Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Elastodynamic analysis of the desmodromic valve train of a racing motorbike engine by means of a combined lumped / finite element model

A combined lumped/finite element model of a portion of the desmodromic valve train of a racing motorbike engine was developed and validated in order to simulate the elastodynamic behaviour of such a particular timing system. The model includes the lumped parameter model of the belt transmission that drives the camshafts, the finite element model of the camshafts, and the lumped parameter model of two cam-valve mechanisms (one for each camshaft). The procedure to validate the model, based on experimental tests carried out on a test bench described here, is presented and discussed. The comparison between the numerical results and the experimental data shows that the effectiveness of the model is satisfactorily achieved. It will be possible, in a further study, to add the other cam-valve mechanisms and the missing external forces, in order to obtain a complete system model. Some possible applications of the presented model are provided in order to show how the overall model could be employed to perform both design optimisation and diagnostics. r 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
IT Enabled Frugal Innovation

1 MOTIVATION AND RESEARCH PROBLEM People living under $10 a day (Purchasing Power Parity) in Africa, Asia and the South Pacific represent 71% of world population [3]. This section of population, referred as Base of the Pyramid (BoP) could be served profitably by good enough products and services that are affordable and socially responsible [8]. Prolonged economic recession has forced lower and middle income customers in the West to look for good enough products and services which provide high value for money [5]. The innovation focus is shifting to product, service, process, or system that is affordable, sustainable, good-enough, and rooted in locality. It is often referred as frugal innovation [9]. There is a worldwide need for frugal R&D approaches to create more value from less resources for more people. The entrepreneurial journey of frugal innovators provides an insight into the innovation process itself. Effectuation sketches theoretical representation of entrepreneurial journey. Entrepreneurs using effectuation (effectuators) extend scarce resources with their identity, knowledge, and immediate contacts; are flexible to switch new goals to go around institutional voids; do experiments to innovate; and develop partnerships to minimize uncertainty and risks [10]. Hence, it seems logical to study frugal innovation through the lens of effectuation. The practices and behaviors of entrepreneurs are influenced by ubiquitously present digital technologies. IT extends the intellectual capabilities of innovators, creating endless opportunities of innovation [4] . IT plays an enabling role in the entire value chain of frugal innovation. Entrepreneurs using effectuation under extreme resource constraints can leverage the potential of IT to conceptualize and bring to market frugal innovation products and services.
Pulmonary Image Registration with elastix using a Standard Intensity-Based Algorithm

Accurate registration of thoracic CT is useful in clinical terms and also challenging due to the elastic nature of lung tissue defor- mations. The goal of the EMPIRE10 challenge (Evaluation of Methods for Pulmonary Image Registration 2010), a workshop of the MICCAI 2010 conference, is to provide a platform for in-depth evaluation and fair comparison of available registration algorithms for this application. To this end we registered to the challenge with team RubberBand. The goal of our submission is to determine what a standard, but fully au- tomatic, intensity-based image registration algorithm can achieve com- pared to the competition. The algorithm, implemented in elastix, optimises the normalised corre- lation criterion, using a fast, parameter-free and robust stochastic opti- misation procedure. A combination of an affine and two nonrigid B-spline transformations models the spatial relationship. The approach is embed- ded in a multi-resolution framework for both the image data and the transformation. No explicit regularisation is used. Of the 34 submitted algorithms, our contribution achieved the 7-th place with an average rank of 13.13 (best 8.03, worst 31.46). The incorporation of a regularisation term may improve the ranking of the algorithm, since our final score was most negatively influenced by the score for folding.
The Effect of Allopurinol and Acetylsalicylate on Ischemia-Reperfusion Related Injury of Liver KARACÝÐER ÝSKEMÝ-REPERFÜZYON HASARINA ASETÝLSALÝSÝLAT VE ALLOPURÝNOL'UN ETKÝSÝ

