Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Early-Life Exposure to the Chinese Famine and Risk of Cognitive Decline

Previous studies on the Chinese famine suggested long-term effects of early-life famine exposure on health conditions. This study aims to investigate the association between exposure to the Chinese famine of 1959–1961 at different early-life stages and the risk of cognitive decline in adulthood. A total of 6417 adults born between 1952 and 1964 in the 2015 survey data of China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study were included in this study. Cognitive performance was estimated through a series of comprehensive neuropsychological tests, including the Telephone Interview of Cognitive Status (TICS-10), word recall, and pentagon drawing. Multiple generalized linear model (GLM) was employed to detect the association between multi-stage early-life famine exposure and late-life cognitive performance. Compared with the unexposed group, respondents exposed to famine in the fetal period performed worse in the TICS (difference −0.52, 95% confidence interval (CI): −0.93 to −0.10), word recall (difference −0.46, 95% CI: −0.74 to −0.19), and general cognition (difference −1.05, 95% CI: −1.64 to −0.47). Furthermore, we also found negative effects of famine exposure on performance of word recall and pentagon drawing in the early (word recall difference −0.56, 95% CI: −1.00 to −0.11; pentagon drawing difference −0.76, 95% CI: −1.40 to −0.12), mid (word recall difference −0.46, 95% CI: −0.81 to −0.11; pentagon drawing difference −0.66, 95% CI: −1.16 to −0.16), and late (word recall difference −0.30, 95% CI: −0.55 to −0.04; pentagon drawing difference −0.75, 95% CI: −1.13 to −0.37) childhood-exposed groups. Early-life famine exposure in different stages is positively associated with late-life cognitive decline. Fetal famine exposure might affect the overall cognitive status in adulthood, and childhood famine exposure has potential adverse effects on visuospatial episodic memory.
A novel SLC12A1 mutation in Bedouin kindred with antenatal Bartter syndrome type I

Four affected individuals of consanguineous kindred presented at infancy with an apparently autosomal recessive syndrome of polyuria and hypokalemic metabolic alkalosis, following maternal polyhydramnios and premature delivery, culminating in severe failure to thrive. Hypercalciuria, nephrocalcinosis, and hyperaldosteronism were further apparent as well as an unusual finding of intermittent hypernatremia. Additionally, all patients demonstrated variable micrognathia with upper respiratory airway abnormalities. As neither postnatal hyperkalemia nor permanent hearing deficits were shown, clinical assessment was consistent with antenatal Bartter syndrome (ABS) type I, which was never described before in the Israeli Bedouin population. Through genome‐wide linkage analysis, we identified a single ∼3.3 Mbp disease‐associated locus on chromosome 15q21.1, segregating within the pedigree. Whole‐exome sequencing revealed a single novel homozygous missense mutation within this locus, in SLC12A1, encoding the Na‐K‐Cl cotransporter, NKCC2, in accordance with the clinical diagnosis. In this concise study, we report a novel missense mutation within the SLC12A1 gene, causing a severe form of ABS type I, the first to be described in Israeli Bedouins, with unusual clinical features of hypernatremia caused by nephrogenic diabetes insipidus and putatively related micrognathia with upper airway abnormalities .
Subjective Evaluation of Denture Adhesives: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial

