Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Subject‐Specific Multiscale Modeling to Investigate Effects of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is an effective intervention in noninvasive neuromodulation used to treat a number of neurophysiological disorders. Predicting the spatial extent to which neural tissue is affected by TMS remains a challenge. The goal of this study was to develop a computational model to predict specific locations of neural tissue that are activated during TMS. Using this approach, we assessed the effects of changing TMS coil orientation and waveform.
Public awareness and knowledge of oral cancer in Yemen.

BACKGROUND Oral cancer is in increasing in incidence in Yemen and indeed worldwide. Knowledge regarding risk factors and early signs in the general population can help in prevention and early detection of the disease. PURPOSE The aim of this study was to assess the level of awareness and knowledge of oral cancer in the general population in Yemen. MATERIALS AND METHODS A cross-sectional survey using a self-administered questionnaire was conducted on Yemeni adults aged ≥15 years old. A total of 543 persons participated, the collected data being analyzed using SPSS software. The significance level was set at p<0.05. RESULTS Two thirds (71.5%) of the participants had heard about oral cancer. Smoking and smokeless tobacco usage were identified as the major risk factors by 71.5% and 73.7% of the participants, respectively. Only 24.1% and 21.4%, respectively, were able to correctly identify red and white lesions as early signs of oral cancer. Knowledge of oral cancer was significantly associated with age (p<0.01), gender (p<0.05) and education level (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that the knowledge regarding oral cancer in this population is low. Therefore, educational programs are highly needed to improve such knowledge.
Effects of prior exercise on oxygen uptake and phosphocreatine kinetics during high‐intensity knee‐extension exercise in humans

1 A prior bout of high‐intensity square‐wave exercise can increase the temporal adaptation of pulmonary oxygen uptake (V̇O2) to a subsequent bout of high‐intensity exercise. The mechanisms controlling this adaptation, however, are poorly understood. 2 We therefore determined the dynamics of intramuscular [phosphocreatine] ([PCr]) simultaneously with those of V̇O2 in seven males who performed two consecutive bouts of high‐intensity square‐wave, knee‐extensor exercise in the prone position for 6 min with a 6 min rest interval. A magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) transmit‐receive surface coil under the quadriceps muscle allowed estimation of [PCr]; V̇O2 was measured breath‐by‐breath using a custom‐designed turbine and a mass spectrometer system. 3 The V̇O2 kinetics of the second exercise bout were altered compared with the first such that (a) not only was the instantaneous rate of V̇O2 change (at a given level of V̇O2) greater but the phase II τ was also reduced ‐ averaging 46.6 ± 6.0 s (bout 1) and 40.7 ± 8.4 s (bout 2) (mean ±s.d.) and (b) the magnitude of the later slow component was reduced. 4 This was associated with a reduction of, on average, 16.1 % in the total exercise‐induced [PCr] decrement over the 6 min of the exercise, of which 4.0 % was due to a reduction in the slow component of [PCr]. There was no discernable alteration in the initial rate of [PCr] change. The prior exercise, therefore, changed the multi‐compartment behaviour towards that of functionally first‐order dynamics. 5 These observations demonstrate that the V̇O2 responses relative to the work rate input for high‐intensity exercise are non‐linear, as are, it appears, the putative phosphate‐linked controllers for which [PCr] serves as a surrogate.
Evaluation of the current radiofrequency ablation systems using axiomatic design theory

