Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Employment status and sick-leave following obesity surgery: a five-year prospective cohort study

Background. Severe obesity is a risk factor for lower participation in paid work, but whether employment increases and sick leave decreases after obesity surgery is not well documented. Methods. We assessed 224 Norwegian patients with severe obesity (mean age: 40; mean BMI: 49; 61% female) regarding employment status (working versus not working) and the number of days of sick leave during the preceding 12 months, before and five years after obesity surgery (75% follow-up rate). Logistic regression analysis was used to study preoperative predictors of employment status after surgery. Results. There were no change in the employment rate over time (54% versus 58%), but the number of days of sick leave per year was significantly reduced, from a mean of 63 to a mean of 26, and from a median of 36 to a median of 4. Most of this change was attributable to patients with zero days of sick leave, which increased from 25% to 41%. Being female, older, having low education level, receiving disability pension and not being employed before obesity surgery were important risk factors for not being employed after obesity surgery. The type of obesity surgery, BMI and marital status were not useful predictors. Conclusions. Our findings suggest that undergoing obesity surgery is not associated with a higher rate of employment, although it may reduce the number of days of sick leave. Additional interventions are likely needed to influence the employment status of these patients. The significant preoperative predictors of not being employed in this study provide suggestions for further research.
The correctness of an optimized code generation

For a functional programming language with a lazy standard semantics, we define a strictness analysis by means of abstract interpretation. Using the information from the strictness analysis we are able to define a code generation which avoids delaying the evaluation of the argument to an application, provided that the corresponding function is strict. To show the correctness of the code generation, we will adopt the framework of logical relations and define a layer of predicates which finally will ensure that the code generation is correct with respect to the standard semantics.
An infinite series for the computation of the complementary probability distribution function of a sum of independent random variables and its application to the sum of Rayleigh random variables

The properties of the series are studied for both bounded and unbounded random variables. The technique is used to find efficient series for computation of the distributions of sums of uniform random variables and sums of Rayleigh random variables. A useful closed-form expression for the characteristic function of a Rayleigh random variable is presented, and an efficient method for computing a confluent hypergeometric function is given. An infinite series for the probability density function of a sum of independent random variables is also derived. The inversion of characteristic functions, a trapezoidal rule for numerical integration, and the sampling theorem in the frequency domain are related to, and interpreted in terms of, the results. >
Ultra-Fast Glyco-Coating of Non-Biological Surfaces

The ability to glycosylate surfaces has medical and diagnostic applications, but there is no technology currently recognized as being able to coat any surface without the need for prior chemical modification of the surface. Recently, a family of constructs called function-spacer-lipids (FSL) has been used to glycosylate cells. Because it is known that lipid-based material can adsorb onto surfaces, we explored the potential and performance of cell-labelling FSL constructs to “glycosylate” non-biological surfaces. Using blood group A antigen as an indicator, the performance of a several variations of FSL constructs to modify a large variety of non-biological surfaces was evaluated. It was found the FSL constructs when optimised could in a few seconds glycosylate almost any non-biological surface including metals, glass, plastics, rubbers and other polymers. Although the FSL glycan coating was non-covalent, and therefore temporary, it was sufficiently robust with appropriate selection of spacer and surface that it could capture anti-glycan antibodies, immobilize cells (via antibody), and withstand incubation in serum and extensive buffer washing, making it suitable for diagnostic and research applications.
Vulnerability Analysis of a Circuit Layout to Hardware Trojan Insertion

While the horizontal integrated circuit design process is extensively practiced, untrusted foundries can impose significant threats on the security of final products. A carefully inserted extra circuitry as a hardware trojan in a circuit layout can interfere with circuit functionality under very rare circumstances with inconsiderable footprints. In this paper, we introduce a novel layout-level vulnerability analysis flow to evaluate the susceptibility of a circuit layout's regions to hardware Trojan insertion. We also present several metrics based on a circuit layout to quantify the possibility of hardware Trojan insertion in a specific region of layout. Results of applying our flow to several benchmarks have revealed considerably high vulnerability of circuit layouts to hardware Trojan insertion. Furthermore, several Trojans are implemented and inserted in layout regions with different vulnerabilities to evaluate the effectiveness of our new metrics. Our novel layout-level vulnerability analysis flow makes it possible to quantitatively determine the vulnerability of different implementations of a circuit and analyze the susceptibility of each corner of circuit layout to different types of functional Trojans.
Allometric growth, sexual maturity and reproductive cycle of Aegla castro (Decapoda: Anomura: Aeglidae) from Itatinga, state of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil

Allometric growth of chelae dimensions was analyzed to assess the average size at the onset of morphometric maturity (ASOMM) and sexual dimorphism regarding the pair of chelae in the Aegla castro. Both adult males and females are heterochelous with the most robust chela occurring predominantly on the left side. Both chelae are larger in males than they are in females of similar size, thus characterizing these structures as sexually dimorphic traits. The ASOMM estimated for males and females were 10.91 and 10.03 mm of carapace length (CL), respectively. The increase in variability of chelae dimensions in post-pubertal males led to the recognition of two morphotypes (I and II). Temporal variation in the proportions of morphotype II males in relation to females showing late ovarian development was synchronous, making the sexually functional nature of these males evident. The average size at the onset of functional maturity (ASOFM) estimated for males (based on the transition from morphotype I to morphotype II) and females (based on the detection of late ovarian development or eggs) were 17.12 and 12.59 mm of CL, respectively. Ovigerous females were sampled from April through August 2007, characterizing a marked seasonal reproductive period lasting for 5 months.
Least squares solution for error correction on the real field using quantized DFT codes

Least squares (LS) methods are frequently used in many statistical problems, including the solution of overdetermined linear systems. We analyze the effect of using the LS solution in the decoding of quantized discrete Fourier transform (DFT) codes. We show how the LS solution can improve detection, localization, and calculation of errors in the real field, and come close to the quantization error level under the mean squared error (MSE) fidelity criterion. Assuming perfect localization, the LS estimation substantially decreases the MSE between the transmitted and reconstructed sequences, regardless of the magnitude of channel error to quantization noise ratio. Furthermore, when quantization noise is comparable to or larger than channel errors, where error localization is usually very poor, the LS solution still brings down the estimation error, resulting a reconstruction error at the level of quantization error.
Intrusion detection in infrastructure wireless LANs

The mobility of and ease of access and connectivity to wireless local area networks (WLANs) has appealed to both legitimate users and intruders. These attributes of WLANs leave open backdoors in the security mechanism that allow easy entrance to intruders and must, therefore, be addressed. This letter analyzes layer 2 security vulnerabilities that are a boon to intruders and discusses measures to counteract them, particularly in the widely used IEEE 802.11b WLAN implementation. Finally, the letter also discusses methodologies to detect an intrusion when a WLAN is operating in infrastructure mode.
Recent Advances of ZnO Based Nanowires and Nanorods Devices

This paper presents the recent advances of the Zinc Oxide (ZnO) based nanowires and nanorods devices. ZnO has gained a substantial interest in the research area of the wide bandgap semiconductors due to its unique electrical, optical and structural properties. ZnO is considered as one of the major candidates for electronic and photonic applications. Also, it has distinguished and interesting electrical and optical properties. ZnO is considered as a potential contender in optoelectronic applications such as solar cells (SCs), surface acoustic wave devices, and ultraviolet (UV) emitters. The ZnO as a nanostructured material exhibits many advantages for nanodevices. ZnO nanostructured material has the ability to absorb UV radiation and immense in many optical applications. Recently, ZnO nanostructured based devices have gained much attention due to their various potential applications. ZnO as nanomaterial has been used in many devices such as UV photodetectors (PDs), light emitting diodes (LEDs), and transistors. The recent aspects of ZnO nanowires and nanorods based devices are presented and discussed.
An improved design optimisation algorithm based on swarm intelligence

In design optimisation field, there are many non-linear optimisation problems and the traditional algorithms cannot deal with these problems well. In this paper, we improve the standard particle swarm optimisation PSO and propose a new algorithm to solve the overcome of standard PSO algorithm like being trapped easily into a local optimum. The new algorithm keeps not only the fast convergence speed characteristic of PSO, but effectively improves the capability of global searching as well. Compared with standard PSO on the benchmark functions, the results show that the new algorithm is efficient. We also used the new algorithm to solve design optimisation problems and the experiment results show the new algorithm is effective for these problems.
Molecular modeling of vasopressin receptor and in silico screening of V1b receptor antagonists

Introduction: G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are integral membrane proteins which contain seven-transmembrane-spanning alpha-helices. GPCR-mediated signaling has been associated with various human diseases, positioning GPCRs as attractive targets in the drug discovery field. Recently, through advances in protein engineering and crystallography, the number of resolved GPCR structures has increased dramatically. This growing availability of GPCR structures has greatly accelerated structure-based drug design (SBDD) and in silico screening for GPCR-targeted drug discovery. Areas covered: The authors introduce the current status of X-ray crystallography of GPCRs and what has been revealed from the resolved crystal structures. They also review the recent advances in SBDD and in silico screening for GPCR-targeted drug discovery and discuss a docking study, using homology modeling, with the discovery of potent antagonists of the vasopressin 1b receptor. Expert opinion: Several innovative protein engineering techniques and crystallographic methods have greatly accelerated SBDD, not only for already-resolved GPCRs but also for those structures which remain unclear. These technological advances are expected to enable the determination of GPCR-fragment complexes, making it practical to perform fragment-based drug discovery. This paves the way for a new era of GPCR-targeted drug discovery.
A Graph-Based Genetic Algorithm and Its Application to the Multiobjective Evolution of Median Molecules

