Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Upper Limb Exoskeleton Design and Implementation to Control a Robotic Arm

This project presents the design, modelling and implementation of a system, which allows controlling a robotic arm through movement commands captured by an exoskeleton adapted to an upper limb. A study of degrees of freedom, joint movement angles and limitations that will have both the robotic arm and the exoskeleton was performed. The mechatronics design methodology based on the V-Model was used. The mechanical, electrical and control designs were developed concurrently in a way that one does not compromise the other's integrity. The mechanical design is realized and simulated in a CAD software to verify the operation and movement freedom that the user will have. Batteries are dimensioned to power the exoskeleton and the robotic arm. After integration of the systems designed, requirements assurance is performed. The robotic arm is able to replicate the movements made with the exoskeleton; the reaction time in slow movements is in real time, while for high reflections this present a delay up to 0.42 seconds. The robotic arm is able to lift 250 g without compromising its reaction speed. The ratio of movements between robotic arm and exoskeleton has a tolerance of up to 5 degrees.
The Turkish version of the Brace Questionnaire in brace-treated adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis

Background: Evaluation of the effects of brace treatment on quality of life in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is important. Objectives: To analyze the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Brace Questionnaire. Study design: Cohort study, evaluation of reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the Brace Questionnaire. Methods: Twenty-eight patients undergoing brace treatment for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (median age: 14.6 years) were included in the study. The Brace Questionnaire was translated into Turkish and administered to the patients twice at an interval of 5 days. Reliability was assessed using the test–retest method (Pearson’s correlation coefficient); internal consistency was analyzed using Cronbach’s alpha. Validity was assessed by correlating the Brace Questionnaire with the Bad Sobernheim Stress Questionnaire-Brace and Scoliosis Research Society-22 questionnaire. Results: The mean Cobb angles were 31.1° ± 8.3° and 29.7° ± 9° for thoracic and lumbar regions, respectively. Cronbach’s alpha was 0.94. Intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.95 in test–retest reliability analysis. The correlations between Brace Questionnaire and Bad Sobernheim Stress Questionnaire-Brace and Scoliosis Research Society-22 were r = 0.67 and r = 0.64, respectively. Conclusion: The Turkish version of the Brace Questionnaire to measure the effects of brace treatment on quality of life in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis was found to have good validity, excellent reliability, and high internal consistency. Clinical relevance We recommend routine use of the Brace Questionnaire in scoliosis patients to evaluate brace-related quality of life and relevant factors and to support the individual when necessary during such treatment.
Stereotypes and attitudes toward older people among children transitioning from middle childhood into adolescence: Time matters

ABSTRACT Ageism is fueled by stereotypes and negative attitudes about aging and older adults, which can lead to individual-level prejudice and discrimination. Through survey methodology, this study explored stereotypes and ageist beliefs of youth transitioning from middle childhood into adolescence (age 11–13 years) (N = 69) in the southwest of England. The results indicate that positive more than negative stereotypes were acknowledged, and more positive stereotyping was positively correlated with more positive attitudes toward older adults. Contact with older adults and age that one considers “old” were significant in predicting attitudes toward older people. The results suggest that time matters, in terms of contact with an older adult and time to reach “old age” in shaping youths’ attitudes and stereotypes. Intergenerational and educational programs that seek to address aging myths and increase contact between youth and older adults are discussed as ways to improve attitudes amongst youth transitioning from middle childhood into adolescence.
Imprints of Climate Signals in a 204 Year δ18O Tree-Ring Record of Nothofagus pumilio From Perito Moreno Glacier, Southern Patagonia (50°S)

A 204 year-long record of 18O in tree-ring cellulose of southern beech (Nothofagus pumilio) from a site near Perito Moreno Glacier (50°S) in southern Patagonia was established to assess its potential for a climate reconstruction. The annually resolved oxygen isotope chronology is built out of seven individual tree-ring 18O series with a significant mean inter-series correlation (r = 0.61) and is the first of its kind located in Southern America south of 50°S. Over a common period from 1960 to 2013 of available stationary and high-resolution gridded CRU TS v. 4.01 data, the 18O chronology exhibits a strong sensitivity towards hydroclimatic as well as temperature parameters as revealed by correlation analyses. Among these, positive correlations with maximum temperature in the first part of the summer season (CRU rONDJ = 0.51, p<0.01) and negative correlations with precipitation in the latter half of the vegetation period (CRU rONDJ = - 0.54, p<0.01) show the highest sensitivities. A strong supra-regional influence of the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) is clearly recorded in this chronology as indicated by significant positive correlations during the vegetation period (rONDJ = 0.62, p<0.01). This indicates that the presented 18O-chronology shows great promise to reconstruct the influence and variability of the SAM within the last two centuries in southern South America. The modulation of positive and negative anomalies within this series can be interlinked to changes in moisture source origin as revealed by backward trajectory modeling. Additionally, these anomalies can be directly associated to positive or negative phases of the Antarctic Oscillation Index (AAOI) and therefore the strength of the Westerlies. Aligned by the analysis on the influence of different main weather types on the 18O chronology it is shown that such time-series hold the potential to additionally capture their respective influence and change during the last centuries.
PLCζ Induced Ca2+ Oscillations in Mouse Eggs Involve a Positive Feedback Cycle of Ca2+ Induced InsP3 Formation From Cytoplasmic PIP2