This article evaluates current radiofrequency ablation systems using axiomatic design theory. Due to its minimally invasive procedure, short-time hospital stay, low cost, and tumour metastasis treatment, the radiofrequency ablation technique has been playing an important role in tumour treatment in recent decades. Although the radiofrequency ablation technique has many advantages, some issues still need to be addressed. Among these issues, the two most important are as follows: (1) the size of tumours to be removed (has to be larger than 3 cm in diameter) and (2) cleanness of the removal. Many device solutions have been proposed to address the two issues. However, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the systematic evaluation of these solutions. This article evaluates these systems in terms of their solution principles (or simply called conceptual design in general product design theory) using a design theory called axiomatic design theory. In addition, with the axiomatic design theory, a better conceptual design in terms of its feasibility to cope with incomplete target tissue necrosis from the large size of tumours has been found. The detailed analysis and simulation of the new conceptual design are conducted using finite element approach. The results in this article are proved by the information of animal experiments and clinical practices obtained from the literature. This study thus contributes to the current knowledge to further developments in radiofrequency ablation systems and procedure guidelines for physicians to perform the radiofrequency ablation operation more effectively.
Characteristics of Ultra-Wideband Pulse Scattered From Metal Planar Objects

In this paper, a method to estimate the characteristics of ultra-wideband (UWB) pulse scattered from metal planar objects in far-field is proposed. When the object is in near-field, the transition of the scattered pulse shape is studied. In addition, we define a frequency averaged radar cross section (RCS) of the metal planar object in terms of the effective height of the transmitting and receiving antennas, and the energy of the excitation and received pulses. We find excellent agreement between the estimated and measured scattered pulses for metal planar objects of sizes 100×100 mm2, 160×160 mm2, and 200×200 mm2. For the same objects, the estimated frequency averaged RCS are close to narrowband conventional RCS. The agreement validates the proposed method, allowing us to compute the scattered pulse shape and energy based on the conventional RCS of the object.
Organizational Culture, Tenure, and Willingness to Participate in Continuous Improvement Projects in Healthcare

In this paper the authors investigate the factors that impact employees' willingness to participate in continuous improvement projects. They surveyed 226 professionals employed by a large healthcare organization in the northeastern United States. Results indicate that tenure, prior experiences, and the employee's perception of an organization's approach to continuous improvement are the main drivers in predicting willingness to participate in continuous improvement projects. Consistent with continuity theory, the authors do not find any differences based on age.
Image Tracking Algorithm Improvement Based on TLD Frame

Image target tracking is an important part in computer vision field, and has a broad application prospect in modern society. Lack of online learning function, the traditional target tracking algorithm was based on the single track as long as possible. The target deformation and occlusion will lead to target tracking lost. TLD (tracking-learningdetection) is the long-term effective algorithm in tracking single target proposed. The algorithm requires less prior knowledge and can achieve long-term tracking, but when target encounter obstacles, there will be drift phenomenon in the short term. In order to overcome this shortcoming, the paper improve the tracking module of TLD. A method is proposed by using Harris feature point instead of the original Grid sampling method. The experimental results show that this method can effectively suppress the tracking drift, and improve tracking precision.
Defining Heroes Through Deductive and Inductive Investigations

ABSTRACT Individuals in different contexts are referred to as “heroes” for seemingly different reasons. To better understand how and why people use this term, three studies were conducted. Approaching the question deductively, individuals defined the term “hero” and responses were coded according to existing definitions. Then, a definition of hero was sought inductively by examining the specific reasons participants cited in choosing their heroes. A third study further examined individuals' descriptions of their heroes in light of their own self views. The findings across these studies extend our understanding of the term hero and suggest that the use of the term is based both on the specific features of any heroic figure, as well as on the self views of the person identifying the hero.
α2 Subunit–Containing GABAA Receptor Subtypes Are Upregulated and Contribute to Alcohol-Induced Functional Plasticity in the Rat Hippocampus