In this paper we propose a novel graph-based genetic algorithm for the evolution of novel molecular graphs from a predefined set of elements or molecular fragments with an external objective function. A brief overview of existing genetic algorithm approaches in molecular design is provided followed by a description of our approach. The paper continues to suggest a novel application of this program to the multiobjective evolution of median molecules that are structurally representative of a set of objective molecules. We conclude with a summary of our initial results along with a discussion of a variety of improvements and applications of our approach.
FOURIER TRANSFORM INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY OF MICROALGAE AS A NOVEL TOOL FOR BIODIVERSITY STUDIES, SPECIES IDENTIFICATION, AND THE ASSESSMENT OF WATER QUALITY 1

Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry was used to study the spectral features of 12 eukaryotic and two prokaryotic species of microalgae. The algae were cultured in liquid media containing either NO3− or NH4+ as the sole N‐source; for the NH4+ treatment, the algae were subjected to short‐term (24 h) or long‐term (1 month) incubations; for the hypersaline species, cells were also grown in the presence of 2 M NaCl. Over 500 spectra, acquired from at least three distinct cultures for each species, in each growth regime, were subjected to hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and were successfully separated according to their taxonomy, showing that the overall spectra were characteristic of each species and that this technique could be fruitfully employed to separate microalgal species living in a similar condition (as would be the case for a natural assemblage). In addition, in most cases, it was possible to differentiate between algae subjected to different growth treatments although belonging to the same species. We also demonstrated that it is possible to accurately identify species and determine the nutritional status of their environment of origin (e.g., N‐source), provided that suitable FTIR spectral libraries are available. This study aims to provide the basis for the development of rapid, easy, and inexpensive methods for the evaluation of biodiversity in natural phytoplankton samples and to monitor the water quality of natural environments.
An Approach in using Differentiated Services to Maximize Profit in an Autonomic Computing System

Ecommerce is an area where an Autonomic computing system could be very effectively deployed. The growth of commerce has created demand for services with financial incentives for service providers. Revenues accrue if the admitted requests are processed within the specified deadline and costs are incurred otherwise. In case of heavy load, it will not be possible to process all requests within the deadlines. It is beneficial to concentrate on those requests with which larger profits are associated. This paper describes an approach wherein a fuzzy controller is used which automatically allocates resources for priority requests in proportion to the number of priority requests. This is an illustration of the self-optimizing characteristic of an autonomic computing system.
Strength Training Basics

Dramatic advances in the prescription of anaerobic exercise, especially over the past 15 years, have led to better strength training programs. Grounded in fundamental principles of specificity, progressive overload, and variation of training, an anaerobic exercise prescription for strength development is individualized to meet training goals. Physicians who know the basic principles can prescribe exercise to effectively build muscle strength in active patients.
Synthesis and Properties of Fe3O4/Polyaniline Nanomaterial and Its Ability of Removing Arsenic in Wastewater

The synthesis of Fe 3 O 4 / polyaniline (Fe 3 O 4 / PANI) nanomaterials by a chemical method is presented in this paper. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) shows that the lattice constant a = 8.376 A 0 and the particle size of is about 14.5 nm for all samples, since polymer cannot influence the crystal structure of Fe 3 O 4 . The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images show that the Fe 3 O 4 grain sizes vary from 13 nm to 20 nm. The results of Raman spectral analysis and thermal gravimetric analysis reveal that the PANI partly forms in the Fe 3 O 4 / PANI nanomaterials samples. Thus, the grain size of Fe 3 O 4 / PANI nanomaterials is about of 25–30 nm, which has been confirmed by a scanning electron micro- scope (SEM). The saturated magnetic moment of Fe 3 O 4 / PANI samples is decreased from 66 emu / g to 39.7 emu / g with PANI content varying from 5% to 15%. However, Fe 3 O 4 / PANI nanomaterials are stable on chemical-physical properties and lead to improve an arsenic adsorption ability. In addition, Fe 3 O 4 / PANI sample with PANI 5% content has the highest arsenic adsorption ability in pH 7. In strong acidic or basic media, the arsenic adsorption of magnetic nanoparticles is insignificant. The results suggest the desorb can be conducted at pH 14 then the materials could reabsorb in further trials. [doi:10.2320 / matertrans.MD201703]
Prediction equations for the estimation of body composition in the elderly using anthropometric data