Summary It is assumed that, the injury which occurs in tissues during ischemia period increases during reperfusion period, and this increase is due to lipid peroxidation caused by oxygen derived free radicals in biomembranes. Free radicals are formed through various mechanisms and two of them are xanthine oxidase system and arachidonic acid pathway. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the effect of these systems on free oxygen radicals production and lipid peroxidation by using allo-purinol (a xanthine oxidase inhibitor) and acetylsalicylate (an inhibitor of arachidonic acid metabolism) in the rat model of liver ischemia - reperfusion. For that purpose, 28 Wistar albino rats were divided into five groups. No operation was performed on the rats in the control gr oup. Ischemia was induced by clamping right upper branches of hepatic artery and portal vein for 90 minutes in the second group. In the third group, after 90 minutes of ischemia period, reperfusion was achieved by opening the clamps for 30 minutes. The same ischemia and reperfusion procedures wer e performed on the allopurinol pretreated rats in the fourth group and on the acetylsalicylate pretreated rats in the fifth group. Allopurinol and acetylsalicylate were administered by oral route for three days before the procedures. In all groups, lipid peroxidation was evaluated by measuring malondialdehydethiobarbituric acid (MDA-TBA) levels using thiobarbiturate method. It was observed that ischemia increased lipid peroxidation and this increase was enhanced during reperfusion period. In the allopurinol group, lipid peroxidation significantly diminished compared with reperfusion group (p<0.001) while no change was observed in the acetylsalicylate group. Our findings suggest that xanthine oxidase system is more effective than arachidonic acid pathway on ischemiareperfusion related injury of liver and, allopurinol has a protective effect on ischemia - reperfusion injury.
Quality Control of Biofuels using an Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrophotometer ( ICP-OES ) for Metals Determination

Fossil fuels (oil, natural gas and coal) contribute ~80% of the total world energy supply. Depending on the production and consumption rates, the presently known reserves of fossil fuels are estimated to last anywhere from 41 to ~700 years1,2. The limited supply of fossil fuels, concerns for energy security and the need to respond to climate change have led to growing worldwide interests in renewable energy sources such as biofuels3. Many observers consider biofuels to be the only feasible option for the substitution of fossil fuels in the transport sector. Currently, the most important biofuels are biodiesel and bioethanol, commonly referred to as first-generation biofuels4. Biofuels are renewable fuels derived from biological feedstocks, and include both liquid forms such as bioethanol (gasoline equivalent) and biodiesel (diesel equivalent), and gaseous forms such as biogas (e.g., methane). Biodiesel, especially those derived from vegetable oils, have been highlighted as an alternative for diesel engines due to their similar physical-chemical properties to petroleum diesel and also because they decrease pollutant emissions compared with fossil fuels5. ICP-Optical Emission Spectroscopy A P P L I C A T I O N N O T E
Acoustic analysis of a simplified oil pan using a coupled FE-SPH approach

Already in an early stage of the design process the manufacturer has to be enabled to estimate the performance of new products. Thus, the design can be favorably influenced from the first draft in order to reach specific goals. Furthermore, expensive prototypes are only required to be built for the final testing. The aim of the current contribution is to extend a holistic simulation approach for computing the acoustical behavior of the structure that has been proposed in a previous publication [1]. In this publication a motor engine block including its oil pan has been simulated using the finite element method (FEM). The results have been compared to acoustical measurements of a running engine recorded with a microphone array. A disagreement between the numerical and experimental data has been observed. The detected differences could be caused by the influence of the oil on the acoustical properties of the system. So far, only the mass of the fluid has been taken into consideration through additional mass elements that have been inserted in the fluid volume [2]. However, this methodology did not yield satisfactory results as it is not able to describe the observed frequency shift. To improve the quality of the numerical simulation and in order to develop high fidelity models the actual fluidstructure interaction (FSI) has to be taken into consideration. To reach the mentioned goal we propose to couple the FEM with smooth particle hydrodynamics (SPH). Based on a higher order FEM code [3] and the open source program SPHysics [4] a straightforward coupling strategy is implemented. For initial studies a co-simulation approach is deployed. At the interface between the SPHand FEM-regions the pressure distribution is transferred from the fluid to the solid as an external load. The pressure at the coupling nodes is calculated with Tait’s equation [5] and the penetration of the FE mesh is prevented by the use of repulsive boundaries. Therefore, no master-slave-concept needs to be employed [6]. In the next step the response of the structure is computed and both the surface position and velocity of the finite elements in the interface region are passed to the SPH particles. Note that the coupling nodes/particles do not need to be conformal, as the required values can be derived from the elemental ansatz function. The proposed method for the holistic acoustical simulation of automotive parts is validated based on an academic benchmark test. Here, we observe a shift in the natural frequencies of a simplified oil pan when using the coupled FE-SPH approach in comparison to the previously employed FE analysis. For future applications that are of practical relevance more sophisticated coupling techniques are implemented to further improve the quality of the numerical simulation.
Pain The Biopsychosocial Model of the Assessment , Prevention , and Treatment of Chronic Pain

