Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Single-port Laparoscopy with Modified Needle Hook-assisted Extracorporeal High Ligation of Hernia Defects (Suwardi’s Technique): An Experience from Single-center Hospital

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopy has long been used for the evaluation of hernia defects on the contralateral side when performing herniated tears in children. In 1997, El Gohary first reported laparoscopic treatment of hernia repair in a female patient. Since then, laparoscopic inguinal hernia ligation has been performed in various medical institutions with a variety of methods including closing the defect intraperitoneally and extracorporeal ligation of the herniated ring defect. CASE PRESENTATION: Data were taken from January 2016 to December 2020 in the Pediatric Surgery Department of Dr. Moewardi General Hospital, Surakarta. A total of 22 cases, consisting of 19 boys and 3 girls aged 1–14 years (mean 5 years), underwent single-port laparoscopy with modified extracorporeal ligation of hernial defects using an epidural needle. From the results of surgery from January 2016 to December 2020, there were 22 patients with a follow-up period of 6 months who were carried out with a single port without the assistance of forceps and hydrodissection with a single-port laparoscopic technique that had been modified extracorporeally using an epidural needle and were able to evaluate the contralateral side. Thus, it shortened the operating period and the patient was able to be discharged 24 h postoperatively without any complications. CONCLUSION: From 22 patients who used single-port technique with modified extracorporeal ligation of hernia defects using epidural needles, the results were shorter operation time, without complications and satisfying cosmetic results.
Improved optical sensor for high voltage measurement using white light interferometry

A new approach to perform measurement of potentials in high voltage levels using electrooptical Pockets sensors is presented. This paper describes an application of the White Light Interferometry (WLI) technique to a high voltage optical fiber measurement system. Making use of a characteristic of WLI systems, in which the information is encoded in the spectrum of the light, a compensation method is here proposed allowing the measurement to be independent of the optical power transmitted by the optical fiber link. A prototype was built and tested under excitation of a.c. voltages up to 60 kV in 60 Hz showing good response and demonstrating the feasibility of this method.
Evaluation of Strongyloides stercoralis infection in patients with HTLV-1

Abstract Introduction: Individuals infected with the human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) may present severe and disseminated forms of Strongyloides stercoralis infection with low therapeutic response. Objective: To investigate the S. stercoralis infection and the seroprevalence of IgG anti-S. stercoralis antibodies in individuals infected with HTLV-1 attending the Reference Center for HTLV-1 (CHTLV) in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Materials and methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in 178 HTLV-1-infected individuals treated at the HTLV specialized center between January, 2014, and December, 2018. The parasitological diagnosis of S. stercoralis was performed using the Hoffman, Pons and Janer, agar plate culture, and Baermann-Morais methods. The IgG anti-S. stercoralis detection was performed using an in house enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The HTLV-1 infection was diagnosed using a commercial ELISA and confirmed by Western blot. Results: The frequency of S. stercoralis infection was 3.4% (6/178). Individuals infected with S. stercoralis from rural areas (50.0%; 3/6) also showed S. stercoralis hyperinfection (>3,000 larvae/ gram of feces). The frequency of circulating anti-S. stercoralis IgG antibodies was 20.8% (37/178). Conclusions: HTLV-1-infected people living in precarious sanitary conditions are more prone to develop severe forms of S. stercoralis infection. Considering the high susceptibility and unfavorable outcome of the infection in these individuals, the serological diagnosis for S. stercoralis should be considered when providing treatment.
THE CONSTRUCTION OF A DATABASE FOR PACIFIC HERRING TAGGED AND RECOVERED IN BRITISH COLUMBIA FROM 1936 TO 1992

ABSTRACT Daniel, K. , B. McCarter, and D. Hay. 1999. The construction of a database for Pacific herring tagged and recovered in British Columbia from 1936 to 1992. Can. Tech. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 2280: Pacific herring in British Columbia have been tagged and recovered since 1936. The earliest taggingprograms (1936-1967) employed metallic ‘belly tags’ inserted into the body cavity and recovered withmagnetic detectors. More recent tagging programs (1979-1991) used plastic ‘anchor’ tags that were visually detected, usually in fish processing plants. Most, but not all of these tagging studies, have been reported in a variety of publications. To date, however, there has not been a definitivedescription or record of all methods and results. This paper presents a detailed description andreview of all tag releases and recoveries. All previous publications were assembled and reviewed andsome new, previously unpublished data from more recent anchor tagging work in the late 1980’s and1990’s were included. All pertinent data were entered into a new herring tagging database that combined results from both the belly and anchor tagging work. The original objectives and techniquesof each herring tag release program are presented when appropriate. Database structure and fieldsare described, discrepancies in the data are examined, and data entry decisions are discussed.
Computational algorithms for image analysis: Applications on human vocal tract and silhouette

