Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Airway Clearance with Expiratory Flow Accelerator Technology: Effectiveness of the "Free Aspire" Device in Patients with Severe COPD.

OBJECTIVES Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with a higher risk of pulmonary infections. This risk not only negatively affects patients' quality of life but also increases social and health costs. Hence, there is a need for an effective rehabilitative treatment including airway clearance. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the efficacy of a new tool for bronchial clearance based on expiratory flow accelerator (EFA) technology compared with positive expiratory pressure (PEP) treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS Twenty stable patients with COPD, Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease 3-4 stage, were enrolled and allocated to treatment with EFA or Bubble-PEP (BP) for 20 days during a pulmonary rehabilitation program. At baseline and the end of treatment, the following parameters were measured: arterial blood gases (ABG); respiratory function, including peak cough expiratory flow (PCEF), maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP), and maximal expiratory pressure exercise capacity using the 6-minute walk test (6MWT), dyspnea using the Medical Research Council scale, and quality of life using the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire. RESULTS Expiratory flow accelerator showed a significant pre- and post-improvement in ABG and a significantly greater improvement than BP in PCEF, MIP, and 6MWT post-treatment. CONCLUSION Expiratory flow accelerator is a valid device compared with BP as an adjunctive therapy for the treatment of patients with severe COPD.
Molecular Dynamics Simulations on Polymeric Nanocomposite Membranes Designed to Deliver Pipobromane Anticancer Drug

Three chitosan (CS), polyethylene glycol (PEG) and polylactic acid (PLA) nanocomposite systems containing SiO2 nanoparticles and water molecules were designed by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to deliver pipobromane (PIP) anticancer drug in order to discover the most appropriate drug delivery system (DDS) in aqueous medium which was analogous to the human body. The density for the CS matrix was 1.25 g/cm3 but it was decreased to 1.16 g/cm3 in PLA and 1.02 g/cm3 in PEG. The potential energies of the CS, PLA and PEG DDSs were near 195000, 3700 and –4600 kcal/mol while their related non-bond energies were around 14000, –150 and –6150 kcal/mol, respectively, indicating the PEG composite had the most negative energies whereas the most positive values belonged to the CS system. The CS system revealed the greatest fractional free volume (FFV) of 77.232% but PLA offered the smallest FFV (65.804%). The radial distribution function (RDF) data displayed that the PIP molecules had strongest H-bond interactions with the CS chains which reflected the drug molecules would diffuse the slowest inside the CS nanocomposite. The diffusion coefficients for the PLA, PEG and CS systems were equal to 0.0183×10–4, 0.0163×10–4 and 0.0154×10–4 cm2/s, respectively approving the slowest drug diffusion was happened in the CS cell which certified the most controlled and sustained drug delivery.
Spraying opened sugar beet pulp silage with oregano essential oil helps to sustain quality and stability

This study was conducted to determine the effects of spraying oregano essential oil (OEO) onto sugar beet pulp silage (SBPS) on silage quality and aerobic stability after opening. A factorial experiment with three replicates of three treatments and four time periods was conducted using laboratory-type plastic silos. The treatments were an untreated control, silage sprayed with 10 ml/75 cm2 OEO, and silage sprayed with 20 ml/75 cm2 OEO. The silages were sampled at 0, 72, 120, and 168 hours after spraying. Temperature, L*, a*, and b* colour values, pH, water-soluble carbohydrates, crude nutrient contents, Fleig score, metabolizable energy (ME) value, lactic acid bacteria (LAB), total live bacteria (TLB), yeast, and mould formation were assessed. Spraying OEO onto SBPS did not affect L*, a*, and b* values, pH, water-soluble carbohydrates, and Fleig score values, but decreased temperature. Spraying OEO onto the silage increased organic matter, ether extract, acid detergent fibre, neutral detergent fibre and acid detergent lignin contents without affecting crude protein, crude fibre, nitrogen free extract, and ME contents. Irrespective of treatment, crude protein, ether extract, acid detergent fibre, acid detergent lignin, nitrogen free extract, Fleig score, and ME contents of silages increased with time after spraying. The OEO spraying reduced LAB, TLB, and yeast contents in silages. In conclusion, OEO spraying onto opened SBPS reduced LAB, TLB, and yeast formation and stopped mould growth up to 72 hours without affecting their nutritional properties, suggesting that OEO could be used to ensure the stability of SBPS. Keywords: aerobic stability, mould growth, silage microbiology, nutrients, feeding management
Plant mitochondria under hypoxia: a cross-talk between nitric oxide, hemoglobin and oxygen

