Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Critical Role of the Acetylene Content and Fe/C Ratio on the Thickness and Density of Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotubes Grown at Low Temperature by a One-Step Catalytic Chemical Vapor Deposition Process

The present work explores the role of the carbon source content and the Fe/C ratio on the synthesis of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) by one-step aerosol-assisted CCVD operated at a medium temperature (615 °C) on aluminum substrates. The main objective was to overcome the limitations of VACNT growth, constituting a drawback for applications requiring thick VACNTs. By using acetylene as carbon feedstock and ferrocene as a catalyst precursor, we demonstrate that when acetylene content is reduced to 1.5 vol%, it is possible to grow VACNT carpets up to 700 µm thick while maintaining constant VACNT growth for a long duration (up to 160 min). The carbon conversion yield is significantly improved when the acetylene content reaches 1.5 vol%. The Al surface roughness also influences VACNT growth. An optimum Fe/C ratio of 0.8 wt. % coupled with a low acetylene content gives the highest growth rate (5.4 µm/min) ever reported for a thermal aerosol-assisted CCVD process operated at such a low temperature. The CNT number density can be controlled by varying the Fe/C ratio, enabling high density growth (e.g., 1.3 × 1011 CNT/cm2).
Microfluidic Sliding Paper-Based Device for Point-of-Care Determination of Albumin-to-Creatine Ratio in Human Urine

A novel assay platform consisting of a microfluidic sliding double-track paper-based chip and a hand-held Raspberry Pi detection system is proposed for determining the albumin-to-creatine ratio (ACR) in human urine. It is a clinically important parameter and can be used for the early detection of related diseases, such as renal insufficiency. In the proposed method, the sliding layer of the microchip is applied and the sample diffuses through two parallel filtration channels to the reaction/detection areas of the microchip to complete the detection reaction, which is a simple method well suited for self-diagnosis of ACR index in human urine. The RGB (red, green, and blue) value intensity signals of the reaction complexes in these two reaction zones are analyzed by a Raspberry Pi computer to derive the ACR value (ALB and CRE concentrations). It is shown that the G + B value intensity signal is linearly related to the ALB and CRE concentrations with the correlation coefficients of R2 = 0.9919 and R2 = 0.9923, respectively. It is additionally shown that the ALB and CRE concentration results determined using the proposed method for 23 urine samples were collected from real suffering chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients are in fine agreement with those acquired operating a traditional high-reliability macroscale method. Overall, for point-of-care (POC) CKD diagnosis and monitoring in clinical applications, the results prove that the proposed method offers a convenient, real time, reliable, and low-spending solution for POC CKD diagnosis.
Facial expression recognition using feature additive pooling and progressive fine‐tuning of CNN

Facial expression recognition is one of the most important tasks in human–computer interaction, affective computing, computer vision, and related work. Feature additive pooling and progressive fine-tuning of the convolutional neural network (CNN) for facial expression recognition in a static image are introduced. Network is proposed that partially employs the visual geometry group (VGG)-face model pre-trained on a VGG-face dataset. The characteristics and distribution of the facial expression images in each database are biased according to the purpose of the publicly available facial database used. To alleviate this problem, a CNN model is developed that merges progressively fine-tuned CNNs into a single network. Experiments were carried out to validate the presented method using facial expression images from the Cohn–Kanade +, Karolinska directed emotional face, and Japanese female facial expression databases, and cross-database evaluation results show that the method is superior to state-of-the-art methods.
Open-Ended Evolution for Minecraft Building Generation

This article proposes a procedural content generator which evolves Minecraft buildings according to an open-ended and intrinsic definition of novelty. To realize this goal, we evaluate individuals’ novelty in the latent space using a 3-D autoencoder (AE), and alternate between phases of exploration and transformation. During exploration the system evolves multiple populations of CPPNs through CPPN-NEAT and constrained novelty search in the latent space (defined by the current AE). We apply a set of repair and constraint functions to ensure candidates adhere to basic structural rules during evolution. During transformation, we reshape the boundaries of the latent space to identify new interesting areas of the solution space by retraining the AE with novel content. In this study, we evaluate five different approaches for training the AE during transformation and its impact on populations’ quality and diversity during evolution. Our results show that by retraining the AE we can achieve better open-ended complexity compared to a static model, which is further improved when retraining using larger datasets of individuals with diverse complexities.
Relationship Between Metabolites of Vitamin D, Free 25-(OH)D, and Physical Performance in Indoor and Outdoor Athletes

