Austria). Four trophic status indices were compared with the actual chemical data and the annual averages of total phosphorus concentrations. Diatom assemblages on different substrates indicated significantly different trophic status for the site. Indicators based on epiphytic diatoms from young reed stalks correlated strongly with the concentrations of total phosphorus, so that reeds were found to be the most suitable substrate for bioindication. Bioindication based on three of the four indices studied (Rott's TDIA, Schönfelder's TS, van Dam's TDW) was positively correlated with actual phosphorus concentration at each site. While other indices indicated higher trophic status than expected according to annual averages of total phosphorus, Rott's TDIA was found to be the most applicable to perialpine lakes.
Concentration Dependent Optical Properties of NiSe Thin films grown by the Solution Growth Technique

Thin films of NiSe (nickel selenides) were prepared at different concentrations in the range 0.50 M to 1.00 M with the other deposition variables such as the bath temperature, pH, and source to substrate distance kept constant. The films were characterised using optical spectroscopy to investigate the absorbance, reflectance, and transmittance versus wavelength measurements, thus enabling the determination of important optical constants (optical absorption coefficient, energy bandgap, refractive index, extinction coefficient, and the dielectric constants). The results show that the optical constants were strongly dependent on the concentrations. The transmittances of the films were > 50% and the energy bandgap was direct, with values in the range suitable for application in solar cell devices. The refractive index was found to vary between 1.2 to 2.4.
A bird’s eye view on the flat and conic band world of the honeycomb and Kagome lattices: towards an understanding of 2D metal-organic frameworks electronic structure

We present a thorough tight-binding analysis of the band structure of a wide variety of lattices belonging to the class of honeycomb and Kagome systems including several mixed forms combining both lattices. The band structure of these systems are made of a combination of dispersive and flat bands. The dispersive bands possess Dirac cones (linear dispersion) at the six corners (K points) of the Brillouin zone although in peculiar cases Dirac cones at the center of the zone (Γ point) appear. The flat bands can be of different nature. Most of them are tangent to the dispersive bands at the center of the zone but some, for symmetry reasons, do not hybridize with other states. The objective of our work is to provide an analysis of a wide class of so-called ligand-decorated honeycomb Kagome lattices that are observed in a 2D metal-organic framework where the ligand occupy honeycomb sites and the metallic atoms the Kagome sites. We show that the px-py graphene model is relevant in these systems and there exists four types of flat bands: Kagome flat (singly degenerate) bands, two kinds of ligand-centered flat bands (A2 like and E like, respectively doubly and singly degenerate) and metal-centered (three fold degenerate) flat bands.
Tumor Texture Analysis in PET: Where Do We Stand?

The coexistence of different tumor cells that show distinct morphologic and phenotypic features either within a tumor or between tumors defines tumor heterogeneity. The identification, characterization, understanding, and, possibly, treatment of tumor heterogeneity are key challenges in oncology and should help design effective therapeutic and monitoring strategies (1). Because biopsies probe only parts of the tumors, they do not necessarily reflect tumor heterogeneity (2). Additional techniques are needed, among which imaging is an appealing approach to comprehensively detect, depict, and quantify local variations in tumor morphology and function. Several hundred published articles have investigated the beneficial information that can be extracted from the analysis of tumor heterogeneity using imaging since the beginning of the nineties, mostly involving MR and ultrasonography (.70% of the articles) (3), with a significant increase in publications since 2008. The interest in exploring tumor heterogeneity using PET dates back to 2009 (4) and is conceptually quite appealing given that PET reflects the biology of the tumor. Yet, a synthetic synopsis of the published results and subsequent
Institute of Architecture of Application Systems Informal Process Essentials

= {Human-centric processes are part of most organizations and their execution steps are typically not known initially. Consequently, standard business process modeling approaches are not suitable for modeling informal processes because they typically concentrate on the explicit modeling of the execution steps. In this work, we analyze properties of informal processes and requirements for supporting their correct enactment. We review existing approaches and evaluate their suitability in terms of modeling informal processes. Based on these results, we present a resource-centric approach by employing the concept of Informal Process Essentials which is used to create executable informal process models with dynamically changing interrelated
Magneto-Gyro Wearable Sensor Algorithm for Trunk Sway Estimation During Walking and Running Gait