Alcohol (EtOH) intoxication causes changes in the rodent brain γ-aminobutyric acid receptor (GABAAR) subunit composition and function, playing a crucial role in EtOH withdrawal symptoms and dependence. Building evidence indicates that withdrawal from acute EtOH and chronic intermittent EtOH (CIE) results in decreased EtOH-enhanced GABAAR δ subunit-containing extrasynaptic and EtOH-insensitive α1βγ2 subtype synaptic GABAARs but increased synaptic α4βγ2 subtype, and increased EtOH sensitivity of GABAAR miniature postsynaptic currents (mIPSCs) correlated with EtOH dependence. Here we demonstrate that after acute EtOH intoxication and CIE, upregulation of hippocampal α4βγ2 subtypes, as well as increased cell-surface levels of GABAAR α2 and γ1 subunits, along with increased α2β1γ1 GABAAR pentamers in hippocampal slices using cell-surface cross-linking, followed by Western blot and coimmunoprecipitation. One-dose and two-dose acute EtOH treatments produced temporal plastic changes in EtOH-induced anxiolysis or withdrawal anxiety, and the presence or absence of EtOH-sensitive synaptic currents correlated with cell surface peptide levels of both α4 and γ1(new α2) subunits. CIE increased the abundance of novel mIPSC patterns differing in activation/deactivation kinetics, charge transfer, and sensitivity to EtOH. The different mIPSC patterns in CIE could be correlated with upregulated highly EtOH-sensitive α2βγ subtypes and EtOH-sensitive α4βγ2 subtypes. Naïve α4 subunit knockout mice express EtOH-sensitive mIPSCs in hippocampal slices, correlating with upregulated GABAAR α2 (and not α4) subunits. Consistent with α2, β1, and γ1 subunits genetically linked to alcoholism in humans, our findings indicate that these new α2-containing synaptic GABAARs could mediate the maintained anxiolytic response to EtOH in dependent individuals, rat or human, contributing to elevated EtOH consumption.
Hierarchical Grouping to Optimize an Objective Function

Abstract A procedure for forming hierarchical groups of mutually exclusive subsets, each of which has members that are maximally similar with respect to specified characteristics, is suggested for use in large-scale (n > 100) studies when a precise optimal solution for a specified number of groups is not practical. Given n sets, this procedure permits their reduction to n − 1 mutually exclusive sets by considering the union of all possible n(n − 1)/2 pairs and selecting a union having a maximal value for the functional relation, or objective function, that reflects the criterion chosen by the investigator. By repeating this process until only one group remains, the complete hierarchical structure and a quantitative estimate of the loss associated with each stage in the grouping can be obtained. A general flowchart helpful in computer programming and a numerical example are included.
Kinetic parameters and inhibition response of ammonia‐ and nitrite‐oxidizing bacteria in membrane bioreactors and conventional activated sludge processes

Ammonium and nitrite oxidizing biomasses (AOB and NOB) were investigated in parallel pilot plants: a membrane bioreactor (MBR) and a conventional activated sludge process (CASP) fed with domestic wastewater. The kinetics of AOB and NOB were monitored through titrimetric tests. The maximum specific growth rate of the AOB (µmax,AOB) was affected by the solids’ retention time (SRT) maintained during the start up: by varying the start up SRT from 20 d to 8 d, µmax,AOB in the CASP varied from 0.45 d−1±0.04 to 0.72 d−1± 0.2 respectively; the mean value of µmax,AOB in the MBR samples (always maintained at SRT = 20 d) was in the range 0.45–0.49 d−1. The endogenous decay coefficients of the NOB and AOB and the maximum specific growth rates of the NOB were similar in both MBR and CASP. Inhibition tests with different concentrations of allylthiourea (ATU) were carried out on samples from both activated sludge systems: the MBR sludge exhibited higher sensitivity to a low ATU concentration; however, the maximum nitrification activity recovered more rapidly than the CASP sludge.
An impedance-based stability analysis method for paralleled voltage source converters

This paper analyses the stability of paralleled voltage source converters in AC distributed power systems. An impedance-based stability analysis method is presented based on the Nyquist criterion for multiloop system. Instead of deriving the impedance ratio as usual, the system stability is assessed based on a series of Nyquist diagrams drawn for the terminal impedance of each converter. Thus, the effect of the right half-plane zeros of terminal impedances in the derivation of impedance ratio for paralleled source-source converters is avoided. The interaction between the terminal impedance of converter and the passive network can also be predicted by the Nyquist diagrams. This method is applied to evaluate the current and voltage controller interactions of converters in both grid-connected and islanded operations. Simulations and experimental results verify the effectiveness of theoretical analysis.
Translational Animal Models to Study Endometriosis-Associated Infertility

