Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
2D sparse array optimization and operating strategy for real-time 3D ultrasound imaging

Today, the use of 3D ultrasound imaging in cardiology is limited because imaging the entire myocardium on a single heartbeat, without apnea, remains a technological challenge. A solution consists in reducing the number of active elements in the 2D ultrasound probes to lighten the acquisition process: this approach leads to sparse arrays. The aim of this thesis is to propose the best configuration of a given number of active elements distributed on the probe active surface in order to maximize their ability to produce images with homogeneous contrast and resolution over the entire volume of interest. This work presents the integration of realistic acoustic simulations performed in a stochastic optimization process (simulated annealing algorithm). The proposed sparse array design framework is general enough to be applied on both on-grid (active elements located on a regular grid) and non-grid (arbitrary positioning of the active elements) arrays. The introduction of an innovative energy function sculpts the optimal 3D beam pattern radiated by the array. The obtained optimized results have 128, 192 or 256 active elements to help their compatibility with currently commercialized ultrasound scanners, potentially allowing a large scale development of 3D ultrasound imaging with low cost systems
EERA-DTOC: Design tools for offshore clusters

the interconnecting the The European Energy Research Alliance (EERA) together with high-impact industry partners will assemble an integrated and validated design tool combining the state-of-the-art wake, yield and electrical models available in the consortium, as a plug-in architecture with possibility for third party models. abstract The objective of the development is to optimise the exploitation of individual wind farms as well as wind farm clusters, from the resource and farm wake to the electrical system including ancillary services. Also other wind farm challenges under the offshore conditions will be addressed. To decrease uncertainties around wind farm wake predictions, a small measurement campaign together with the new data available from the industry partners will enable better tuning, and eventually better modelling of the far-field of wind farm wakes. The concept of the EERA-DTOC project is to combine this expertise in a common integrated software tool for the optimised design of offshore wind farms and wind farm clusters acting as wind power plants. The only point less well known, due to the lack of good data so far, is the behaviour of the wind farm wake, in particular far-field wake. Therefore, a small measurement campaign is planned and collection of lidar
Numerical modelling of the temperature fields in coolant jacket of internal combustion engine

The article is devoted to numerical modelling of the heat flow in coolant jacket of an internal combustion engine. The basic methods of fluid flow researching and temperature fields researching are described. The solving technique of 3D solid heat-fluid finite element model of one cylinder of V8 diesel creation is revealed. Temperature fields, thermal flow in solid parts, boiling places near hot parts are described also.
Exploitation of Hetero- and Phototrophic Metabolic Modules for Redox-Intensive Whole-Cell Biocatalysis

The successful realization of a sustainable manufacturing bioprocess and the maximization of its production potential and capacity are the main concerns of a bioprocess engineer. A main step towards this endeavor is the development of an efficient biocatalyst. Isolated enzyme(s), microbial cells, or (immobilized) formulations thereof can serve as biocatalysts. Living cells feature, beside active enzymes, metabolic modules that can be exploited to support energy-dependent and multi-step enzyme-catalyzed reactions. Metabolism can sustainably supply necessary cofactors or cosubstrates at the expense of readily available and cheap resources, rendering external addition of costly cosubstrates unnecessary. However, for the development of an efficient whole-cell biocatalyst, in depth comprehension of metabolic modules and their interconnection with cell growth, maintenance, and product formation is indispensable. In order to maximize the flux through biosynthetic reactions and pathways to an industrially relevant product and respective key performance indices (i.e., titer, yield, and productivity), existing metabolic modules can be redesigned and/or novel artificial ones established. This review focuses on whole-cell bioconversions that are coupled to heterotrophic or phototrophic metabolism and discusses metabolic engineering efforts aiming at 1) increasing regeneration and supply of redox equivalents, such as NAD(P/H), 2) blocking competing fluxes, and 3) increasing the availability of metabolites serving as (co)substrates of desired biosynthetic routes.
Optimized Base Station Location Planning for Indoor Positioning in Visible Light Communication System

Abstract Visible light communication (VLC) is an emerging optical communication technology, and indoor positioning of moving target devices is one of most important issues in the VLC system. In this study, we focused on LED base station location planning to improve the accuracy of the positioning method based on the received signal strength intensity (RSS) and the Kalman filter (KF). We developed a new base station location-planning scheme called equilateral triangle distribution. We proved theoretically that the equilateral triangle distribution scheme reduced the positioning error area when compared with the rectangular distribution scheme. The simulation results showed that the measuring error of the equilateral triangle distribution method using KF was less than 5 cm, even when the receiver was located at the boundary of the room. Our method verified that the VLC indoor positioning accuracy can be improved when LED base stations are distributed according to our equilateral triangle distribution scheme.
Extreme Value Modelling of the Monthly South African Industrial Index (J520) Returns