Trunk sway is a critical gait parameter associated with walking stability and joint loading. This paper introduces a novel algorithm to estimate trunk sway based on magnetometer and gyroscope sensor fusion. An initial experiment was performed to determine the optimal placement of the wearable sensor device on the back and a second experiment was performed to characterize the accuracy of the algorithm. Ten human subjects walked, fast walked, and ran on a treadmill with normal, slightly increased or significantly increased trunk sway. Subjects wore a single magneto-inertial measurement unit (IMU) and a standard set of reflective motion-capture markers on their back. Magneto-gyro algorithm trunk sway estimations were compared with estimations from other common wearable sensor algorithms and errors were determined via comparison with trunk sway measured from motion capture. Overall, the magneto-gyro algorithm was the most accurate (RMSE = 1.7 ± 0.7°) followed by algorithms based on a single three-axis magnetometer (RMSE = 2.5 ± 1.8°), IMU gradient descent (RMSE = 2.9 ± 3.4°), a single three-axis gyroscope (RMSE = 3.2 ± 2.4°), magneto-IMU Kalman filter (RMSE = 8.5 ± 5.5°), and a single accelerometer (RMSE = 16.7 ± 11.2°). Optimal placement of a wearable sensor for estimating trunk sway was along the spine between the T7 -T12 vertebrae. The presented algorithm based on magnetometer and gyroscope sensor fusion could enable more precise trunk sensing for clinical gait applications outside the laboratory.
Neuromuscular electrical stimulation , exercises against resistance , muscle strength , pain , and motor function in patients with primary osteoarthritis of the knee

Introduction: Knee osteoarthritis is a degenerative process and its symptoms are mechanical pain and periods of inflammatory pain, joint stiffness, and muscle weakness. It has no cure and the treatment objective is relieving signs and symptoms and, whenever possible, slowing down its evolution. Muscle strengthening is indicated as treatment for osteoarthritis. Objective: Compare the effectiveness of neuromuscular electrical stimulation and resistance against exercise in the gain of knee extensor strength, in pain reduction, and in the recovery of motor function in patients with primary knee osteoarthritis. Materials and methods: The research had the participation of 23 patients diagnosed with primary knee osteoarthritis, according to the clinical and radiological criteria of the American College of Rheumatology. They were randomly allocated to a group of resistance against exercise (n = 9), a group of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (n = 8), and a control group (n = 6), and they underwent characteristic procedures of their group 3 times a week until completing 24 sessions. Knee extensor strength, pain, and motor function were evaluated in a blind way. We used the 3 x 2 MANOVA test with repeated measurements, for p < 0.05. Results: A significant difference (p < 0.05) was found just in intra-group comparisons for knee extensor strength only in the group neuromuscular electrical
Adaptive aberration correction in a two‐photon microscope

We demonstrate aberration correction in two‐photon microscopy. Specimen‐induced aberrations were measured with a modal wavefront sensor, implemented using a ferro‐electric liquid crystal spatial light modulator (FLCSLM). Wavefront correction was performed using the same FLCSLM. Axial scanned (xz) images of fluorescently labelled polystyrene beads using an oil immersion lens show restored sectioning ability at a depth of 28 µm in an aqueous specimen.
Stable Transformation of Ferns Using Spores as Targets: Pteris vittata and Ceratopteris thalictroides1[W][OPEN]

Ferns are stably transformed by using spores as targets. Ferns (Pteridophyta) are very important members of the plant kingdom that lag behind other taxa with regards to our understanding of their genetics, genomics, and molecular biology. We report here, to our knowledge, the first instance of stable transformation of fern with recovery of transgenic sporophytes. Spores of the arsenic hyperaccumulating fern Pteris vittata and tetraploid ‘C-fern Express’ (Ceratopteris thalictroides) were stably transformed by Agrobacterium tumefaciens with constructs containing the P. vittata actin promoter driving a GUSPlus reporter gene. Reporter gene expression assays were performed on multiple tissues and growth stages of gametophytes and sporophytes. Southern-blot analysis confirmed stable transgene integration in recovered sporophytes and also confirmed that no plasmid from A. tumefaciens was present in the sporophyte tissues. We recovered seven independent transformants of P. vittata and four independent C. thalictroides transgenics. Inheritance analyses using β-glucuronidase (GUS) histochemical staining revealed that the GUS transgene was stably expressed in second generation C. thalictroides sporophytic tissues. In an independent experiment, the gusA gene that was driven by the 2× Cauliflower mosaic virus 35S promoter was bombarded into P. vittata spores using biolistics, in which putatively stable transgenic gametophytes were recovered. Transformation procedures required no tissue culture or selectable marker genes. However, we did attempt to use hygromycin selection, which was ineffective for recovering transgenic ferns. This simple stable transformation method should help facilitate functional genomics studies in ferns.
The Effect of Solution Heat Treatment on Incipient Melting of Al2Cu Intermetallic Phase in Lightweight Materials

The effects of solution heat treatment of Al6Si2Cu aluminum alloy on incipient melting of θ-Al2Cu phase have been investigated. Solution heat treatments, in this study, are applied to improve of mechanical properties through a single-step solution heat treatment. The microstructure of as-cast specimen represents a typical dendrite structure having a secondary dendrite arm spacing of 37um. In addition to the Al matrix, a large amount of coarsen eutectic Si, θ-Al2Cu intermetallic phases and Fe-rich phases are identified. As the solution temperature increases, the Vickers's hardness increases up to 510°C and thereafter hardness decreases at the temperature of 520°C and 530°C. This hardness behavior may closely related with microstructural evolution such as solubility of alloying elements up to 510°C and also melting of θ-Al2Cu intermetallic phases over 510°C in this study. Consequentially, the optimal single-step solution heat treatment temperature should be 510°C to improve mechanical property.