T he biopsychosocial model has been demonstrated to be the most heuristic approach to chronic pain assessment, prevention, and treatment. Currently, this model also provides the best foundation for tailoring the most comprehensive pain management program for each specific patient. Chronic pain patients have an increased risk for developing deficits in physical functioning, emotional reactivity, and cognition. Interdisciplinary treatment, based on the biopsychosocial model, is vital to address these multifaceted issues facing chronic pain sufferers. These interdisciplinary pain management strategies have progressed with advancements in science and technology in an attempt to provide the best possible outcomes for pain patients. However, while research has made enormous advances, there are still some clinical research gaps to be addressed. This article will begin with a historical overview of pain management in order to demonstrate the evolution in theory from ancient practices to the modern biopsychosocial model. Additionally, functional restoration and other early interdisciplinary intervention programs will be highlighted for their importance and effectiveness in chronic pain management, assessment, and prevention.
Effects of phytoplankton physiology on export flux

Estimates of phytoplankton sticking efficiency (α) were made in the laboratory within a 1500 l annular flume meso- cosm over the initiation, maintenance and senescence phases of a bloom of the diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana. The spatially weighted mean turbulence kinetic energy dissipation rate in the annular flume was comparable to values found at the ocean's sur- face on a calm day. The α of T. pseudonana varied as a result of physiological state, and ranged from 0 ± 0.08 during the bloom ini- tiation to 0.26 and 0.73 ± 0.16, respectively, during bloom mainte- nance and senescence phases. During the periods of high α, physiological changes included (1) diminished phytoplankton photosynthetic quantum efficiency, (2) an increase in super-oxide dismutase protein expression, reflecting oxidative stress, and (3) the induction of a biochemical cascade initiating autocatalytic pro- grammed cell death. Additionally, during the period of high physi- ological stress on the diatoms, there was an increase in the pres- ence of transparent exopolymer particles and bacteria. Applying a variable α to a 1-dimensional export flux model shows that carbon export can be increased by at least 2-fold compared to simulations assuming a typically modeled value of α = 1 (100% sticking effi- ciency). The model using a physiologically dependent α had a low initial sticking efficiency that allowed a significant increase in the critical concentration of algal cells. Such an increase in the number of cells during bloom initiation followed by an increase in α during the maintenance and senescence phases resulted in enhanced export fluxes during the latter, 'stickier', stages of the bloom.
Modular Nonlinear Filter Based Time Relaxation Scheme for High Reynolds Number Flows

In this article, we propose and develop a time relaxation implementation of the modular nonlinear filter model of [21]. A complete numerical analysis of the scheme, that includes the computability of its numerical solutions, its stability, and velocity error estimates, is given. This is followed by 2D and 3D numerical experiments that show the advantage of the proposed scheme.
Effect of Glycaemic Control on Serum Retinol and Beta Carotene Levels in Type 2 Diabetics in Calabar, Nigeria