Introduction: Many reports show that denture adhesives improve the retention and stability of dentures. However, few randomized controlled trials have examined the effects of denture adhesives. Objective: This 10-center randomized controlled trial with parallel groups involving 200 edentulous patients wearing complete dentures aimed to evaluate the effects of short-term use of cream and powder denture adhesives. Methods: Patients were allocated into 2 cream- and powder-type adhesive groups and 1 control group. Intervention groups were treated with the 2 adhesives (1 each), and the control group received saline solution. Adhesive or control was applied to the denture-mucosal surface for 4 d, and data at baseline and after day 4 of intervention (i.e., 8 meals) were obtained. Patient satisfaction was evaluated with a 100-mm visual analog scale. Oral health–related quality of life was measured with the Japanese version of the Oral Health Impact Profile for Edentulous Patients. Perceived chewing ability was evaluated by a questionnaire regarding ease of chewing and swallowing food. Between-group comparisons were performed with Kruskal-Wallis tests with the Mann-Whitney U test adjusted by Bonferroni correction. Within-group comparisons of pre- and postintervention measurements were performed with the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Intention-to-treat analysis was also performed. Results: Between-group comparisons showed no significant differences for general satisfaction or Oral Health Impact Profile for Edentulous Patients. However, significant differences in satisfaction with various denture functions with cream- and powder-type adhesives were seen in pre- and postintervention comparisons (P < 0.05). Significant differences were also observed for perceived chewing ability of hard foods (P < 0.05). Conclusion: These results suggest that although denture adhesives do not invariably improve denture function, they do affect subjective evaluations and possibly chewing of hard foods. Therefore, the effects of denture adhesive use are insufficient to resolve any fundamental dissatisfaction with dentures (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01712802). Knowledge Transfer Statement: The results of this study suggest that denture adhesives should be applied under certain conditions; however, an appropriate diagnosis is important before application. These practice-based data provide information to establish evidence-based guidelines for applying denture adhesives.
Draft Genome Sequence of Lecanicillium sp. Isolate LEC01, a Fungus Capable of Hydrocarbon Degradation

Lecanicillium sp. isolate LEC01 is adapted to grow in the presence of jet fuel, employing genes involved in the degradation of alkanes and aromatic hydrocarbons. The draft genome is estimated at 31,407,988 bp and has 9,737 proteins, 50.0% G+C content, and high similarity to Lecanicillium sp. strain CCF 5233. ABSTRACT Lecanicillium sp. isolate LEC01 is adapted to grow in the presence of jet fuel, employing genes involved in the degradation of alkanes and aromatic hydrocarbons. The draft genome is estimated at 31,407,988 bp and has 9,737 proteins, 50.0% G+C content, and high similarity to Lecanicillium sp. strain CCF 5233.
Parasite prevalence increases with temperature in an avian metapopulation in northern Norway

Abstract Climate and weather conditions may have substantial effects on the ecology of both parasites and hosts in natural populations. The strength and shape of the effects of weather on parasites and hosts are likely to change as global warming affects local climate. These changes may in turn alter fundamental elements of parasite–host dynamics. We explored the influence of temperature and precipitation on parasite prevalence in a metapopulation of avian hosts in northern Norway. We also investigated if annual change in parasite prevalence was related to winter climate, as described by the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). We found that parasite prevalence increased with temperature within-years and decreased slightly with increasing precipitation. We also found that a mild winter (positive winter NAO index) was associated with higher mean parasite prevalence the following year. Our results indicate that both local and large scale weather conditions may affect the proportion of hosts that become infected by parasites in natural populations. Understanding the effect of climate and weather on parasite–host relationships in natural populations is vital in order to predict the full consequence of global warming.
The fate of cells undergoing spontaneous DNA damage during development

ABSTRACT Embryonic development involves extensive and often rapid cell proliferation. An unavoidable side effect of cell proliferation is DNA damage. The consequences of spontaneous DNA damage during development are not clear. Here, we define an approach to determine the effects of DNA damage on cell fate choice. Using single cell transcriptomics, we identified a subpopulation of Dictyostelium cells experiencing spontaneous DNA damage. Damaged cells displayed high expression of rad51, with the gene induced by multiple types of genotoxic stress. Using live imaging, we tracked high Rad51 cells from differentiation onset until cell fate assignment. High Rad51 cells were shed from multicellular structures, excluding damaged cells from the spore population. Cell shedding resulted from impaired cell motility and defective cell-cell adhesion, with damaged cells additionally defective in activation of spore gene expression. These data indicate DNA damage is not insulated from other aspects of cell physiology during development and multiple features of damaged cells prevent propagation of genetic error. Our approach is generally applicable for monitoring rare subpopulations during development, and permits analysis of developmental perturbations occurring within a physiological dynamic range. Summary: A combination of single cell transcriptomics and live cell imaging reveals multiple mechanisms by which cells experiencing spontaneous DNA damage are marginalised from normal development.
A Method of NTL Detection in Smart Electricity Consumption