The major goal of the present study is to describe the mechanisms by which plants adapt to deficiencies in the electron transport chain, either in terms of lack of the functional electron transport complex or lack of final electron acceptor (oxygen). In plants, the main function of class 1 hemoglobins is to scavenge nitric oxide (NO). Under hypoxia and anoxia, there is a significant increase in hemoglobin expression which upregulates the turnover of the Hb-NO cycle. This cycle not only participates in the electron transport chain, but NO influences various signalling processes which govern plant development, morphology and physiology. The current study demonstrates that NO produced under hypoxia induces AOX1A gene expression, which is translated to a higher AOX activity and leads to a shift towards biosynthesis of amino acids. It also demonstrates that respiratory complex I deficiency results in low NO levels and upregulation of fermentation pathways. The current study undertakes extensive efforts to characterise the morphological, biochemical and physiological effects of modified hemoglobin expression in barley. Results show a difference in observations when compared with other model organisms such as Arabidopsis. NO also influences the process of senescence. Hence we investigate the process of senescence under hypoxia and in plants with modified hemoglobin expression. The study also involves generating of three barley transgenic lines to further study the role of hemoglobin in plant development, physiology, pathology, nutrition and stress tolerance.
SELF-COMPACTING GROUT TO PRODUCE TWO-STAGE CONCRETE

Using non-traditional concrete in engineering applications such as the construction of nuclear reactor shields, dams, massive under water bridge piers and repairs of building foundations, is considered as an efficient solution to overcome challenges of limitations of the use of normal conventional concrete. Such new types of concretes which have been developed and produced are completely dissimilar from conventional concrete in that the method of mixing, handling, pouring, consolidation, behaviours and cost are different. Based on the technology of ready-mixed self-compacting concrete (SCC), two types of concrete have been introduced and named as: two-stage concrete (TSC) and rock-filled concrete (RFC), where a selfcompacted grout (SCG) injected or poured to fill the void space of preplaced or self-compacted aggregate (SCA) or rocks. TSC is different from normal concrete (NC), in that it is made by first placing the coarse aggregate in the formwork and then injecting a grout consisted of sand, cement and water to fill the voids between the aggregate particles. The main benefits of the method include; Low heat of hydration, high compressive strengths and density, economic savings, practically no mass shrinkage, low coefficient of thermal expansion and excellent bond to existing structures [1-4]. Similarly, the construction technology of RFC mainly consists of two processes: filling the working space with large scale rock mass and pouring the SCC into the pre-packed rock body. Less cement in the composite, which results in less heat of hydration [57], makes the temperature control of RFC much easier, and this new construction method leads to fast construction speed, high concrete quality and improves the economics and environmental performance of massive concrete structures [5-9]. Generally, the properties of two-stage concrete are thus influenced by the properties of the coarse aggregate, the properties of the grout, and the effectiveness of the grouting process. The two main objectives of this paper are: 1-describe the importance and the special requirements of introducing TSC to be used in the concrete industry and 2present some rssults conducted in the last decade to address TSC in terms of: a) obtaining a mortar that satisfies the optimal grout property requirements and b) – evaluation and modelling of some important mechanical properties.
Authentication Security through Diversity and Redundancy for Cloud Computing

Authentication plays a central role in the security of many computing systems. It is particularly critical in cloud computing, as its failure can let attackers control the accounts of cloud consumers and, ultimately, their resources and data. In recent years, authentication vulnerabilities have appeared in popular cloud offerings and platforms. Moreover, cryptographic mechanisms that have served as building blocks of authentication protocols, besides these protocols themselves, have also been found vulnerable. Zero-day vulnerabilities of this kind can let cloud consumers be hacked without even noticing. We propose the use of redundancy and diversity to make cloud authentication mechanisms resistant to unknown, zero-day, vulnerabilities. The basic idea is that by resorting to more than one mechanism (redundancy) and by having different mechanisms (diversity), even if one is compromised the overall authentication mechanism can remain secure. We present an approach to create such redundancy and diversity. We show its effectiveness with a cloud authentication mechanism recently found vulnerable and with a simpler message authentication use case.
Visualizing Usability - Extended Abstract

