Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Noise-robust range alignment method for inverse synthetic aperture radar based on aperture segmentation and average range profile correlation

Range alignment is an essential procedure in the translation motion compensation of inverse synthetic aperture radar imaging. Global optimization or maximum-correlation-based algorithms have been used to realize range alignment. However, it is still challenging to achieve range alignment in low signal-to-noise ratio scenarios, which are common in inverse synthetic aperture radar imaging. In this paper, a novel anti-noise range alignment approach is proposed. In this new method, the target motion is modeled as a uniformly accelerated motion during a short sub-aperture time. Minimum entropy optimization is implemented to estimate the motion parameters in each sub-aperture. These estimated parameters can be used to align the profiles of the current sub-aperture. Once the range profiles of each sub-aperture are aligned, the non-coherent accumulation gain is obtained by averaging all profiles in each sub-aperture, which can be used as valuable information. The accumulation and correlation method is applied to align the average range profiles of each sub-aperture because the former step focuses mainly on alignment within the sub-apertures. Experimental results based on simulated and real measured data demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm in low signal-to-noise ratio scenarios.
Effect of Physical Properties on Gas Entrainment Rate From Free Surface by Vortex (2nd Report)

A sodium-cooled fast breeder reactor is now at the developing stage in Japan. One concern for safety is cover gas entrainment into the sodium coolant. The gas entrainment rate into liquid by the vortex formed on the free surface was examined experimentally. Four kinds of test fluid were used; water at 25 °C, water at 60 °C, 20 cSt silicone oil and kerosene. Gas was air. The flow state of gas entrainment was visually observed by using a high speed video camera. The gas entrainment rate into liquid was measured. Following conclusions were obtained. When exit velocity was low, bubble-type gas entrainment occurred. As the exit velocity increased, the gas entrainment type turned from the bubble type to a vortex type and gas entrainment rate considerably increased. The relation between gas entrainment rate and liquid velocity was mainly affected by the viscosity of liquid. As viscosity became large, higher exit velocity was required to get the same gas entrainment rate. The effect of surface tension on the gas entertainment rate was minor or little. No systematic trend by the surface tension was noticed in the gas entrainment rate. Present results of the onset of the bubble type gas entrainment are well expressed with both the modified Baum and the modified Takahashi et al. correlation although the modified Takahashi et al. correlation provides a little better prediction than the modified Baum correlation. A flow state at the outlet piping has significant effect on the gas entrainment rate. The dimension of the outlet piping may become important to consider the gas entrainment rate in the vortex type region.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Can Proteomics Be Considered as a Valuable Tool to Assess the Toxicity of Nanoparticles in Marine Bivalves?

Exposure to nanoparticles (NPs) has been identified as a major concern for marine ecosystems. Because of their peculiar physico-chemical features, NPs are accumulated in marine organisms, which suffer a variety of adverse effects. In particular, bivalve mollusks represent a unique target for NPs, mainly because they are suspension-feeders with highly developed processes for cellular internalization of nano- and micrometric particles. Several studies have demonstrated that the uptake and the accumulation of NPs can induce sub-lethal effects towards marine bivalves. However, to understand the real risk of NP exposures the application of the so-called “omics” techniques (e.g., proteomics, genomics, metabolomics, lipidomics) has been suggested. In particular, proteomics has been used to study the effects of NPs and their mechanism(s) of action in marine bivalves, but to date its application is still limited. The present review aims at summarizing the state of the art concerning the application of proteomics as a tool to investigate the effects of nanoparticles on the proteome of marine bivalves, and to critically discuss the advantages and limitations of proteomics in this field of research. Relying on results obtained by studies that applied proteomics on bivalve tissues, proteomics application needs to be considered cautiously as a promising and valuable tool to shed light on toxicity and mechanism(s) of action of NPs. Although on one hand, the analysis of the current literature demonstrated undeniable strengths, potentiality and reliability of proteomics, on the other hand a number of limitations suggest that some gaps of knowledge need to be bridged, and methodological and technical improvements are necessary before proteomics can be readily and routinely applied to nanotoxicology studies.
Challenges and Possibilities of ICT-Mediated Assessment in Virtual Teaching and Learning Processes

The transformations in educational environments due to the immersion of information and communication technologies (ICT) make it necessary to analyze the limits and possibilities of the assessment of the virtual training process. This paper presents an analysis of the meanings of ICT-mediated assessment, establishing what kinds of knowledge are suitable for this type of evaluation, and the challenges and possibilities of virtual tools. For this, we present a systematic review of ICT-mediated evaluation and assessment according to the educational paradigms and their implementation. We highlight that contemporary pedagogical models and their implementation in ICT mediation tools show a trend towards quantitative and summative valuation. The commonly used learning management systems (LMS) include several types of questions oriented to quantitative evaluation, with multiple-choice being the most common. However, new technological approaches like gamification, virtual reality and mobile learning open new assessment possibilities. The ICT educational platforms and new technologies demand new skills for all educational actors, such as digital literacy.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN KNOWLEDGE LEVEL AND TONGUE BRUSHING HABIT ON COATED TONGUE PATIENTS