The study aimed to determine the effect of glycaemic control on serum retinol and beta-carotene levels in diabetics and non-diabetics. Fasting blood glucose (FBS), glycated haemoglobin (HbAlc), serum retinol and beta-carotene levels were estimated using colorimetric methods in 100 diabetic subjects and 65 agematched non-diabetic controls. The body mass index (BMI) of all subjects was determined. The mean FBS, HbAlc, retinol and beta-carotene levels were significantly (p 0.05) difference was observed in the serum retinol and betacarotene levels in diabetics with poor glycaemic control and those with good control. A significant negative correlation (p 0.05) effect on the serum retinol and beta-carotene levels in all the subjects. Diabetics have higher levels of retinol and beta-carotene perhaps as a result of high dietary intake. This study found that glycaemic control and duration of diabetes do not seem to affect the metabolism of vitamin A.
A Glutathione S-transferase Elutes with Glyoxalase-I (Gly-I) During Purification of Gly-I from Maize ( Zea mays L.) Seedlings

In this study an attempt was taken to purify Glyoxalase-I (Gly-I: E.C., 4.4.1.5), from maize seedlings. Both green and non-green parts of 7 day old maize seedlings were used as plant materials. Crude proteins were precipitated by 65% (NH4)2SO4, and dialyzed overnight. The dialyzate was applied on DEAE-cellulose chromatography and eluted with linear gradient of KCl from 0 to 0.2 M. In both cases, Gly-I eluted at approximately 85 mM of KCL. The active Gly-I fractions were pooled and applied on a hydroxylapatite chromatography and eluted with 0-40 mM potassium-phosphate buffer, but the eluted fractions showed very poor activity. Therefore, the active pooled fraction of DEAE-chromatography was then applied directly on affinity chromatography (S-hexyl glutathione-agarose) for final purification and eluted with 1.2 mM of S-hexyl glutathione. The purified protein from green and non-green part had specific activity of 33.23 and 39.25 μmol min-1 mg-1 protein, respectively, along with recovery of 1.47 and 162, respectively, and yield of 83.11 and 68.15, respectively. In SDS-PAGE, the active purified affinity fraction was found to move with another protein. The spectrophotometric analysis of high active Gly-I fractions from DEAE-cellulose and affinity chromatography showed GST [another detoxifying enzyme (E.C., 2.5.1.18)] activity. This result suggested that one of the adjacent protein bands in SDS-PAGE was due to presence of a GST in Gly-I fraction.
Online Learning of Optimally Diverse Rankings

Search engines answer users' queries by listing relevant items (e.g. documents, songs, products, web pages, .). These engines rely on algorithms that learn to rank items so as to present an ordered list maximizing the probability that it contains relevant item. The main challenge in the design of learning-to-rank algorithms stems from the fact that queries often have different meanings for different users. In absence of any contextual information about the query, one often has to adhere to the diversity principle, i.e., to return a list covering the various possible topics or meanings of the query. To formalize this learning-to-rank problem, we propose a natural model where (i) items are categorized into topics, (ii) users find items relevant only if they match the topic of their query, and (iii) the engine is not aware of the topic of an arriving query, nor of the frequency at which queries related to various topics arrive, nor of the topic-dependent click-through-rates of the items. For this problem, we devise LDR (Learning Diverse Rankings), an algorithm that efficiently learns the optimal list based on users' feedback only. We show that after T queries, the regret of LDR scales as O((N-L)log(T)) where N is the number of all items. This scaling cannot be improved, i.e., LDR is order optimal.
Temporal fluctuations of two Mediterranean salp populations from 1967 to 1990. Analysis of the influence of environmental variables using a Markov chain model