Abstract Although there is an apparent association between endometriosis and impaired fertility, the pathophysiology of the reduced fecundity in women with endometriosis still remains unclear. Reproduction is a complex and multifactorial process, and possible factors contributing to the reduced fertility of endometriosis patients include defective function of the ovary, gametes, and endometrium as well as developmental disorders of the embryo. Because controlled experiments in humans are limited due to ethical reasons, experimental animal models have been developed mainly in nonhuman primates and laboratory rodents by induction of endometriosis via autologous transplantation of endometrial tissue. Animals with induced endometriosis reveal an impairment of fecundity similar to the situation described for humans and have been used to identify effects of ectopic endometrial tissue on adhesion formation, peritoneal fluid composition, ovarian function, endometrial gene expression, and embryo implantation. These animal models of endometriosis yield a valuable tool to study the mechanisms of endometriosis-associated infertility especially during the onset of the disease that cannot be investigated in women.
Pharmacotherapy of Parkinson's disease: Research from 1960 to 1991

The last decades have been characterized by impressive research activity in connection with Parkinson's disease (PD). A wealth of new results have enriched our knowledge of the pathophysiology of the disorder and led to new approaches for its therapy. Whereas anticholinergic drugs remained the main, though unsatisfactory, treatment of PD for almost 100 years, the situation has changed since the 1960s. An impetus for this turning‐point was given by the finding that the striatum of rats contained a high concentration of dopamine (DA) (1), which until then had been considered to be a mere intermediate of the biosynthesis of noradrenaline and adrenaline, without a physiological role in its own right. Subsequently, the role of dopamine as neurotransmitter and the importance of dopaminergic pathways for the control of extrapyramidal motricity were firmly established. As a consequence, new therapeutic possibilities emerged and the anticholinergic drugs, although still in use, lost their supremacy.
What Are Nanomaterials and What Do We Know about Their Environmental Impacts ?

Growing concerns over the potential for unintended, adverse consequences of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) in the environment have generated new research initiatives focused on understanding the ecological effects of ENPs. Almost nothing is currently known about the fate and transport of ENPs in environmental waters, soils, and sediments or about the biological impacts of ENPs in natural environments, and the bulk of modern nanotoxicogical research is focused on highly controlled laboratory studies with single species in simple media. In this paper, we provide an ecological perspective on the current state of knowledge regarding the likely environmental impacts of nanomaterials and propose a strategy for making rapid progress in new research in ecological nanoscience. An Ecological Perspective on Nanomaterial Impacts in the Environment
Childhood Misfortune and Adult Health

Objective: This article traces the influence of early misfortune on somatic and psychological symptoms, examining whether the health disadvantages endure and/or worsen over a decade. Method: The study uses two waves of data from the Midlife Development in the United States study. Structural equation models are used to assess change in somatic and psychological symptoms. Results: Findings reveal that childhood abuse is associated with more initial somatic and psychological symptoms among American adults, but that family structure and financial strain had little association with baseline adult symptoms. The effects of abuse were not observed at Wave 2 (W2), net of Wave 1 (W1) symptoms. Discussion: The results suggest an enduring—but not cascadic—effect of childhood abuse on adult health. There was little evidence that the consequences of early misfortune waned over the course of time or were less substantial for older adults; but neither did these early life experiences contribute to worsened symptoms over a decade of observation.
Celebrity capital as a strategic asset: Implications for new venture strategies