Background. The oral cavity is an inseparable part of the human body. The oral cavity is composed of a structure that is a unitary function known as mastication, such as the teeth, tongue, while mucosa known as the stomatognathic system. One part of the oral cavity, namely the tongue, is an organ that has a central function for taste and taste of various types of food flavours and other substances that will enter the body through the oral cavity. However, sometimes the tongue is coated with a thin white layer containing bacteria, desquamated epithelial cells, leukocytes, blood metabolites, and various other components. Purpose: of this study was to determine the relationship between the level of knowledge and the habit of brushing the tongue in coated tongue patients who come to the Dental and Oral Hospital of Universitas Airlangga, Method. This study was descriptive analytic with the type of study was cross sectional. Results: were 28 patients with a good level of knowledge, 11 patients with a moderate level of knowledge, and 2 patients with a bad level of knowledge, and the results were 12 patients with a good level of habits, and 29 patients with a bad habit level. Conclusion. Good level of knowledge about tongue hygiene does not make a good habit also in keeping the tongue clean.
Method to Determine the Standard Deviation of SUV Parameters

Some of the parameters used for the quantification of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) images are the Standardized Uptake Value (SUV)Max, SUV Mean and SUV Peak. In order to assess the significance of an increasing or decreasing of these parameters for diagnostic purposes it is relevant to determine their standard deviation. In this study we present a method to determine the range of statistical variation of the SUV in PET images. Our method is based on dividing an original dataset into subsets of shorter time-frames. The variation between the SUV parameters of the subsets is used to estimate the standard deviation of the of the original acquisition. This method was tested on images of a NEMA quality phantom with acquisition time of 150 s per bed position and foreground to background activity ratio of F18-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) of 10:1. This original dataset has been reconstructed with different reconstruction lengths, generating new data subsets. The SUV Max, Mean and Peak were calculated for each image in the subsets. Their standard deviation has been calculated per subset for the different spheres included in the phantom. The variation of each subset has then been used to estimate the expected variation between images at 150 s reconstruction length. We report the largest standard deviation of the SUV parameters for the smallest sphere, and the smallest variation for the largest sphere. The expected variation at 150 s reconstruction length does not exceed 6% for the smallest sphere and 2% for the largest sphere, but we report an higher coefficient of variation (up to 30%) for shorter reconstruction lengths. We also report significant differences in the variation of SUV parameters for the larger spheres. With the presented method we are able to determine the standard deviation of SUV parameters only due to and the statistical variation. The method enables us to evaluate the effect of parameter selection and lesion size on the standard deviation, and therefore to evaluate its relevance on the total variation of the SUV value between studies.
3D Multi-Material Printing of an Anthropomorphic, Personalized Replacement Hand for Use in Neuroprosthetics Using 3D Scanning and Computer-Aided Design: First Proof-of-Technical-Concept Study

Background: This paper presents a novel approach for a hand prosthesis consisting of a flexible, anthropomorphic, 3D-printed replacement hand combined with a commercially available motorized orthosis that allows gripping. Methods: A 3D light scanner was used to produce a personalized replacement hand. The wrist of the replacement hand was printed of rigid material; the rest of the hand was printed of flexible material. A standard arm liner was used to enable the user’s arm stump to be connected to the replacement hand. With computer-aided design, two different concepts were developed for the scanned hand model: In the first concept, the replacement hand was attached to the arm liner with a screw. The second concept involved attaching with a commercially available fastening system; furthermore, a skeleton was designed that was located within the flexible part of the replacement hand. Results: 3D-multi-material printing of the two different hands was unproblematic and inexpensive. The printed hands had approximately the weight of the real hand. When testing the replacement hands with the orthosis it was possible to prove a convincing everyday functionality. For example, it was possible to grip and lift a 1-L water bottle. In addition, a pen could be held, making writing possible. Conclusions: This first proof-of-concept study encourages further testing with users.
Analysis of Chiral Drugs with Enantioselective Biosensors. An Overview

The opportunity to use amperometric biosensors based on L-aminoacid oxidase in enantioselective analysis of chiral drugs is discussed. The designed biosensors combine the selectivity of the enzyme with the sensitivity of the amperometric device. To obtain a reliable amperometric biosensor, graphite paste is used as support for the enzyme. The parameters obtained for amperometric biosensors are compared with those obtained for the potentiometric enantioselective membrane electrodes based on β-cyclodextrin derivates impregnated in graphite paste for several angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors–S-captopril, S-enalapril, S-ramipril, S-cilazapril, S-trandolapril, S-pentopril, and S-perindopril–in terms of sensitivity, selectivity, limit of detection, working concentration range, lifetime, response time, accuracy and precision.
Survival of patients with appendiceal neuroendocrine tumors: whether they benefit from right hemicolectomy?