Egg activation at fertilization in mammalian eggs is caused by a series of transient increases in the cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration, referred to as Ca2+ oscillations. It is widely accepted that these Ca2+ oscillations are initiated by a sperm derived phospholipase C isoform, PLCζ that hydrolyses its substrate PIP2 to produce the Ca2+ releasing messenger InsP3. However, it is not clear whether PLCζ induced InsP3 formation is periodic or monotonic, and whether the PIP2 source for generating InsP3 from PLCζ is in the plasma membrane or the cytoplasm. In this study we have uncaged InsP3 at different points of the Ca2+ oscillation cycle to show that PLCζ causes Ca2+ oscillations by a mechanism which requires Ca2+ induced InsP3 formation. In contrast, incubation in Sr2+ media, which also induces Ca2+ oscillations in mouse eggs, sensitizes InsP3-induced Ca2+ release. We also show that the cytosolic level Ca2+ is a key factor in setting the frequency of Ca2+ oscillations since low concentrations of the Ca2+ pump inhibitor, thapsigargin, accelerates the frequency of PLCζ induced Ca2+ oscillations in eggs, even in Ca2+ free media. Given that Ca2+ induced InsP3 formation causes a rapid wave during each Ca2+ rise, we use a mathematical model to show that InsP3 generation, and hence PLCζ's substate PIP2, has to be finely distributed throughout the egg cytoplasm. Evidence for PIP2 distribution in vesicles throughout the egg cytoplasm is provided with a rhodamine-peptide probe, PBP10. The apparent level of PIP2 in such vesicles could be reduced by incubating eggs in the drug propranolol which also reversibly inhibited PLCζ induced, but not Sr2+ induced, Ca2+ oscillations. These data suggest that the cytosolic Ca2+ level, rather than Ca2+ store content, is a key variable in setting the pace of PLCζ induced Ca2+ oscillations in eggs, and they imply that InsP3 oscillates in synchrony with Ca2+ oscillations. Furthermore, they support the hypothesis that PLCζ and sperm induced Ca2+ oscillations in eggs requires the hydrolysis of PIP2 from finely spaced cytoplasmic vesicles.
Design and implementation of small multiples matrix-based visualisation to monitor and compare email socio-organisational relationships

One of the fundamental organisational questions is how organisations identify anomalies, monitor and compare email communications between staff-staff or staff-clients or staff-customers relationships on a daily basis. The tenacious and substantial relationships are built by the combination of timely replies, frequent engagement and deep interaction between the individuals. To watchdog this periodically, we need an interactive visualisation tool that can help organisational analysts to reconnect some lost relationships and/or strengthen an existing relationship or in some cases identify inside persons (anomalies). From our point of view, Social Intelligence (SI) in an organisation is a combination of self-, social- and organisational-awareness that will help in managing complex socio-organisational changes and can be interpreted in terms of socio-organisational communication efficacy (that is, one's confidence in one's ability to deal with social and organisational information). We considered a case study, an Enron Organisation Email Scandal, to understand the relationships of staff during various parts of the years and we conducted a workshop study with legal experts to gain insights on how they carry out investigation/analysis with respect to email relationships. The outcomes of the workshop helped us develop a novel small multiples matrix-based visualisation in collaboration with our industrial partner, Red Sift UK, to find anomalies, monitor and compare how email relationships change over time and how it defines the meaning of socio-organisational communication efficacy.
Evaluation of a commercial flatbed document scanner and radiographic film scanner for radiochromic EBT film dosimetry