Despite an increase in businesses started by celebrities, we have limited understanding as to how celebrity entrepreneurs benefit new ventures. Drawing on a reputational capital perspective, we develop the notion of celebrity capital and show how it can be used to uniquely differentiate the venture and to overcome liabilities of newness. We discuss how celebrity capital can negatively influence the venture when negative information about the celebrity surfaces and in terms of limiting the scope of the venture. We discuss the different strategic implications of celebrity capital for ventures using celebrity entrepreneurs versus endorsers.
Setomelanomma holmii (Pleosporales, Phaeosphaeriaceae) on living spruce twigs in Europe and North America

Setomelanomma holmii M. Morelet, previously known only from the type specimen in France, was discov- ered in the U.S.A. (Kansas and Wisconsin) and Canada (Ontario) on living twigs of spruce (Picea pungens and Picea glauca). This fungus was grown from ascospores and compared with the ex-holotype culture. Morphology and ITS rDNA sequence similarities indicate that S. holmii belongs in the Pleosporales, Phaeosphaeriaceae. Sequence analysis of the SSU nrDNA places S. holmii in a clade containing members of the Leptosphaeriaceae and Phaeosphaeriaceae. Setomelanomma holmii is redescribed and illustrated based on the holotype and North American specimens.
Reduced explicit constrained linear quadratic regulators

In this note, it is studied how structural properties of certain linear systems can be exploited to derive reduced dimension multiparametric quadratic programs that lead to explicit piecewise linear feedback solutions to the state and input constrained linear quadratic regulation problem. The reduced dimensionality typically results in suboptimal controllers of lower complexity, with associated computational advantages in the online implementation. At the heart of the methods are state-space projections based on the singular value decomposition.
MeetAlive: Room-Scale Omni-Directional Display System for Multi-User Content and Control Sharing

MeetAlive combines multiple depth cameras and projectors to create a room-scale omni-directional display surface designed to support collaborative face-to-face group meetings. With MeetAlive, all participants may simultaneously display and share content from their personal laptop wirelessly anywhere in the room. MeetAlive gives each participant complete control over displayed content in the room. This is achieved by a perspective corrected mouse cursor that transcends the boundary of the laptop screen to position, resize, and edit their own and others' shared content. MeetAlive includes features to replicate content views to ensure that all participants may see the actions of other participants even as they are seated around a conference table. We report on observing six groups of three participants who worked on a collaborative task with minimal assistance. Participants' feedback highlighted the value of MeetAlive features for multi-user engagement in meetings involving brainstorming and content creation.
ISI Publications Management Through Performance Indicators

The paper proposes to describe the ways in which the research management and administration department from a certain institution can interfere with specific policies in order to increase the visibility of scientific publications. Scientometric analysis is made on ISI publications of “Constantin Brancsi” University from Targu Jiu and wants to reveal performance indicators able to monitor the visibility of the papers indexed in ThomsonReuters ISI base.
Mining Fuzzy Association Rules Based on Parallel Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm

The association rule extraction process often involves a large number of candidate item sets and multiple read operations on data sets. With the emergence of massive data, the sequential association rule extraction algorithm also suffers from large I/O overhead and insufficient memory. This paper presents a new multi-swarm parallel multi-mutation particle swarm optimization algorithm (MsP-MmPSO) to search several groups in parallel. Experimental results show that the MsP-MmPSO algorithm has an advantage in terms of execution time over traditional particle swarm optimization, especially when the amount or dimensions of the data increase. Experiments also verify that a good task allocation method can reduce the execution time of the parallel algorithm.
The impact of long‐haul air travel on variables of the athlete's biological passport

Dehydration, fluid shifts or changes in coagulation occurring during air travel can trigger distinct reactions in the haematological system. Athletes are concerned that these effects might impair sporting performance, increase the risk of thrombosis or cause abnormalities in blood values that might be mistaken for doping in the ‘Athlete′s biological passport’ (ABP) a longitudinal monitoring of haematological variables in antidoping. The aim of the study was to investigate key variables of the ABP before and after a long‐haul flight in athletes.