Nontechnical loss has been a significant factor to influence the profits of electric power companies. In the smart electricity consumption environment, the population of smart metering is helpful to collect the load data directly and promptly. A method of nontechnical loss detection, including offline parameter optimization and online detection, is proposed in this paper. With the updating of history data, the detection accuracy gets higher till the optimal point. Extreme learning machine is adopted to detect the nontechnical loss and genetic algorithm is used to find out the optimal parameters for each user. Finally, in the case study the real-time detection system assesses the classification accuracy and fault detection accuracy, verifying the stability of this method and advantages in reducing the cost.
Study on Mechanical Mechanics with the Testing Pressure System Based on the Multi-CPU Platform and the LCD Screen

Mechanical mechanics reduces the difficulty of work or labor for people and operates more conveniently. This research designs the testing pressure tool or device using Mechanical Mechanics.This system gets the value of the external pressure. With the help of the AD&DA, it converts the analog to the digital in the control of the multi-CPU system. The multi-CPU system is composed of core 8051 system and NBC micro-controller series motherboard.Then it will send the data to the LCD screen and display in graphical form. It can test the pressure effectively. The test results are easily to read and beautiful. It should be applied widely.
Automated Analysis of the Two-Minute Walk Test in Clinical Practice Using Accelerometer Data

One of the core problems for people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) is the impairment of their ability to walk, which can be severely restrictive in everyday life. Therefore, monitoring of ambulatory function is of great importance to be able to effectively counteract disease progression. An extensive gait analysis, such as the Dresden protocol for multidimensional walking assessment, covers several facets of walking impairment including a 2-min walk test, in which the distance taken by the patient in two minutes is measured by an odometer. Using this approach, it is questionable how precise the measuring methods are at recording the distance traveled. In this project, we investigate whether the current measurement can be replaced by a digital measurement method based on accelerometers (six Opal sensors from the Mobility Lab system) that are attached to the patient’s body. We developed two algorithms using these data and compared the validity of these approaches using the results from 2-min walk tests from 562 pwMS that were collected with a gold-standard odometer. In 48.4% of pwMS, we detected an average relative measurement error of less than 5%, while results from 25.8% of the pwMS showed a relative measurement error of up to 10%. The algorithm had difficulties correctly calculating the walking distances in another 25.8% of pwMS; these results showed a measurement error of more than 20%. A main reason for this moderate performance was the variety of pathologically altered gait patterns in pwMS that may complicate the step detection. Overall, both algorithms achieved favorable levels of agreement (r = 0.884 and r = 0.980) with the odometer. Finally, we present suggestions for improvement of the measurement system to be implemented in the future.
HOUSEHOLDS PRACTICE AND AWARENESS DIMENSION ON THE RECYCLING OF ELECTRONIC WASTE IN KANO METROPOLIS, NIGERIA

Electronic waste generation has been increasing at a rate three times faster than that of general waste stream. Developing nations like Nigeria bear the consequences as it is estimated that 500 containers, each carrying about 500,000 used computers and other electronic equipment, enter Nigeria’s ports every month from the United States, Europe and Asia. To this effect, The United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) and the Federal Government of Nigeria have announced a $15 million initiative to establish an electronic system in Nigeria, which will pioneer safe e-waste recycling in the country. It is against this background that this study was conducted to determine the households’ awareness and practice towards the recycling of e-waste, as well as the most suitable collection pattern within Kano Metropolis. The data for this study was collected using Open Data Kit (ODK) mobile phone platform, which contained questions on households’ characteristics, current practices regarding disposal and recycling of electronic waste as well as their awareness dimension on the recycling of e-waste. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to estimate the average number of unused households’ appliances and also to analyse household awareness and practice. The awareness dimension of the surveyed households about recycling of electronic waste was determined and 97% of the households are aware of the significance of electronic waste recycling. The positive statements presented about awareness indicates a positive awareness dimension about the significance of recycling electronic waste. Among the sampled households, 23% engage in e-waste recycling, and they all do this by selling their wastes (electronic waste, inclusive) to house-to-house scavengers. Majority of the households (77.4%) do not recycle electronic waste. They either keep them at home for decoration, give them out for free, burn them or dispose them in open dumpsites. The average quantity of e-waste prese
Fabrication and analysis of high-performance piezoelectric MEMS generators