The purpose of this study was to quantify the performance and assess the utility of two different types of scanners for radiochromic EBT film dosimetry: a commercial flatbed document scanner and a widely used radiographic film scanner. We evaluated the Epson Perfection V700 Photo flatbed scanner and the Vidar VXR Dosimetry Pro Advantage scanner as measurement devices for radiochromic EBT film. Measurements were made of scan orientation effects, response uniformity, and scanner noise. Scanners were tested using films irradiated with eight separate 3×3 cm2 fields to doses ranging from 0.115–5.119 Gy. ImageJ and RIT software was used for analyzing the Epson and Vidar scans, respectively. For repeated scans of a single film, the measurements in each dose region were reproducible to within ±0.3% standard deviation (SD) with both scanners. Film‐to‐film variations for corresponding doses were measured to be within ±0.4% SD for both Epson scanner and Vidar scanners. Overall, the Epson scanner showed a 10% smaller range of pixel value compared to the Vidar scanner. Scanner noise was small: ±0.3% SD for the Epson and ±0.2% for the Vidar. Overall measurement uniformity for blank film in both systems was better than ±0.2%, provided that the leading and trailing 2 cm film edges were neglected in the Vidar system. In this region artifacts are attributed to the film rollers. Neither system demonstrated a clear measurement advantage. The Epson scanner is a relatively inexpensive method for analyzing radiochromic film, but there is a lack of commercially available software. For a clinic already using a Vidar scanner, applying it to radiochromic film is attractive because commercial software is available. However, care must be taken to avoid using the leading and trailing film edges. PACS number: 87.55. Qr
Randomised controlled trial of exercise to prevent shoulder problems in women undergoing breast cancer treatment: study protocol for the prevention of shoulder problems trial (UK PROSPER)

Musculoskeletal shoulder problems are common after breast cancer treatment. Early postoperative exercises targeting the upper limb may improve shoulder function. This protocol describes a National Institute for Health Research-funded randomised controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of an early supervised structured exercise programme compared with usual care, for women at high risk of developing shoulder problems after breast cancer surgery. Methods This pragmatic two-armed, multicentre RCT is underway within secondary care in the UK. PRevention Of Shoulder ProblEms tRial (PROSPER) aims to recruit 350 women from approximately 15 UK centres with follow-up at 6 weeks, 6 and 12 months after randomisation. Recruitment processes and intervention development were optimised through qualitative research during a 6-month internal pilot phase. Participants are randomised to the PROSPER intervention or best practice usual care only. The PROSPER intervention is delivered by physiotherapists and incorporates three main components: shoulder-specific exercises targeting range of movement and strength; general physical activity and behavioural strategies to encourage adherence and support exercise behaviour. The primary outcome is upper arm function assessed using the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire at 12 months postrandomisation. Secondary outcomes include DASH subscales, acute and chronic pain, complications, health-related quality of life and healthcare resource use. We will interview a subsample of 20 participants to explore their experiences of the trial interventions. Discussion The PROSPER study is the first multicentre UK clinical trial to investigate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of supported exercise in the prevention of shoulder problems in high-risk women undergoing breast cancer surgery. The findings will inform future clinical practice and provide valuable insight into the role of physiotherapy-supported exercise in breast cancer rehabilitation. Protocol version Version 2.1; dated 11 January 2017 Trial registration number ISRCTN35358984; Pre-results.
Loss of the melanocortin-4 receptor in mice causes dilated cardiomyopathy

Haploinsufficiency of the melanocortin-4 receptor, the most common monogenetic obesity syndrome in humans, is associated with a reduction in autonomic tone, bradycardia, and incidence of obesity-associated hypertension. Thus, it has been assumed that melanocortin obesity syndrome may be protective with respect to obesity-associated cardiovascular disease. We show here that absence of the melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) in mice causes dilated cardiomyopathy, characterized by reduced contractility and increased left ventricular diameter. This cardiomyopathy is independent of obesity as weight matched diet induced obese mice do not display systolic dysfunction. Mc4r cardiomyopathy is characterized by ultrastructural changes in mitochondrial morphology and cardiomyocyte disorganization. Remarkably, testing of myocardial tissue from Mc4r−/− mice exhibited increased ADP stimulated respiratory capacity. However, this increase in respiration correlates with increased reactive oxygen species production – a canonical mediator of tissue damage. Together this study identifies MC4R deletion as a novel and potentially clinically important cause of heart failure.
A Dimension Reduction Model and Classifier for Anomaly-Based Intrusion Detection in Internet of Things

Internet of Things (IoT) devices and services have gained wide spread growth in many commercial and mission critical applications. The devices and services suffer from intrusions, attacks and malicious activities. To protect valuable data transmitted through IoT networks and users'privacy, intrusion detection systems (IDS) should be developed to match with the characteristics of IoT, which requires real-time monitoring. This paper proposes a novel model for intrusion detection which is based on dimensionreduction algorithm and a classifier, which can be used as an online machine learning algorithm. The proposed model uses Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to reduce dimensions of dataset from a large number of features to a small number. To develop a classifier, softmax regression and k-nearestneighbour algorithms are applied and compared. Experimental results using KDD Cup 99 Data Set show that our proposed model performs optimally in labelling benign behaviours and identifying malicious behaviours. Thecomputing complexity and time performance approve that the model can be used to detect intrusions in IoT.
Thermal conductivity of graphene and its polymer nanocomposites: a review