The potential effects of vitamin D in athletes have received considerable attention in the literature. However, little is known about vitamin D metabolites and their association with physical performance in athletes. Therefore, the aim of our study was to determine the relationship between metabolites of vitamin D, vitamin D binding protein (VDBP), free, bioavailable 25-(OH)D, and physical fitness tests in athletes. A total of 40 indoor and outdoor players (16 judoists and 24 football players) participated in the study. Vitamin D metabolites (25-(OH)D, 24,25-(OH)2D3, 3-epi-25-(OH)D3, and 1,25-(OH)2D) were assessed using LM-MS/MS. Free 25-(OH)D concentration was evaluated by calculation using serum albumin and VDBP levels. Athletic performance was assessed using handgrip and vertical jump. Our study showed a significant correlation between vitamin D metabolites and handgrip strength and vertical jump variables in indoor players. It demonstrated a significant association between 3-epi-25-(OH)D3 and vertical jump parameters in outdoor players. The results of our study showed relationship between free, bioavailable 25-(OH)D, and vertical jump variables in indoor players. In conclusion, we provide novel information on the vitamin D metabolites and athletic performance in athletes. Based on the results of our study, we concluded that vitamin D metabolites might be involved in skeletal muscle function in relation to athletic performance.
Incidence and Predictors of Virological Failure Among Adult HIV/AIDS Patients on Second-Line Anti-Retroviral Therapy, in Selected Public Hospital of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Retrospective Follow-Up Study

Introduction Virological suppression for persons living with HIV (PLHIV) on antiretroviral therapy (ART) reached 85% at the end of 2018, still falling short of the UNAIDS target of 95%. In Ethiopia, there were studies on treatment failure focusing on viral suppression and immunological failure of ART users, but none of them have addressed virological failure for second-line regimens. Objective This study was aimed to estimate the incidence and predictors of virological failure among HIV patients who were switched to second-line ART at the selected public hospitals in Addis Ababa. Methods An institutional-based retrospective follow-up study was conducted from September 2018 to January 2021 at public hospitals in Addis Ababa. The sample size was determined by using the Schoenfeld formula. Data entry were done by Epi Data version-4.6. 0.0 and exported to R-software version-4.1. 0 for analysis. Kaplan–Meier methods were used to compare the survival estimates. Cox proportional hazard model was used to identify predictors of virological failure and model adequacy was checked by using the Cox–Snell residuals plot. Results Overall 44 (12.22%) HIV/AIDS patients developed virological failure with incidence density of 3.57/1000 Person-Month (PM) with 95% CI of [2.65–4.79]. Age >45 years (AHR=0.36, 95% CI: 0.12–0.99), CD4 count <100cell/mm3 (AHR=3.02, 95% CI: 1.17–7.78), TB co-infection (AHR=2.48, 95% CI: 1.10–6.33), ATV/r-based second-line regimen (AHR=0.27, 95% CI: 0.11–0.70), and poor adherence at the start of second-line ART (AHR=6.18, 95% CI: 1.93–19.76) were the significant predictors of virological failure. Conclusion A high incidence of virological failure was noticed. The rate of virological failure was higher for patients who had poor ART adherence, small CD4count, and TB co-infection. Therefore, targeted HIV care interventions shall be provided to young ages and efforts stepped up to improve adherence to ART, which helps to increase immunity and suppress viral replication. In addition, prevention and early detection of TB co-infection are crucial to the patients.
Wideband balanced filters with sharp rejection based on coupled lines and stubs

Two novel high selectivity wideband balanced filters based on coupled lines with multiple transmission zeros/poles are proposed in this article. Four and six transmission zeros out of the passband for the differential mode can be achieved and adjusted by the loaded coupled lines independently, resulting in over 15 dB/20 dB out‐of‐band rejection, respectively. In addition, the common mode can be suppressed >15 dB/20 dB over a wide frequency band with five and seven transmission zeros. Two prototypes with 3 dB fractional bandwidths of 56% and 42.7% for the differential mode are designed and fabricated. Good agreements can be observed between measured results and theoretical expectations.
Improving reconstruction of targets hidden in scattering media by introducing the Lucy-Richardson deconvolution algorithm into a system of multiview optical projections

A method that combines Lucy-Richardson deconvolution algorithm (LRA) with a multiview projection setup to improve imaging reconstruction of objects embedded in scattering media is presented. In the first step, the medium was illuminated with a laser beam and single-shot multiple images of the object were obtained from different viewpoints. Next, the above procedure was performed under the same conditions but only the medium, without the object, was illuminated by a light point source to obtain the system PSF. Third, each sub-image of the object was digitally cropped, extracted from the array, and deconvolved with the average PSF image following the LRA. Finally, all the sub-deconvolved images were shifted to a common point and superimposed to reveal the shape of the hidden object. Various setup conditions including medium turbidity, thickness, target shape, and illumination state were tested and compared. Results indicate an effective performance of the proposed method.
Impact of Wind Power Penetration on Wind–Thermal-Bundled Transmission System