The weekly abundances of the sexual phase (aggregate zoold) of 2 salp populatlons (tunlcates Thaha democratlca and Salpa fuslform~s) were determined from 1967 to 1990 at a fixed statlon in the coastal waters of the Western Mediterranean, using a discrete scale of abundance For both specles the abundance tlme senes shows the occasional developn~ent of blooms of aggregate zoolds Several hydrologlcal and meteorological variables were recorded concormtantly, and thelr Influence on the occurrence of blooms was evaluated uslng a Markov reglesslon model for ordlnal tlme senes Abundance at Week t was found to depend on the slze of the population for the 2 prevlous weeks and on environmental vanables The Influence of hydrologlcal variables alr temperature and lrradlance corresponds to the relationship between seasonal strahficatlon of the water column and occurrence of blooms the stronger the stratlflcatlon the lower the probablllty of observing hlgh densities of salps Wlnd stress was also found to exert a slgnlflcant ~nfluence, wlth gusts of wlnd fachtatlng the development of blooms through the renewal of the pelagic production The lnfluence of easterly wlnds, w h ~ c h lnvolves a process of surface waters accumulating near the coast, is h m t e d to T democrat~ca Conversely, the influence of westerly wlnds, whlch leads to local upwelhng, IS h ~ t e d to S fus r foms These results are consistent w t h known ddferences In the spatlal dlstnbuhon of 7 democratica and S fuslfonrus wlth respect to both dlstance to the coast and depth
Effect of Storage Temperature on the Quality and Quantity of DNA Extracted from Blood

The present study was undertaken to study the effect of temperature during storage of blood on DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) extracted from it or on DNA stored as such. Samples of whole blood were divided into three groups containing 10 samples each. One group was processed immediately (group A, fresh). The other two groups were stored at 4EC (group 8) or at -20EC (group C). The DNA extracted from fresh samples was divided into 3 equal portions and stored for 60 days at either: i) room temperature, ii) 4EC, iii) or at -20EC. The concentration of DNA was measured spectrophotometrically and quality of DNA from each sample was examined by electrophoresis on agarose mini gels (1.5%) stained by ethidium bromide. Average DNA yields from fresh samples was 26.55±6.4 μg/ml higher (P<0.05) than yield of DNA from the blood stored at 4EC (18.84±3.5 μg/ml of blood) and at -20EC (16.81±3.18 μg/ml of blood). The storage temperatures for blood (4 and -20EC) yielded similar amount of DNA. The quality of all DNA was good with average 260/280 OD ratios ranging from 1.79 to 1.96. Results of gel electrophoresis indicated that DNA stored at -20EC was most intact and most probably had higher molecular weight and less shearing than the DNA samples stored at 4EC or at room temperature. The results can be used to advantage in storing DNA samples and then using them for molecular diagnosis of genetic diseases or other genetic disorders.
Diagnostic Accuracy of CD64 for Sepsis in Emergency Department

Introduction: Sepsis is a systemic inflammatory response to suspected or confirmed infection. Clinical evaluations are essential for its early detection and treatment. Blood cultures may take as long as 2 days to yield a result and are not always reliable. However, recent studies have suggested that neutrophil CD64 expression may be a sensitive and specific alternative for the diagnosis of systemic infection. Objective: The objective of the study was to analyze the difference in CD64 values between subjects with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), suspected or confirmed sepsis, who meet diagnostic criteria for SIRS upon arriving at an emergency department. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective observational cohort study, an accuracy study of CD64 prospectively evaluated. The sample consisted of 109 patients aged 18 years with criteria for SIRS on arrival to emergency department. CD64 expression was measured within 6 h of hospital admission and once again after 48 h. Results: ROC curve analysis suggested that a cutoff of 1.45 for CD64 expression could diagnose sepsis with a sensitivity of 0.85, a specificity of 0.75, an accuracy of 82.08%, a positive predictive value of 0.96, a negative predictive value of 0.38 and a positive likelihood ratio of 3.33. The area under the curve was 0.83. Conclusion: CD64 seems to be a useful, sensitive, and specific biomarker in discriminating between SIRS and sepsis.