This chapter reviews the recent research progress of graphene, with an emphasis on its thermal conductivity and its polymer nanocomposites. Thermal conductivity of nanocomposites can be measured by either the steady-state methods or the transient methods. As identified by the theoretical models, the effective thermal conductivity of composites can be affected by several key factors. In the case of graphene-polymer nanocomposites, most experimental reports have suggested that the key barrier in achieving superior thermal conductivity lies in the high interfacial thermal resistance between the graphene fillers and polymer matrices. To quantitatively understand the impact of interfacial thermal resistance on the effective thermal conductivity of graphene-polymer nanocomposites, Nan's theoretical model may be employed. The chapter discusses the definition of interfacial thermal resistance and the key factors affecting it. It reviews the approaches for reducing interfacial thermal resistance between graphene and polymer.
Human Adenovirus Type 37 Uses αVβ1 and α3β1 Integrins for Infection of Human Corneal Cells

ABSTRACT Epidemic keratoconjunctivitis (EKC) is a severe, contagious ocular disease that affects 20 to 40 million individuals worldwide every year. EKC is mainly caused by six types of human adenovirus (HAdV): HAdV-8, -19, -37, -53, -54, and -56. Of these, HAdV-8, -19, and -37 use sialic acid-containing glycans as cellular receptors. αVβ3, αVβ5, and a few additional integrins facilitate entry and endosomal release of other HAdVs. With the exception of a few biochemical analyses indicating that HAdV-37 can interact physically with αVβ5, little is known about the integrins used by EKC-causing HAdVs. Here, we investigated the overall integrin expression on human corneal cells and found expression of α2, α3, α6, αV, β1, and β4 subunits in human corneal in situ epithelium and/or in a human corneal epithelial (HCE) cell line but no or less accessible expression of α4, α5, β3, or β5. We also identified the integrins used by HAdV-37 through a series of binding and infection competition experiments and different biochemical approaches. Together, our data suggest that HAdV-37 uses αVβ1 and α3β1 integrins for infection of human corneal epithelial cells. Furthermore, to confirm the relevance of these integrins in the HAdV-37 life cycle, we developed a corneal multilayer tissue system and found that HAdV-37 infection correlated well with the patterns of αV, α3, and β1 integrin expression. These results provide further insight into the tropism and pathogenesis of EKC-causing HAdVs and may be of importance for future development of new antiviral drugs. IMPORTANCE Keratitis is a hallmark of EKC, which is caused by six HAdV types (HAdV-8, -19, -37, -53, -54, and -56). HAdV-37 and some other HAdV types interact with integrin αVβ5 in order to enter nonocular human cells. In this study, we found that αVβ5 is not expressed on human corneal epithelial cells, thus proposing other host factors mediate corneal infection. Here, we first characterized integrin expression patterns on corneal tissue and corneal cells. Among the integrins identified, competition binding and infection experiments and biochemical assays pointed out αVβ1 and α3β1 to be of importance for HAdV-37 infection of corneal tissue. In the absence of a good animal model for EKC-causing HAdVs, we also developed an in vitro system with multilayer HCE cells and confirmed the relevance of the suggested integrins during HAdV-37 infection.
Synthesis and Characterization of Silver-Titanium Nanocomposite via Horizontal Vapor Phase Growth (HVPG) Technique

Silver and Titanium Nanocomposite materials are well known as two materials that can effectively eradicate bacteria. Study on the synthesis and characterization of these materials using Horizontal Vapor Phase Growth (HVPG) technique was introduced to combine between Silver and Titanium in a single synthesis. Silver and Titanium powder was proportioned to 1:1 with the amount 17.5 mg. The experiments were performed in high vacuum pressure ≈10 -6 Torr. Quartz Tubes were sealed at both ends and were baked using horizontal furnace. The Experiments were conducted by varying temperature growth from 800°C, 1000°C, and 1200°C with a growth time of 4 hours, 6 hours, and 8 hours. The end products were characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X- ray (EDX) analysis to determine atomic proportion and Silver-Titanium nanocomposite shape and size. The study determined the optimum temperature and growth time in growing Silver-Titanium Nanocomposites material. The optimum parameter in terms of the size of the nanomaterials produced is the temperature of 1000°C and growth time of 8 hours. Based in the experiments are studied also produced Silver-Titanium nanocomposite with different nano shape like Nanoparticles, Nanosphere, Nanotriangulars, and Nanorods.