Background: Current guidelines recommend right hemicolectomy for appendiceal neuroendocrine tumors (A-NETs) patients with lymph node (LN) metastasis. However, prognosis of these patients is favorable, and the prognostic impact of metastatic LN is controversial.Objective: The study aims to evaluate the prognostic factors of A-NETs, and explore whether right hemicolectomy/ more extended procedure (RHCM) improves prognosis compared to less extended than right hemicolectomy (LRHC). Methods: Patients with A-NETs were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. The Fine-Gray proportional hazards model was established to calculate subdistribution hazard ratios of prognostic factors. A propensity score matching was performed to balance intergroup differences between the LRHC and RHCM groups, and survival difference between the after-matched groups was tested using the Gray test. Subgroup analyses were also conducted.Results: In the multivariate analysis, histological type and distant metastatic status were associated with prognosis, while tumor size and nodal status were not. After propensity score matching, the patients’ characteristics were well balanced. RHCM did not confer survival benefits in the whole after-matched patients or any subgroup.Conclusions: Metastatic LN does not significantly impact prognosis, and RHCM fails to improve prognosis compared to LRHC. Therefore, the current “LN-decided” surgical procedure may not be suitable for patients with A-NETs.
Short-term forecasting of residential electricity demand using CNN-LSTM

Near accurate forecasting of energy demand has become a non-trivial requirement for developing effective management and planning strategies/policies for a resilient energy system. This paper is aimed to develop a novel deep learning-based energy demand prediction model by utilising the combination of Convolutional neural networks and Long Short-term Memory units. The proposed model consists of two one dimensional convolutional layer with max pooling, two bidirectional LSTM layers and finally three fully connected dense layer. The energy consumption data available for a household based in Findhorn ecovillage located in the north of Scotland for a six-week period during the February and March of 2015 was utilised for training, validating, and testing the models. The proposed model provides energy demand prediction for short-term forecasting (5 minutes). The results obtained from the model are compared against four of the classical and widely applied algorithms for time series forecasting: autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA), light gradient boosting machine (LightGBM), random forest (RF), and deep neural networks (DNN). The result obtained demonstrated the efficiency of the proposed architecture in outper-forming all well-established models.
The Assisted Positioning Technology for High Speed Train Based on Deep Learning

In the positioning process of a high-speed train, cumulative error may result in a reduction in the positioning accuracy. The assisted positioning technology based on kilometer posts can be used as an effective method to correct the cumulative error. However, the traditional detection method of kilometer posts is time-consuming and complex, which greatly affects the correction efficiency. Therefore, in this paper, a kilometer post detection model based on deep learning is proposed. Firstly, the Deep Convolutional Generative Adversarial Networks (DCGAN) algorithm is introduced to construct an effective kilometer post data set. This greatly reduces the cost of real data acquisition and provides a prerequisite for the construction of the detection model. Then, by using the existing optimization as a reference and further simplifying the design of the Single Shot multibox Detector (SSD) model according to the specific application scenario of this paper, the kilometer post detection model based on an improved SSD algorithm is established. Finally, from the analysis of the experimental results, we know that the detection model established in this paper ensures both detection accuracy and efficiency. The accuracy of our model reached 98.92%, while the detection time was only 35.43 ms. Thus, our model realizes the rapid and accurate detection of kilometer posts and improves the assisted positioning technology based on kilometer posts by optimizing the detection method.
Cardiovascular Risk Is Elevated in Lean Subjects with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Background/Aims Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and obesity are independently associated with an increased risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), the leading cause of mortality in patients with NAFLD. Many NAFLD patients are lean, but their ASCVD risk compared to obese subjects with NAFLD is unclear. Methods Data from the 2008 to 2011 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys database were analyzed (n=4,786). NAFLD was defined as a comprehensive NAFLD score ≥40 or a liver fat score ≥–0.640. ASCVD risk was evaluated using the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines. Results The frequency of subjects without NAFLD, with obese NAFLD, and with lean NAFLD was 62.4% (n=2,987), 26.6% (n=1,274), and 11.0% (n=525), respectively. Subjects with lean NAFLD had a significantly higher ASCVD score and prevalence of a high ASCVD risk (mean 15.6±14.0, 51.6%) than those with obese NAFLD and without NAFLD (mean 11.2±11.4, 39.8%; mean 7.9±10.9, 25.5%; all p<0.001). Subjects with lean NAFLD and significant liver fibrosis showed a significantly higher odds ratio for a high risk for ASCVD than those with obese NAFLD with or without significant liver fibrosis (odds ratio, 2.60 vs 1.93; p=0.023). Conclusions Subjects with lean NAFLD had a significantly higher ASCVD score and prevalence of high risk for ASCVD than those with obese NAFLD. Similarly, lean subjects with significant liver fibrosis had a higher probability of ASCVD than obese subjects in the subpopulation with NAFLD.
Control of Voltage Source Converter Based Multi Terminal DC and Hybrid AC/DC Systems