The wind–thermal-bundled transmission system is a feasible way to transmit wind power generation; however, the stability of the system should be paid more attention under high wind power penetration. In this article, the impact of wind energy penetration on torsional vibration and electrical characteristics is investigated for wind–thermal-bundled transmitted by high-voltage direct current system. The torsional vibration responses of generator shaft with different wind–thermal-bundled ratios are analyzed by time and frequency methods. The electrical characteristics of wind–thermal-bundled transmission system are disclosed under the influence of the wind farm penetration. The analysis illustrates that the penetration of doubly fed induction generation makes the torsional vibration of turbo generator and wind turbine shaft present different mode characteristics, and the risks of different modes are different. The current and voltage of wind–thermal-bundled transmission system show regular evolution with the change of wind–thermal-bundled proportion. Analytical results provide the value for the design and control of the wind–thermal-bundled transmitted system, which contributes to the improvement of power system stability.
Individuals With Mental Illnesses on Probation: The Intersection of Trauma, Race, and Gender

Little research exists about PTSD and traumatic experiences among justice-involved individuals with mental illnesses and how those experiences differ by race and gender. We examined traumatic experiences and PTSD among 187 individuals with serious mental illnesses on probation in the United States: 94% of participants experienced a traumatic event, rates of PTSD were highest among Black women (p < .001), and rates of sexual assault were highest among White women (p < .001). Justice-involved individuals with mental illnesses have complex needs and an elevated risk of PTSD and exposure to traumatic events, which has implications for probation policy and practice.
Fundamental: Optimizing a Teacher Professional Development Program for Teaching STEM with Robotics Through Design-based Research

Mizanoor Rahman received Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Mie University at Tsu, Japan. He then worked as a research fellow at the National University of Singapore (NUS), a researcher at Vrije University of Brussels (Belgium) and a postdoctoral associate at Clemson University, USA. He is currently working as a postdoctoral associate at the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department, Tandon School of Engineering, New York University (NYU), NY, USA. His research and teaching interests include robotics, mechatronics, control systems, electro-mechanical design, human factors/ergonomics, engineering psychology, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, computer vision, biomimetics and biomechanics with applications to industrial manipulation and manufacturing, healthcare and rehabilitation, social services, unmanned autonomous vehicle (aerial and ground, indoor and outdoor) systems and STEM education.
Secure and Intelligent Service Function Chain for Sustainable Services in Healthcare Cyber Physical Systems

The gradual integration of Internet of Things (IoT) devices has made the healthcare cyber physical systems (CPSs) ubiquitous and complex. Since IoT devices are heterogeneous, it is crucial to virtualize these devices in a general way so as to orchestrate and allocate their equipped functions and resources in a general manner. Network function virtualization (NFV) is the key networking technology towards the device virtualization. Within NFV, service function chain (SFC) is the crucial issue. While in real networking environment, physical device accidentally fails. How to guarantee the SFC, deployed on top of one or more failed devices, recover to work has not been well addressed yet. Hence, we research this issue, aiming at realizing the secure and sustainable SFC placement and scheduling in an intelligent manner. An intelligent SFC placement and scheduling framework, labeled as Sec-SFC-Intell, is proposed in this paper. When receiving a SFC request, the Sec-SFC-Intell will deploy the SFC on top of the healthcare CPSs. When the failure of certain one physical device is detected, the affected SFC will be re-placed and re-scheduled in order to recover to run and serve. In order to prove the feasibility and highlight the merits of Sec-SFC-Intell, simulation work is conducted. Compared with two compared benchmarks, Sec-SFC-Intell has an apparent SFC acceptance advantage of nearly 10%.
Major sport stadia, water resources and climate change: impacts and adaptation

ABSTRACT Research question This paper explores the impact of climate change on major Australian sport stadia, and organizational responses. Specifically, we explore how climate change impacts the water resources used at such stadia and implications for the organizations managing this critical sport infrastructure. Research methods We adopted a qualitative case study method focusing on organizations that own and/or manage major sport stadia. Data were collected primarily through semi-structured interviews with participants representing 12 of Australia's 14 major sport stadiums. Data were analyzed using an interpretive process, and themes were developed relating to geo-physical, commercial and regulatory impacts, and adaptive responses. Results and findings The analysis identified six climate change issues pertaining to water resources: (a) reduced rainfall, (b) increased evaporation from playing surfaces (c) water supply restrictions and other regulation, (d) higher water supply costs, (e) capital costs for water management infrastructure, and (f) negative public perceptions of high water consumption. The three organizational water management strategies were: (a) water harvesting, (b) water storage, and (c) water recycling. These strategies are indicative of adaptation responses to climate impacts. Implications Given the long-term nature of climate change, and the proliferation of water-related public policy activity in recent years, stadium organizations will likely benefit from including climate change and adaptation in their strategic thinking.
Rolling horizon, multi-product production planning with chance constraints and forecast evolution for wafer fabs