iii The results obtained from the application of the background subtraction models in four different datasets suggested that the best model depends on the complexity of the images. Moreover, the good results obtained through the use of the active silhouette model built to perform human shape segmentation in new images strongly suggests that this type of deformable model can be successfully used in this task. The main contribution accomplished regarding the modeling of human silhouettes in images is that it allows for building an active shape model that gathers the necessary information independent of the walking direction of the subject. In conclusion, the identification and analysis of human structures are complex tasks, since their shapes are not constant and vary through time; however, techniques of Computer Vision and objects modeling can assist in their achievement as is demonstrated throughout this Thesis. To conclude, the application of the developed models in images allows realistic simulations of the human vocal tract and silhouette, making possible their competent segmentation and characterization.
Difficult knowledge and history education

ABSTRACT Over the past decade, scholars from a variety of epistemological and theoretical backgrounds have begun to engage more deeply with history as a form of difficult knowledge. It is difficult to comprehend and can be traumatic for different groups for different reasons. History as a school subject has largely been used as a tool of hegemony by presenting nationalistic dominant narratives that can marginalise and oppress students from minoritized populations. This academic work has been primarily theoretical, but small case studies of empirical analysis of how teachers and students engage with history as difficult knowledge have emerged to inform practice. This article draws from this body of work – grounded in theories of memory and identity, critical socio-cultural approaches, and psychoanalytic and trauma-informed analysis – to explore key considerations for informing teaching and learning difficult histories. These include the relationship between teacher moral commitments and engagement with or resistance to difficult histories; the role of emotion and unsettling nature of difficult knowledge, and making assumptions about what representations of historic social trauma are or are not traumatising for young people. These considerations have implications for teaching and teacher education.
Microwave-Induced Thermoacoustic Effect in Dielectrics and its Coupling to External Medium--A Thermodynamical Formulation

A thorough formulation of electromagnetic wave interaction with biological systems is presented. The thermodynamic process of the microwave-induced thermoacoustic generation is clearly defined. Couplings of the acoustic and thermal energies to the surrounding medium are included through consideration of discontinuities of thermodynamical variables and microwave exposure. Contrary to prior analyses, it is shown that acoustic waves may be generated by pulsed microwaves, even in the absence of inhomogeneity of microwave absorption, owing to discontinuities of thermodynamical variables and microwave exposure conditions across the interface. General equations for the thermoacoustic waves are derived, and the validity of the first-order linear approximation is estimated in terms of its percentage error. For a system with water as the absorbing dielectric interfacing with air of 1 atmosphere pressure, the first-order approximation becomes invalid for a peak specific absorption rate greater than 13 kW/gm.
Interval Kalman Filtering in Navigation System Design for an Uninhabited Surface Vehicle

This paper reports on the potential application of interval Kalman filtering techniques in the design of a navigation system for an uninhabited surface vehicle named Springer. The interval Kalman filter (IKF) is investigated for this task since it has had limited exposure for such usage. A state-space model of the Springer steering dynamics is used to provide a framework for the application of the Kalman filter (KF) and IKF algorithms for estimating the heading angle of the vessel under erroneous modelling assumptions. Simulations reveal several characteristics of the IKF, which are then discussed, and a review of the work undertaken to date presented and explained in the light of these characteristics, with suggestions on potential future improvements.
Active filter using cascade connection of switching regulators

The stability of cascade connected switched mode power converters is investigated. The first stage is the boost power converter for correcting power factor and the second stage is the buck power converter for regulating output voltage. In this paper, the authors show that increasing the feedforward gain of the first stage makes the second stage more stable and that good regulation is achieved by increasing the feedback gain of the second stage.
Ocean Bottom Electromagnetometer Carried From Bonin to Ryukyu Islands by Sea Currents

Ocean bottom electromagnetometers (OBEMs) installed on the seafloor around Nishinoshima Island (Bonin Islands) were missing after a December volcanic eruption. In February 2021, one was found on a beach on Iriomote Island (Ryukyu Islands), implying that it drifted westward for 1,700 km. The reason(s) for the disappearance of the OBEMs and the path followed by the recovered OBEM while drifting are important information for future ocean bottom observations and seafloor volcanology in general. We conducted particle drifting simulations with and without horizonal eddy diffusion to estimate the possible drift path and duration of the recovered OBEM. Our simulations show that particles transported from Nishinoshima have a 7-10 % probability of arriving at Iriomote Island, which is thus not a rare occurrence. Transport durations in our simulations varied widely between 140 and 602 days depending on the drift paths. The most likely drift duration in our simulation was 150 – 180 days, with or without eddy diffusion, corresponding to the release from the seafloor of the OBEM between 22 August and 21 September 2020. These dates follow shortly after intensifying eruptions at Nishinoshima, which may have affected the seafloor around the island. A similar drift duration and path was reported for pumices that erupted from Fukutoku-Oka-no-Ba submarine volcano (northern Bonin Islands) during 18-21 January 1986 and arrived in the Ryukyu Islands in late May 1986. Such drifting simulations may prove useful for identifying the sources of drift pumices, and thus otherwise undetectable eruptions. Finally, the Fukutoku-Oka-no-Ba submarine volcano erupted on 13 August 2021, producing abundant pumice rafts that, based on our results, will likely arrive in the Ryukyu Islands in the coming months.
Overview of Visual SLAM for Mobile Robots

Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) technology refers to the technology of self-localization and construction of environmental maps based on visual sensors. It plays an important role in the field of autonomous mobile robots and autonomous vehicle navigation. This article introduces the classic framework and basic theory of visual SLAM, as well as the common methods and research progress of each part, enumerates the landmark achievements in the visual SLAM research process, and introduces the latest ORB-SLAM3. Finally, the current problems and future research directions of visual SLAM are proposed.
Parametric Evaluation of Internet of Things Applications to Freight Transportation Using Model-Based Systems Engineering

The intended purpose of an intelligent transportation systems (ITS) project is to automate operations through device-to-device connectivity. These devices generally represent stakeholder’s endpoints and expose interfaces to automated operations. Current trends in communication allow more applications and devices to perform functions traditionally allocated to the transportation ITS infrastructure. This connected environment of industrial internet of things presents design challenges because of the diversity of stakeholders, interfaces, and the messages among them. This may require new ways in which ITS planning can handle the scale and complexity of these highly connected systems. This work focuses on the modeling of the architecture of a freight-focused ITS application, including maritime ports. The proposed model integrates stakeholders, behaviors, and messages using the Systems Modeling Language (SysML). The key contribution of this work is to demonstrate the creation of an executable SysML model for an ITS application without sacrificing the typical Systems Engineering Management Plan artifacts (e.g., requirements traceability matrices and interface control documents). At the same time, the proposed model provides a re-usable pattern to support parametric analysis of candidate architectures with respect to any measure of effectiveness. This allows establishing a single source of architecture definition and having multiple architecture specializations depending on the measure of effectiveness being evaluated. Recommendations for implementation and integration with existing ITS tools are provided.
Can area-wide building retrofitting affect the urban microclimate? An LES study for Berlin, Germany

In this work we investigate the effect of area-wide building retrofitting on summer-time, street-level outdoor temperatures in an urban district in Berlin, Germany. We perform two building-resolving, week-long large-eddy simulations: one with non-retrofitted buildings and the other with retrofitted buildings in the entire domain to meet today’s energy efficiency standards. The comparison of the two simulations reveals that the mean outdoor temperatures are higher with retrofitted buildings during daytime conditions. This behavior is caused by the much smaller inertia of the outermost roof/wall layer in the retrofitting case, which is thermally decoupled from the inner roof/wall layers by an insulation layer. As a result, the outermost layer heats up more rigorously during the daytime, leading to increased sensible heat fluxes into the atmosphere. During the nighttime, the outermost layer’s temperature drops down faster, resulting in cooling of the atmosphere. However, as the simulation progresses the cooling effect becomes smaller and the warming effect becomes larger. After one week we find the mean temperatures to be 4 K higher during the daytime, while the cooling effects become negligible.
CFD modelling of mixing and separation in multiphase flows

Mixing and separation of materials in multiphase flows are extremely common and frequent operations in chemical and process engineering. For example, stirred reactor is used to give good mixing and uniform dispersion of catalyst particles in the reactor to ensure uniform quality product is produced. At the end of the process, the catalyst particles may need to be recovered and removed from the product by separation equipment such as a settling tank. The commonly asked questions by plant operators in relation to these processes are: (a) What is the optimum rotating speed should be set for the stirrer to give uniform dispersion of the catalyst particles. (b) What is the appropriate settling time to allow for complete separation and recovery of the catalyst particles in the settling tank. Answers to these questions could have considerable financial impact in the operations of the equipment. Increasingly numerical analyses based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) are used to help providing these answers. In this paper the multiphase flow model in the commercially available CFD software, STAR-CD, is used in simulations of (a) mixing and suspension of catalyst particles in a stirred tank and (b) separation of particles in a settling tank. In the stirred tank experiment, three different stirrer speeds were considered. At different stirrer speed the particles were lifted to a different level in the tank. The levels of particle suspension computed by STAR-CD for all three stirrer-speeds were found to be in good agreement with the measured data from the laboratory. For the settling tank, the computed settling time and the height of the settled layer were also found to be in good agreement with experimental and analytical values.
Research on Double CCD Dimensional Metrology Applying in Large Forge Piece