This study uses Extreme Value Theory (EVT), Value-at-Risk (VaR) and Expected Shortfall (ES) analysis as a unified tool for managing extreme financial risk. The study extends the application of the generalised Pareto distribution (GPD) by modelling monthly South African Industrial Index (J520) returns (years: 1995C2018) to quantify the tail-related risk measures. The GPD is used to estimate the tail-related risk measures using the Peak over Threshold (PoT) method. Maximum Likelihood Estimates (MLE) of model parameters were obtained and the models goodness of fit was assessed graphically using Quantile-Quantile (QCQ) plots, Probability (PCP) plots, scatter plots, residuals, return levels and density plots. The findings are that the GPD provides an adequate fit to the data of excesses (extreme losses or gains). Low frequency but very high or very low returns impact on investment decisions. Calculations of the VaR and ES tail-related risk measures based on the fitted GPD model are given. The results reveal that for an investment in the South African Industrial Index (J520), the prospect of potential extreme losses is less than the prospect of potential extreme gains. There seems to be an upper bound where losses do not seem to exceed easily. The study concluded that EVT, together with VaR and ES analysis are useful tools that can be applied in practice to manage index/stock price risk and help investors improve their investment decisions and trading strategies through better quality information derived from the tools. This study contributes to empirical evidence on EVT methods that help to protect financial systems against unpredictable fluctuations and losses of extreme nature.
Predominant Founder Effect among Recurrent Pathogenic Variants for an X-Linked Disorder

For disorders with X-linked inheritance, variants may be transmitted through multiple generations of carrier females before an affected male is ascertained. Pathogenic RS1 variants exclusively cause X-linked retinoschisis (XLRS). While RS1 is constrained to variation, recurrent variants are frequently observed in unrelated probands. Here, we investigate recurrent pathogenic variants to determine the relative burden of mutational hotspot and founder allele events to this phenomenon. A cohort RS1 variant analysis and standardized classification, including variant enrichment in the XLRS cohort and in RS1 functional domains, were performed on 332 unrelated XLRS probands. A total of 108 unique RS1 variants were identified. A subset of 19 recurrently observed RS1 variants were evaluated in 190 probands by a haplotype analysis, using microsatellite and single nucleotide polymorphisms. Fourteen variants had at least two probands with common variant-specific haplotypes over ~1.95 centimorgans (cM) flanking RS1. Overall, 99/190 of reportedly unrelated probands had 25 distinct shared haplotypes. Examination of this XLRS cohort for common RS1 haplotypes indicates that the founder effect plays a significant role in this disorder, including variants in mutational hotspots. This improves the accuracy of clinical variant classification and may be generalizable to other X-linked disorders.
No More Glass Bottles? Canned Wine and Italian Consumers

Packaging is an important economic component of the wine industry. However, while glass bottles are the leading wine container globally, their production and handling entail severe problems in increased carbon footprint impact and waste and logistic management. As a result, the wine packaging industry has developed and commercialised several alternatives to glass bottles, including aluminium cans. However, despite producers’ efforts in proposing alternative wine packaging, there are several barriers to their diffusion, especially in countries with a long tradition of wine consumption such as Italy, and it is still uncertain if and to what degree consumers would appreciate a wine in an aluminium can. This research investigates Italian wine consumers’ preferences and willingness to pay for canned wine through a survey and the contingent valuation method. We collected data from 551 consumers regarding attitudes and preferences about their wine consumption, alternative packaging acceptance, and motivations for accepting and refusing to buy it. Only a minority of the respondents declared they would buy canned wine, while the majority would refuse for reasons related to low-quality perception and poor consideration of alternative wine packaging. The lack of knowledge is one of the main obstacles to the diffusion of canned wine. However, canned wines could address different groups of wine drinkers and consumption occasions, increasing the opportunities for winemakers, especially among non-regular consumers.
Estimation of recent peat accumulation with tree saplings

The purpose of this paper is to develop an approach to estimate peat accumulation rates (PAR) over recent decades based on the age and burial depths of roots from pine sapling and to use the newly developed approach to estimate spatial variations of PAR. To this end, we sampled 120 pine saplings growing in three plots at Rėkyva peatland in Lithuania and accounted for the microtopography around each specimen. In the lab, all saplings were cut into 1-cm segments, sanded and analysed. The counting of annual rings allowed dating the germination of each sapling with a yearly resolution and thus also enabled estimation of peat accumulation. The latter was derived by measuring the distance from the original root collar at germination to the ground level (or peat surface) at the time of sampling. The large number of samples selected from three plots also enabled determination of spatial variations in PAR. We obtain averaged PAR values of 1.6 ± 0.72 cm yr−1 across the three plots and over the last decades, but also observe strong spatial heterogeneity in PAR resulting from differences in local hydrology and vegetation. To validate the results, we compared tree-ring derived PAR with radiocarbon-based (14C) estimates at one of the plots. The results are consistent between the two approaches with PAR estimated to 0.8 and 0.79 cm yr−1, respectively, over the last 20 years. We conclude that PAR can be assessed accurately with tree-ring approaches and that they have clear advantages over radiocarbon dating for shorter timescales as they can be replicated more easily. For longer timescales and larger depths (> 15 cm), however, 14C dating remains the preferred approach.
Development of the nursing associate role in community and primary care settings across England