In this paper, we have designed a fabrication process for microgenerators by bonding a piezoelectric ceramic Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT) plate to a silicon on insulator (SOI) wafer. The key techniques of the process include the low-temperature bonding technique using conductive epoxy resin, thinning of the bulk PZT using mechanical lapping and wet-etching combined method, and the micromachining of bulk ceramics by dicing. Through the development and optimization of the process, a piezoelectric MEMS power generator array was successfully fabricated. The typical device is selected to characterize the output performance of the microgenerators, while the composite beam dimension of PZT and silicon layer is about 3080 µm × 800 µm × 31 µm and the dimension of Ni proof mass is about 900 µm × 800 µm × 450 µm. The experimental results show that the output voltage, output power and power density of this device are 2.72 VP-P, 11.56 µW and 28 856.7 µW cm−3 at the resonant frequency of 514.1 Hz when it matches an optimal resistive load of 70 kΩ under the excitation of 1g acceleration. The output performance of this device is higher, compared with that of other reported MEMS power generators, which demonstrates that this novel technique has great potential to fabricate high-performance piezoelectric MEMS energy harvester.
A Localizable Wireless Communication Node with Remote Powering for Onboard Operations

In this paper we present the "3Node", which is a versatile wireless node that exploits radio frequency (RF) transmission for three tasks: communication, localization, and remote powering. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first avionics wireless node, which incorporates these three RF functions. The 3Node is tailored to operate onboard aerospace platforms, meeting RF radiation requirements, form factors, etc., and extended by the purpose at hand, e.g., sensing. In this paper, we present a prototypic proof of concept (POC) node, entirely based on commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components, essentially just an ultra-wideband (UWB) transceiver and an industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) band remote powering receiver. The POC is designed to fulfill aerospace spectrum regulations by band-limiting the UWB signal to the wireless avionics intra-communications (WAIC) band and adjusting the output power. Our measurements show a localization accuracy of ±10cm inside an aircraft cabin mockup and a maximum data rate of 3Mbit/s. Additionally, the impact of an onboard radio altimeter (RA) on the communication performance is analyzed. Finally, we describe the wireless remote powering feature, detailing the resulting operational modes for the 3Node.
Measuring differential pressures with multiple MEMS sensors during takeoff of an insect-like ornithopter

In this study, the differential pressure distribution on the wing surface of an insect-like ornithopter was measured directly. Three microelectromechanical system (MEMS) differential pressure sensors were attached to a wing surface in the spanwise direction. The wing length, flapping frequency, and total weight of the ornithopter were 110 mm, 15 Hz, and 7.1 g, respectively. The attachment points corresponded to 25%, 50% and 75% of the wing length and 20% of the length of the wing chord. The ornithopter took off in anterosuperior mode without yawing or rolling. At takeoff, the flapping motion of the wing induced a periodic differential pressure between the upstroke and downstroke. The average values of the maximum differential pressures were 23.5 ± 3.5 Pa, 45.2 ± 3.4 Pa, and 96.7 ± 10.0 Pa at the wing root (WR), wing center (WC), and wing tip (WT), respectively. The maximum differential pressures shifted from the WT to WR in the spanwise direction. These results reflected the aerodynamic forces acting on the insect-like ornithopter during takeoff. Two temporal aerodynamic peaks have been observed through the motion analysis of a free-flying, butterfly-modeled ornithopter Shimoyama and CFD simulation of a hovering hawkmoth 2009). differences in the signal shapes and phase lags between the WR, WC and WT sites and detachment of the leading edge vortex around the WT site in mid-downstroke, were observed through flow visualization experiments with a robotic flapper and CFD simulations of a hovering hawkmoth airflow
The effect of shoes, surface conditions and sex on leg geometry at touchdown in habitually shod runners