To study the relationship between health and nutritional status in elderly populations, information about body composition is essential. To collect this information in large epidemiological studies, practical methods based on anthropometric data must be available. In the present study the relationship between body composition, determined by densitometry, and anthropometric data in 204 elderly men and women, aged 60–87 years, was analysed. Existing prediction equations described in the literature, and mainly based on young and middle-aged subjects, generally underestimated percentage body fat in the elderly study population. Therefore, new prediction equations were developed, based on sex and the sum of two (biceps and triceps) or four (biceps, triceps, suprailiaca and subscapula) skinfolds or the body mass index (BMI). Addition of age or body circumferences to the models did not improve the prediction of body density. Internal cross validation and external validation revealed that the formulas are valid for the estimation of body density in elderly subjects. The standard errors of estimate of the three models, expressed as percentage body fat, were 5.6, 5.4 and 4.8% respectively.
New LMI Condition for Observer-Based HINFINITY Stabilization of a Class of Nonlinear Discrete-Time Systems

In this paper a new LMI (linear matrix inequality) condition is provided for the observer-based $\mathcal{H}_{\infty}$ stabilization of a class of nonlinear discrete-time systems. With the proposed design methodology, the observer and controller gains are computed simultaneously by solving only one inequality. Based on the Lyapunov theory and the use of mathematical artifacts such as matrix decomposition and the Young relation, the novel sufficient synthesis condition is expressed in terms of LMI, which can be easily solved by numerical tools. An application to a flexible link robot manipulator is provided to show the consistency of the proposed approach. A second numerical example is devoted to demonstrating the superiority and the lower conservatism of the proposed LMI compared to those available in the literature.
Social effects for locomotion vary between environments in Drosophila melanogaster females

Despite strong purifying or directional selection, variation is ubiquitous in populations. One mechanism for the maintenance of variation is indirect genetic effects (IGEs), as the fitness of a given genotype will depend somewhat on the genes of its social partners. IGEs describe the effect of genes in social partners on the expression of the phenotype of a focal individual. Here, we ask what effect IGEs, and variation in IGEs between abiotic environments, has on locomotion in Drosophila. This trait is known to be subject to intralocus sexually antagonistic selection. We estimate the coefficient of interaction, Ψ, using six inbred lines of Drosophila. We found that Ψ varied between abiotic environments, and that it may vary across among male genotypes in an abiotic environment specific manner. We also found evidence that social effects of males alter the value of a sexually dimorphic trait in females, highlighting an interesting avenue for future research into sexual antagonism. We conclude that IGEs are an important component of social and sexual interactions and that they vary between individuals and abiotic environments in complex ways, with the potential to promote the maintenance of phenotypic variation.
Crash Performance of Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch (OPEFB) Fibre Reinforced Epoxy Composite Bumper Beam using Finite Element Analysis

Malaysia is categorised as one of the countries with a high number of road crashes involving deaths. This indicated the necessity of improving the safety system of a vehicle including the passive system which comprises of the bumper as one of the systems. In the frontal impact, the bumper system is the first vehicle part that receives the impact. Therefore, a crashworthy bumper that can protect the occupant is essential. In this research, the crash performance of OPEFB fibre/epoxy composite bumper beam has been investigated using finite element analysis. Low-velocity impact of 4 km/h between impact block and the bumper beam was simulated using LS-DYNA in accordance to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) 581 regulation. The composite was found exhibited comparable specific energy absorption with the aluminum bumper beam. Mass reduction of around 56% was observed. The peak force required for damage initiation for the composite bumper beam reduced by about 90% with impact time lengthen by around 89%. The velocity-history curves revealed a lower level of deceleration could be obtained through the utilisation of the composite bumper beam.
Error diffusion halftone image watermarking based on SVD-DWT technique

In this paper, a new halftone image watermarking is presented based on digital wavelet transform combined with singular value decomposition technique. Halftoning is the process of representing grayscale images using just black and white i.e. binary levels. The original image is an error diffusion halftone image which is decomposed into 2-level wavelet transform. In the second level of wavelet transform, the subband with the midst variance intensity is selected as a place for inserting the watermark. The singular value decomposing is applied to this selected subband and watermark image. The embedding modification is done by combining singular value of selected subband with singular value of watermark image. In extraction process, detector response is computed to obtain the original watermark. Experimental results show good robustness against some common signal processing attacks.
Simultaneous R2*, R2, and R2′ quantification by combining S0 estimation of the free induction decay with a single spin echo: A single acquisition method for R2 insensitive quantification of holmium‐166–loaded microspheres

To present a new method, S0 estimation of the free induction decay combined with a single spin echo measurement (SOFIDSE), that enables simultaneous measurements of R2*, R2, and R2′ in order to quantify the local concentration of holmium microspheres (Ho‐MS) for radioembolization.