The journey of power systems started with the development of the dc technology pioneered by Thomas Edison in the late 19th century. Meanwhile, Nicola Tesla led the investigation of ac technology, which soon surmounted the dc paradigm in the "War of Currents", driven by the urge to favor higher-e ciency systems. For about a century, ac was the preferred choice in all sections of power systems, including generation, transmission, and distribution. However, with recent advances in power electronic technology, such as Voltage Source Converters (VSC), the conversion between ac and dc has become more practical, leading to the development of dc and hybrid ac/dc grids. These grids have been formed in both transmission and distribution systems. Speci cally, on the transmission side, the advancement of the Multi-Terminal High Voltage Direct Current (MT-HVDC) grids enabled the formation of dc grids covering large geographical areas and integrating bulk renewable energy sources such as o shore wind. On the distribution side, on the other hand, the development of Multi-Terminal Direct Current MicroGrids (MT-DCμGrid) became an attractive solution for interconnecting increasingly popular dc generation sources with dc loads. The control of the converters interfacing with those dc grids is one of the challenges for the future expansion of such systems and is the subject matter of the current Ph.D. thesis. The conventional droop control of VSCs has been the widely accepted solution for both MT-HVDC and MT-DCμGrid applications as it allows several converters to simultaneously regulate the dc grid voltage and share power imbalance in the system. However, droop-controllers have several application-speci c challenges. This thesis investigates those challenges and proposes new control structures to overcome them. Speci cally, the e ect of the converters' control on the regulation of dc network-related parameters, that is, on dc voltage regulation and ratio-based power-sharing between converters, is investigated for both MT-HVDC systems and MT-DCμGrids and new control approaches are proposed. Furthermore, the e ect of the converters' control on the interaction of MT-HVDC systems with neighboring ac grids is investigated, and advanced solutions are developed for enabling enhanced mutual frequency support of the ac systems interconnected through MT-HVDC systems. The developed strategies are applicable to general structure grids, do not require additional hardware and can be seamlessly integrated into the existing control solutions. The developed control strategies aim to assist systems operators in enhancing the performance of hybrid ac/dc systems. Comprehensive time-domain and modal analysis are conducted to compare the proposed strategies with relevant studies available in the recent literature, validating the advantage of the developed methods.
Wideband Differentially Fed Dual-Polarized Antenna by Using Three-Strip Transmission Lines

A new method of designing a wideband differentially fed dual-polarized antenna by using three-strip transmission lines (TS-TLs) is presented. A wideband power divider composed of four TS-TLs is first proposed and illustrated by using its equivalent circuit. Based on the proposed power divider, a wideband differentially fed dual-polarized antenna with four in-band resonances is developed. To enhance the out-of-band selectivity, two radiation nulls with quasi-elliptic response are obtained by utilizing the specifically designed structures in the TS-TL-based power divider. The first radiation null at the lower out-of-band is produced by the resonance from the center strip of TS-TL and shorting coaxial cable. The second radiation null at the upper out-of-band is produced by the resonance from the slot formed by the dipole arm and the outer strip of TS-TL. Combining with the high second-order harmonic suppression owing to the differentially fed method, the presented differentially fed antenna is demonstrated that it not only has high in-band selectivity covering 1.67–2.91 GHz, but also has high out-of-band suppressions of 33.8 and 20.6 dB over the frequency bands of 0.6–1 GHz and 3.3–5 GHz. In addition, stable gain and beamwidth are achieved for base station applications.
On Properties of Semipositive Cones and Simplicial Cones

For a given nonsingular $n\times n$ matrix $A$, the cone $S_{A}=\{x:Ax\geq 0\}$ , and its subcone $K_A$ lying on the positive orthant, called as semipositive cone, are considered. If the interior of the semipositive cone $K_A$ is not empty, then $A$ is named as semipositive matrix. It is known that $K_A$ is a proper polyhedral cone. In this paper, it is proved that $S_{A}$ is a simplicial cone and properties of its extremals are analyzed. An one-one relation between simplicial cones and invertible matrices is established. For a proper cone $K$ in $\mathbb{R}^n$, $\pi(K)$ denotes the collection of $n\times n$ matrices that leave $K$ invariant. For a given minimally semipositive matrix (no column-deleted submatrix is semipositive) $A$, it is shown that the invariant cone $\pi(K_A)$ is a simplicial cone.