In this paper, we study production planning models for semiconductor wafer fabrication facilities (wafer fabs) that consider both safety stocks at the finished goods inventory level and workload-dependent lead times. The evolution of demand forecasts over time follows the multiplicative Martingale Model of Forecast Evolution (MMFE) for multiple products and is incorporated into the planning models via shortfall-based chance constraints, permitting the simultaneous determination of production quantities and safety stocks. We study two variants of this formulation, one that considers forecast updates and one that does not. A planning model with workload-dependent lead times that does not consider safety stocks is used for comparison. The performance of the planning models is assessed in a rolling horizon environment using a simulation model of a scaled-down wafer fab. We find that the chance-constrained model with forecast updates outperforms the one without forecast updates with respect to expected service level and profit. Both chance-constrained models outperform the model without safety stocks. These results indicate that considering forecast evolution in production planning models can lead to improved performance by exploiting the advance demand information provided by the forecast updates.
Early Fault Detection in the Main Bearing of Wind Turbines Based on Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) Neural Networks and SCADA Data

Failures in the main bearings of wind turbines are critical in terms of downtime and replacement cost. Early diagnosis of their faults would lower the levelized cost of wind energy. Thus, this work discusses a gated recurrent unit (GRU) neural network, which detects faults in the main bearing some months ahead (when the event that initiates/develops the failure releases heat) the actual fatal fault materializes. GRUs feature internal gates that govern information flow and are utilized in this study for their capacity to understand whether data in a time series is crucial enough to preserve or forget. It is noteworthy that the proposed methodology only requires healthy supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) data. Thus, it can be deployed to old wind parks (nearing the end of their lifespan) where specific high-frequency condition monitoring sensors are not installed and to new wind parks where faulty historical data do not exist yet. The strategy is trained, validated, and finally tested using SCADA data from an in-production wind park composed of nine wind turbines.
Analysis of Prognostic Risk Factors of Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection (ESD) and Curative Resection of Gastrointestinal Neuroendocrine Neoplasms

Objective To explore the prognostic risk factors of ESD curative resection of gastrointestinal-neuroendocrine neoplasms (GI-NENs). Methods A total of 97 patients treated with ESD successfully in our hospital were selected, their surgical site, size, number of resection lesions, operation time, intraoperative complications (such as bleeding and perforation), and treatment status were recorded, and the number of hemostatic clamps used after the postoperative follow-up results and the independent risk factors for ESD complications were obtained through the comparison between the noncomplication group and the ESD complication group using regression analysis. Results A total of 97 patients with gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors were treated with ESD. 61 were males, 36 were females, the ratio of male to female was 1.7 : 1, onset age was 20–78 years old, and median onset age was 50 years old. In 81 cases, tumors were located in the stomach, 10 in the duodenum, and 6 in the rectum. A total of 103 lesions were detected by endoscopy, including 1 case with 2 sites in the stomach, 5 cases with 2 sites in the rectum, and the rest were single. The tumor diameter was 0.3 ∼ 2.5 cm, and the median diameter was 0.6 cm; there were 25 sites with a diameter less than 5 cm. There were 57 places with 10 mm, 16 places with 10–15 mm, and 5 places with >15 mm. All ESD operations were performed in one piece, with a total resection rate of 100%; 89.6% (60/67) of postoperative pathology showed negative basal, and 90.3% (56/62) showed negative resection margin, with a complete resection rate of 88.9% (48/54). ESD's operation time is 6 ∼ 66 min, and the median time is 18 min. During the operation, 5 cases had small amount of bleeding, 3 cases were perforated, 2 cases of delayed postoperative bleeding, 1 case of bleeding was caused by the patient's failure to follow the advice of the doctor to eat a large amount of solid food too early, and 1 case of delayed perforation (all recovered and discharged). ESD operation that bled, age, gender, and perforation location, pathological grade, pathological classification, tumor diameter, tumor surface, operation time, number of titanium clips, origin, echo uniformity, and echo level were statistically insignificant (P > 0.05). Postoperative bleeding was related to the operation time (P=0.017), but it was not an independent risk factor for postoperative bleeding (P=0.118; OR, 0.226; 95% CI, 0.035–1.461). 59 cases were followed up by endoscopy after the operation, and recurrence or no new tumors were found. Conclusion ESD is an effective and safe treatment method for gastrointestinal neuroendocrine tumors with a diameter of 1-2 cm without invading the muscularis propria. The intraoperative complications seem to have little relationship with the patient; postoperative delayed bleeding is closely related to the ESD operation time but it is not an independent risk factor.