Why you should read this article: • To understand some of the benefits that the nursing associate role can bring to community and primary care nursing teams • To be aware of the challenges involved in training and embedding nursing associates in community and primary care settings • To recognise the need for clarity on the boundaries and expectations of the nursing associate role in community and primary care settings Nursing associates have been part of the health and social care workforce in England since 2017 and are starting to contribute to managing workforce challenges. However, little is known about the nursing associate role in community and primary care settings. This article provides an overview of what is known about the nursing associate role in community and primary care settings and introduces some emerging findings from recent research. The article identifies some of the benefits that nursing associates can bring to community and primary care nursing teams and some of the challenges involved in training and embedding nursing associates in these sectors of the health and social care workforce.
An open source speech synthesis module for a visual-speech recognition system

A Silent Speech Interface (SSI) is a voice replacement technology that permits speech communication without vocalisation. The visual-speech recognition engine of the proposed SSI is based on vocal tract imaging. The system aims to give the laryngectomised speaker the opportunity to speak with his/her original voice. This paper presents the speech synthesis module of a SSI that uses the open-source MaryTTS (Text-To-Speech). The visual-speech recognition engine of the SSI outputs a text sentence, which is imported to the speech synthesis module in order to synthesise speech in French or English. A new module of phonetic transcription has been developed and integrated into MaryTTS. In addition, English and French semi-HMM (Hidden Markov Models) model voices have been built. The SSI can be remotely controlled using a mobile device and the new voices are installed in a Web Server.
Study of VO2max and body composition in trained soldiers of the army special operations unit

The objective of this article was to establish comparisons between different special operations units of the army. 91 male subjects (mean ± Standard deviation; age: 33.05 ± 3.28 years; height: 1.77 ± 1.37 m; body weight 79.02 ± 1.59 kg), divided into 4 groups (mountain, diving, UEO and mobility), were evaluated through body composition and stress tests. A bioimpedance test was carried out to determine the different tissues and an incremental treadmill stress test with a gas analyser to establish the different physiological parameters. The results showed significant differences in terms of heart rate (HR) in the different thresholds (ventilatory threshold 1, ventilatory threshold 2 and maximum oxygen consumption) and in the speed reached in these (p < .05). On the other hand, with respect to body composition (muscle mass weight, % fat mass and fat weight), no significant differences were observed between the different groups analysed (p > .05).
High Genetic Diversity and Antimicrobial Resistance in Escherichia coli Highlight Arapaima gigas (Pisces: Arapaimidae) as a Reservoir of Quinolone-Resistant Strains in Brazilian Amazon Rivers

The increasing prevalence of multi-drug resistant (MDR) Escherichia coli in distinct ecological niches, comprising water sources and food-producing animals, such as fish species, has been widely reported. In the present study, quinolone-resistant E. coli isolates from Arapirama gigas, a major fish species in the Brazilian Amazon rivers and fish farms, were characterized regarding their antimicrobial susceptibility, virulence, and genetic diversity. A total of forty (40) specimens of A. gigas, including 20 farmed and 20 wild fish, were included. Thirty-four quinolone-resistant E. coli isolates were phenotypically tested by broth microdilution, while resistance and virulence genes were detected by PCR. Molecular epidemiology and genetic relatedness were analyzed by MLST and PFGE typing. The majority of isolates were classified as MDR and detected harboring blaCTX-M, qnrA and qnrB genes. Enterotoxigenic E. coli pathotype (ETEC) isolates were presented in low prevalence among farmed animals. MLST and PFGE genotyping revealed a wide genetic background, including the detection of internationally spread clones. The obtained data point out A. gigas as a reservoir in Brazilian Amazon aquatic ecosystems and warns of the interference of AMR strains in wildlife and environmental matrices.
ε-Ride: An Adaptive Event Driven Windowed Matching Framework in Ridesharing