While developing a product and more speciﬁcally an interface, measuring User Experience and how users interact with it is imperative, since a poorly usable interface can affect users’ willingness to interact with it and cause a decline in the overall user interest and satisfaction. The measurement and analysis of Usability related metrics can sometimes be hindered due to the nature and complexity of this data, resulting in a poor extraction of such information. Therefore, Information Visualization can be used as a mechanism to better study and detect product deﬁciencies at an early stage and represent a powerful tool to improve the analysis of usability and complement user testing, providing insight for changes and, ultimately, an interface with a suitable and pleasurable experience for users. This work addresses ways of exploring and correlating usability metrics and possibly identifying patterns through the usage of Visualizations, which can potentially help draw ”high level” conclusions based on both derived and statistical measures, and thus contributing to better results while designing interfaces. Furthermore, the presented work includes a validation approach through both Usability Testing and Case Studies on the developed solution.
Chrysin Induced Cell Apoptosis and Inhibited Invasion Through Regulation of TET1 Expression in Gastric Cancer Cells

Objective: Ten-eleven translocation (TET) enzymes that oxidize a 5-methylcytosine (5mC) to yield 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) have been responsible for ﬁ ne-tuning methylation patterns and exhibit role in epigenetic modi ﬁ cations. Chrysin, a natural ﬂ avone frequently present in honey, has been recognized to exhibit anti-tumor properties. In this study, we investigated the effects of Chrysin in the expression pattern of TET proteins in gastric cancer (GC) cells. Materials and Methods: Using qRT-PCR and Western blot analysis, we analyzed the expression of TET1 in GC cells in vitro following treatment with Chrysin. Immuno ﬂ uorescence staining detected the expression levels of 5mC and 5hmC. Flow cytometry, wound healing, and Matrigel invasion assays were performed to determine cell proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis, and migration and invasion of GC cells following treatment with Chrysin, si-TET1, and TET1-KO. Furthermore, a xenograft model was developed to analyze the expression pattern of TET1 on tumor development in vivo. Results: qRT-PCR and Western blot assays indicated that treatment with Chrysin signi ﬁ cantly promoted the expression of TET1 in GC cells. Immuno ﬂ uorescence study further con ﬁ rmed that TET1 and 5hmC levels were signi ﬁ cantly enhanced following treatment with Chrysin in MKN45 cells. Moreover, our results suggested that Chrysin could noticeably induce cell apoptosis and inhibit cell migration and invasion. Further, knockdown and overexpression of TET1 were conducted to investigate whether TET1 expression affected cell apoptosis, and cell migration and invasion in MKN45 cells. The results indicated that overexpression of TET1 markedly promoted cell apoptosis and inhibited cell migration and invasion. Furthermore, the TET1 gene knocked out was generated using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. Our data suggested that TET1 expression was associated with GC tumor growth in vivo. Conclusion: This study indicated that Chrysin exerted anti-tumor effects through the regulation of TET1 expression in GC and presented TET1 as a novel promising therapeutic target for GC therapy.
Interim progress report: Materials selection criteria for crack arrester strakes in naval vessels

A 200-word or less factual summary of most significant information. If document includes a significant bibliography or literature survey, mention it here) Research has been conducted on the problem of developing quantitative criteria for materials selection for crack arrester strakes in naval vessels. Quantitative analysis of material performance in service requires application of dynamic elasticplastic fracture mechanics. Results of an extensive literature survey in the area of dynamic fracture mechanics with specific attention given to the crack arrest application are presented. The research program that has been developed is descibed in detail .
An Automatic Attendance System Using Image processing

------------------------------------------------------------ ABSTRACT --------------------------------------------------------- The face is the identity of a person. The methods to exploit this physical feature have seen a great change since the advent of image processing techniques. The attendance is taken in every schools, colleges and library. Traditional approach for attendance is professor calls student name & record attendance.The system described in this paper aims to deviate from such traditional systems and introduce a new approach for taking an attendance using image Processing.This paper describes the working of An Automatic Attendance System in a classroom environment. Initially video clip of classroom is taken and is stored in the database, and these video is converted to frames/images, then we apply Face detection techniques such asAda-boost algorithm to detect the faces in frames/images and then features are extracted of detected face by Histogram of Oriented Gradients (HOG) and Local Binary Pattern (LBP) algorithm. The system first stores the faces of the students in the database. The detected faces are compared with the faces stored in the database during face recognition by using Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier. If the system recognizes faces, the attendance gets marked immediately of recognized faces.
Portuguese Verb Sense Disambiguation Using Parallel Corpus

Semantic ambiguity is a very frequent linguistic phenomenon in texts and it has a strong impact in many tasks pertaining to various fields of Natural Language Processing (NLP), such as Machine Translation, where it is important to identify the specific meaning of a word based on its context. This process is called Word Sense Disambiguation (WSD). Normally, large quantities of annotated text are required to build the training corpus used in statisticallybased WSD systems. Unfortunately, these corpora are scarce for many languages and their production is expensive and very timeconsuming. This work presents an approach to semi-automatically generate a training corpus annotated with the meanings of the verbs, to be used with Machine Learning (ML) techniques in the WSD task. For this purpose, the Portuguese processing chain STRING is used. The annotation of training corpus is based on the disambiguation resulting from corpora of parallel texts in various pairs of languages. This document describes the generation of new training files produced within the scope of a ML approach to WSD. This approach is applied to a small range of verbs, whose ambiguity has a strong impact on the global ambiguity of the reference corpus.
Implementing the microscopic self-shadowing microﬂake model