As development of computer vision, stereoscopic vision sensors have been used more and more widely, and double CCD vision sensor with its simplicity of operator, highaccuracy and high-efficiency has been used in many spheres. It can be used in dimensional metrology of large forge piece, which greatly improves the efficiency and accuracy of large forge piece measurement.
The role of wood anatomical traits in the coexistence of oak species along an environmental gradient

Abstract Oaks (Quercus) are a dominant woody plant genus in the northern hemisphere, which occupy a wide range of habitats and are ecologically diverse. We analysed the wood anatomical traits, the variables derived and the relative hydraulic conductivity of 21 oak species to identify their performance according to abiotic factors, leaf phenological patterns and phylogenetic restrictions by analysing the interspecific variation along an environmental gradient. First, we determine the causes of anatomical trait variation in the oaks, analysing the functional trade-offs related to distribution along the environmental gradient. We measure the phenotypic plasticity of the anatomical traits to determine the role of environment and geographic distance in the range of phenotypic plasticity. Second, we examined if oaks co-occurred along the environmental gradient. Then we analysed if wood anatomical traits reflect differences among their phylogenetic section, leaf habit and a phylogenetic section/leaf habit category. Last, we tested the phylogenetic signal. Our results showed that vessel diameter, vessel frequency, wood density and relative hydraulic conductivity are the main axes of trait variation in the species analysed among leaf habit categories. The aridity index and seasonal precipitation drive the variation in the analysed traits. Higher environmental distance resulted in a higher relative distance plasticity index among traits. Co-occurrence of oak species with different leaf habits and phylogenetic trajectories may promote complementary resource acquisition. The phylogenetic signal in the oak species studied was low, which implies labile wood traits.
The SusHouse methodology. Design orienting scenarios for sustainable solutions

This paper describes the conclusions of the SusHouse (Strategies towards the Sustainable Household) Project that has been exploring possible socially and technologically innovative strategies for sustainable households.The Project has covered 3 household 'functions: Clothing Care, Shelter (Heating, Cooling and Lighting) and Food (Shopping, Cooking and Eating). These have been studied in 5 European countries (Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, and UK). The methodology of the Project has involved stakeholder workshops, the construction of design-orienting scenarios, environmental, economic and consumer assessment of the scenarios and strategy formulation. The paper describes: i. the methodology for devising Design-Orienting Scenarios, with examples from the three Functions ii. the results of environmental, economic and consumer acceptability assessments of these Scenarios iii. comments on how the methodology can be developed and applied.The methodology is specifically applicable by designers who are leading multi-stakeholder sustainable innovation processes aimed at large shifts in technology and use.
A Periodic Mirror-Reflected Circular-Polarized Leaky Wave Antenna with Dual Beam-Scanning in Dual Polarization Types

A periodic mirror-reflected circular-polarized (CP) leaky wave antenna (LWA) with dual beam-scanning in dual polarization types is reported in this paper. The unit cell of the proposed antenna consists of two oblique stubs that are orthogonally separated (90°) to create a circular polarization. In order to achieve better CP (axial ratio (AR) < 3dB) and beam-scanning characteristics for the periodic CP antenna, a new method of adding a groove at the junction of stubs within the unit cell is introduced. To realize dual beam-scanning in dual circular polarization, a metal via is added at the end of the antenna to generate a mirror reflection. A mirror-reflected structure is fabricated and measured. The measured results show that the right-handed CP (RHCP) scanning range of the incident beam is -31°~-8° and 5°~-14°, and the left-handed CP (LHCP) scanning range of the corresponding reflected beam is 31°~6° and -6°~-15°. The measured results are in good agreement with the simulated ones.
Negotiating the value of “corporations’ capital” in Norwegian Early Childhood Education and Care provision

ABSTRACT In this article I investigate how corporate Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) providers negotiate their position by contributing to a national ECEC policy development process. I discuss how their political engagement connects to changes in the institutional arrangements of the ECEC sector. The ECEC provider corporations’ written responses to a policy consulting process are obtained and analyzed in light of Bourdieu-inspired theories of institutonalized organizational fields. The proposed new regulations are both countered and reframed in their responses. Providers with corporate organizational structures in unison call for for firmer national guidelines on ECEC centre quality and funding. I interpret their responses as attempts to increase the relevance of ‘corporations’ capital’ over the raditional, local network embedded capital forms in quality ECEC provision. At this juncture, the corporate providers failed to shift competence from municipalities to national ECEC authorities The following parliamentary debate illuminates how non-profit provision in corporate organizational structures may appeal to left-wing parties rejecting commercial welfare provisions. A subgroup of for-profit corporate providers emphasizes sector cost-efficiency, connecting strongly to right-wing politicians’ ambitions to limit public spending. Corporate providers hence represent an impetus for institutional change, able to build allies across the whole left–right spectre of politics.