Ridesharing services aim to reduce the users’ travel cost and optimize the drivers’ routes to satisfy passengers’ expected maximum matching times in practice request dispatching. Existing works can be roughly classified into two types, i.e., online-based and batch-based methods. The former mainly focuses on responding quickly to the requests, and the latter focuses on meticulously enumerating request combinations to improve service quality. However, online-based methods perform poorly in service quality due to the neglect of the sharing relationship between requests, while batch-based methods fail on efficiency. None of these works can smoothly balance the service quality and matching time cost since the matching window is not sufficiently explored or even neglected. To cope with this problem, we propose a novel framework E-Ride, which comprehensively leverages the matching time window based on the event model. Specifically, an adaptive windowed matching algorithm is proposed to adaptively consider personalized matching time and provide a matching solution with higher service rates at lower latencies. Besides, we maintain the request groups through a mixed graph and further integrate the subsequent arrival requests to optimize the matching results, which can scale to or satisfy online use demands. The extensive experimental results demonstrate the efficiency and effectiveness of our proposed method.
Induction of Erythrocyte Membrane Blebbing by Methotrexate-Induced Oxidative Stress

Methotrexate (MTX) is a common chemotherapeutical agent and folate antagonist with reported apoptotic activity in nucleated cells. The presented research work was planned to investigate the eryptotic effects of methotrexate after the exposure of erythrocytes to therapeutical doses (10–15 μM) of methotrexate. Eryptosis and the role of calcium in the stimulation of membrane blebbing were evaluated through the determination of mean cell volume. Oxidative stress induced by methotrexate (10–15 μM) was determined by antioxidative enzyme activities. Cytotoxic activity against human erythrocytes was examined through hemolysis assay. Exposure of erythrocytes to methotrexate results in significant reduction of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase activities at 10 and 15 μM in comparison to the untreated cells. Erythrocytes mean cell volume (MCV) was increased after 48 hours exposure of erythrocytes to methotrexate (10 μM). Significantly increased hemolysis percentage was observed at 10 μM after 48 hours incubation of erythrocytes with methotrexate. The results of the study suggested that the therapeutical doses (10–15 μM) of methotrexate may lead to increase in eryptotic and hemolytic activity of erythrocytes through free radical generation and subsequent calcium entry.
Validation of an Aero-Acoustic Wind Turbine Noise Model Using Advanced Noise Source Measurements of a 500kW Turbine

Validation of an Aero-Acoustic Wind Turbine Noise Model Using Advanced Noise Source Measurements of a 500kW TurbineThe measurement of a 500 kW stall-regulated wind turbine is investigated. Microphones located relatively close to the wind turbine are used to measure its acoustic emission. The operational conditions of the turbine, such as wind speed, are simultaneously monitored. In parallel, a wind turbine rotor noise model is presented. It includes the main sources of aeroacoustic noise from wind turbines: turbulent inflow, trailing edge and stall noise. The noise measured by one microphone located directly downstream of the wind turbine is compared to the model predictions at the microphone location. A good qualitative agreement is found. When wind speed increases, the rotor noise model shows that at high frequencies the stall noise becomes dominant. It also shows that turbulent inflow noise is dominant at low frequencies for all wind speeds and that trailing edge noise is dominant at low wind speeds and at frequencies above 200 Hz.
A 200-MHz fully-differential CMOS front-end with an on-chip inductor for magnetic resonance imaging

A 200-MHz Fully-Differential CMOS Front-End with an On-Chip Inductor for Magnetic Resonance Imaging. (December 2005) Julio Enrique Ayala II, B.S., Texas A&M University Co–Chairs of Advisory Committee: Dr. Takis Zourntos Dr. Steven Wright Recently, there is a growing interest in applying electronic circuit design for biomedical applications, especially in the area of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). NMR has been used for many years as a spectroscopy technique for analytical chemistry. Previous studies have demonstrated the design and fabrication of planar spiral inductors (microcoils) that serve as detectors for nuclear magnetic resonance microspectroscopy. The goal of this research was to analyze, design, and test a prototype integrated sensor, which consisted of a similar microcoil detector with analog components to form a multiple-channel front-end for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system to perform microspectroscopy. The research has succeeded in producing good functionality for a multiple-channel sensor. The sensor met expectations compared to similar one-channel systems through experiments in channel separation and good signal-tonoise ratios.
Embedded Piezoelectric Sensors and Actuators for Control of Active Composite Structures

This paper illustrates the results obtained at Composite and Smart Materials Laboratory of Politecnico di Milano by an industrial-academic team, that designed, developed and produced a technological demonstrator for space structures, embedding piezoelectric sensors/actuators and optical sensors. The selection of optical sensors, the use of PZT material, and their embedding techniques into composite laminates are described in the following, as well as embedding a sensing/actuation pack, i.e. robust and easy to handle sensor\actuator unit, in the demonstrator structure. Finally, actuation/sensing capability have been tested to validate both the embedded sensors/actuators and the technologies adopted for the manufacturing process.