In the main paper, we have introduced a new participating medium model that generalizes the standard microﬂake model [JAM ∗ 10]. It has new parameters that characterize self-shadowing effects at the microscopic scale. This model is more complex than the standard model, and its implementation is difﬁcult unless normal distributions and self-shadowing functions are carefully chosen, so that closed-form expressions and sampling procedures can be derived. In this document, we present all the details, proofs and derivations for implementing our self-shadowing model. We ﬁrst recall the general expressions of this model in Sec. 2 and of the simpliﬁed version in which self-shadowing is isotropic (Sec. 2.5). Then, we discuss the implementation of the model in Sec. 4, and the implementation of the simpliﬁed model based on SGGX distribution [HDCD15] in Sec. 5. We brieﬂy recall the theory of rejection sampling in Sec. 3 because we use it several times in this document. We provide code that implements our model along with this document. We tested our sampling procedures using chi-square tests, and veriﬁed that our phase functions are normalized using numerical integration.
Reimplementing a Strategy Game Interface

Almansur is a multiplayer turn based strategy browser game developed throughout the last decade. This project aimed to create a new version of Almansur, focusing on improving the usability of the interface, making it easier to to teach new users, and more eﬃcient to use for the current ones. This document describes the development process of this new version. First the existing game was analyzed, creating a conceptual model, a list of possible tasks in the interface, and comparing it with other games of the same genre. This interface was then tested by player observation and with the Nielsen Heuristics to identify its current usability faults. A new interface was then created, ﬁrst on paper, then in a simple interactive prototype, and ﬁnally in its full implementation, which iterated multiple times through development. Finally the resulting work was tested and compared with the previous version, using both old and new players to the game.
Morphosyntactic Label Disambiguation

Recently, several models based on recurrent neural networks have been proposed for parts-of-speech tagging and achieving state-of-the-art performance. This paper presents a variety of recurrent neural network models that use a combination of bi-directional Long Short-Term Memory and Conditional Random Fields to disambiguate morphosyntactic labels. Focusing mainly on the Portuguese language the ﬁnal goal is to try to surpass the current statistical morphosyntactic labels disambiguator for STRING, a hybrid statistical and rule-based Natural Language Processing chain for Portuguese, and integrate the best model into STRING.
A generative re-ranking model for dependency parsing

We propose a framework for dependency parsing based on a combination of discriminative and generative models. We use a discriminative model to obtain a k-best list of candidate parses, and subsequently rerank those candidates using a generative model. We show how this approach allows us to evaluate a variety of generative models, without needing different parser implementations. Moreover, we present empirical results that show a small improvement over state-of-the-art dependency parsing of English sentences.
Just.Chat - a platform for processing information to be used in chatbots

The number of chatbots that can be found in the web increases everyday and, alongside these, the amount of resources which can be used to build new chatbots. In this paper we target to create a platform, Just.Chat, that helps in the creation of chatbot’s knowledge bases by using available chatbot’s interactions, which are automatically processed by three ﬁlters. The ﬁrst ﬁlter discards interactions overlapping others previously scripted; the second ﬁlter is responsible for identifying personal questions; ﬁnally, the third ﬁlter deals with interactions containing unwanted terms or topics. All these ﬁlters are individually evaluated, as well as Just.Chat, which is used to enrich the knowledge base of Edgar, a butler that has Monserrate’s palace as its ﬁeld of expertise.
Sharing Economy in Future Peer-to-peer Electricity Trading Markets: Security and Privacy Analysis

This paper performs business, security and privacy analysis of emergent (peer-to-peer) electricity trading markets where individual users (via smart meters) can trade electricity with other users and market players in a (semi-)decentralised manner. Firstly, a high-level overview of future electricity markets is presented, and a comprehensive explanation is offered concerning the evolution of the current (and future) actors regarding their roles. Secondly, business model matrix analysis is deployed to develop and discuss in detail four scenarios based on customers’ information ownership and citizens’ level of involvement. Lastly, an analysis of security and privacy threats is performed which leads to a specification of necessary requirements to mitigate such threats. This paper provides and serves as a benchmark for risk assessment and future design of secure peer-to-peer electricity trading markets.