Leg geometry at touchdown has a critical effect on joint loading in the initial contact phase in running. The purpose of this study was to systematically investigate the effects of footwear, surface conditions and sex on the kinematic striking configuration of the lower extremity when running at a constant speed (3.5 m/s). Three-dimensional touchdown kinematics were captured from 20 male and 19 female participants when running barefoot and with a neutral running shoe on four different surfaces. On harder surfaces and when running barefoot, subjects tended to land with a more plantarflexed foot position and ankle angle as well as a more vertical shank alignment. Different adaptation strategies to running surface stiffness were observed between barefoot and shod conditions. It seems that touchdown behaviour is adapted to compensate for the force distributing and energy absorption potentials of distinct surface x shoe combinations. If the combined compliance of the shoe plus surface combination exceeds a certain level, touchdown kinematics seem to be adapted to improve joint stability during early stance. Sex effects were identified mainly in shank and thigh frontal plane orientation and knee flexion angle.
A smart and distributed measurement system to acquire and analyze mechanical motion parameters

This paper presents a low-cost and smart measurement system to acquire and analyze mechanical motion parameters. The measurement system integrates several measuring nodes that include one or more triaxial accelerometers, a temperature sensor, a data acquisition unit and a wireless communication unit. Particular attention was dedicated to measurement system accuracy and compensation of measurement errors caused by power supply voltage variations, by temperature variations and by accelerometers’ misalignments. Mathematical relationships for error compensation were derived and software routines for measurement system configuration, data acquisition, data processing, and self-testing purposes were developed. The paper includes several simulation and experimental results obtained from an assembled prototype based on a crank-piston mechanism.
Effects of formaldehyde preservation time on the length-weight relationship of the ubiquitous neotropical cladoceran Ceriodaphnia silvestrii

Abstract: Aim In this study, the effect of preservation time on total body length and dry weight of adult specimens of the neotropical cladoceran Ceriodaphnia silvestrii preserved with 4% formalin solution were examined. Methods The relationship between these variables was examined under increasing gradual time effects (i.e. 7, 30, and 60 days) after preservation using linear models and analysis of variance. Results Total body length did not statistically differ between fresh and preserved cladocerans at any preservation time, whereas dry weight was drastically reduced with increasing preservation time, with 15, 47 and 57% weight losses. Length-weight relationships were significantly and positively related in all treatments, though higher values of slope were found for fresh and 7 days samples. Conclusions We highlight that, for Ceriodaphnia silvestrii, the use of the formalin solution as a preservation fixative is not adequate when the major interest is biomass estimation. Also, we recommend that dry weight estimations from preserved samples should be done as soon as possible. Finally, considering the preservation losses and intra-specific composition of organisms, the application of correction factors is advised since preserved samples are important in the evaluation of long-term changes of biological communities.
Ultra-low sidelobes from time-modulated arrays

Antenna patterns with ultra-low sidelobes have been obtained for an experimental receiving array designed with time-modulated slot radiators. The technique utilizes on-off RF switches which are programmed in a predetermined sequence to produce the desired pattern. The results of tests on an experimental eight-element slot array designed for sidelobe reduction are presented. Two examples are considered: 1) an initial static pattern with 30-db sidelobes which are reduced to about 40 db by sequential switching and 2) an initial static pattern with 13-db sidelobes which are reduced directly to about 40 db by a different sequence of switching. Measured patterns illustrating the sidelobe reduction are included. The applicability of the sidelobe reduction technique to large electronically steerable phased arrays is considered briefly and it is concluded that it is compatible with such systems.