Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
High NH 3 deposition in the environs of a commercial fattening pig farm in central south China

Intensive livestock production has been increasing, and has resulted in the emission of more than seven teragram per year of ammonia (NH 3 ) in China in recent years. However, little is known about the fate of the emitted NH 3 , especially the dry deposition of NH 3 in the environs of intensive animal farms. In this study, the spatial and temporal variations of NH 3 deposition in the environs of an intensive fattening pig farm were investigated in the central south of China. NH 3 concentrations were measured at sites situated 50, 100, 200, 300, and 500 m in the downwind direction from the farm each month from July 2018 to June 2019. The NH 3 deposition was calculated based on a bidirectional NH 3 exchange model. The monthly NH 3 emissions from the pig farm were estimated based on the breeding stock. The annual average NH 3 concentrations ranged from 1200 to 14 µ g m − 3 at the downwind sites within 500 m of the pig farm, exhibiting exponential decay as distance increased. Strong seasonality in NH 3 deposition was observed, with the highest season being in the summer and lowest in the winter, and air temperature was found to be an important factor affecting this seasonal variation. The estimated monthly total dry deposition within 500 m of the pig farm ranged from 92 to 1400 kg NH 3 –N mo − 1 , which accounted for 4.1%–14% of the total monthly NH 3 emissions from the pig farm. The estimated total NH 3 emissions and NH 3 deposition from the pig farm were 63 000 kg NH 3 –N yr − 1 and 5400 kg NH 3 –N yr − 1 , respectively, with the annual average ratio of NH 3 deposition to NH 3 emission being 8.6%. This study found NH 3 deposition around intensive pig farms is high, and determined it as a significant fate of the NH 3 emitted from pig farms.
A Fuzzy Network DEA Approach to the Selection of Advanced Manufacturing Technology

: The selection of advanced manufacturing technologies (AMTs) is an essential yet complex decision that requires careful consideration of various performance criteria. In real-world applications, there are cases that observations are difﬁcult to measure precisely, observations are represented as linguistic terms, or the data need to be estimated. Since the growth of engineering sciences has been the key reason for the increased utilization of AMTs, this paper develops a fuzzy network data envelopment analysis (DEA) to the selection of AMT alternatives considering multiple decision-makers (DMs) and weight restrictions when the input and output data are represented as fuzzy numbers. By viewing the multiple DMs as a network one, the data provided by each DM can then be taken into account in evaluating the overall performances of AMT alternatives. In the solution process, we obtain the overall and DMs efﬁciency scores of each AMT alternative at the same time, and a relationship in which the former is a weighted average of the latter is also derived. Since the ﬁnal evaluation results of AMTs are fuzzy numbers, a ranking procedure is employed to determine the most preferred one. An example is used to illustrate the applicability of the proposed methodology.
Phenotypic and Genotypic Characterisation of Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE) in a Tertiary Care Hospital of Kanpur, India

Background: Vancomycin resistant enterococci related infection is an emerging nosocomial problem in India. This study was aimed to detect phenotypic and genotypic basis of VRE in a tertiary care hospital of northern India. Methods: AST and high level gentamicin & high level streptomycin resistance pattern of enterococci isolates was determined by Kirby-Bauer’s disc diffusion method. VRE were detected by agar dilution method. Species differentiation was done according to Facklam & Collin’s classification. Molecular testing was done for detection of VanA & VanB genes among VRE. Results: Out of 50 enterococci, 6(12%) were VRE. HLG & HLS resistance was 60% & 46% respectively. Species differentiation showed 16% isolates as E. faecium & 84% as E. faecalis . 5 out of 6 VRE were E. fecium . Molecular testing revealed, out of 6 VRE, 3 contained VanA or VanB genes and remaining 3 contained genes other than VanA or VanB responsible for vancomycin resistance.
IN SILICO DRUG DESIGNING STUDIES ON DENGUE VIRUS NS3 HELICASE

The key protein involved in causing dengue is NS3 helicase, which is considered as major therapeutic target for dengue drug development. Recent studies have reported positively for NS3 helicase in dysregulation of causing dengue process in humans. Dragon fruit seed phytochemicals are reported to have antioxidant and antiviral properties. In the present study we studied binding efficiency of 11 compounds that are present in the dragon fruit seeds with NS3 helicase through Insilico methods. By our virtual screening and docking result, we found that the Compound A, Compound C and Compound B have the highest binding affinity with the NS3 helicase and also we predicted the binding site amino acid residues and the nature of hydrogen bonding. However more invivo experimental validation of our results with animal models will enlighten the development of more potent drugs from these compounds for treatment of dengue.
Adrenocortical Carcinoma Diagnosed by Endoscopic Ultrasound-guided Fine-needle Aspiration

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare malignancy with a very poor prognosis. A 77-year-old man underwent imaging studies due to poorly controlled hypertension, which revealed a mass measuring 43 mm in diameter near the left adrenal gland. There were no findings indicative of pheochromocytoma. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) was performed for the preoperative pathological evaluation, and the findings indicated a possibility of ACC. Based on these results, curative surgery was performed. If the diagnosis of pheochromocytoma is excluded, then EUS-FNA for adrenal lesions is relatively safe. It can also be used for the preoperative diagnosis of ACC.
Various space-time block codes over different modulation techniques using a new sphere decoder

In this paper, a detailed analysis based on the combination of spatial multiplexing and space time coding techniques under Rayleigh fading channel constraint in MIMO wireless communication systems is presented. The decoding algorithms of V-BLAST and Sphere De-coder are analyzed and their performance is evaluated using different Orthogonal Space-Time Block Codes techniques, with quasi and rotated quasi-orthogonal space-time block codes. The BER vs SNR curves of all the proposed algorithms have been verified for all modulation schemes including 64 QAM, 16QAM, QPSK and BPSK. A modified K and K1 Sphere decoder are proposed for the significant reduction of BER at higher modulation schemes. BER for 64 QAM modulation is calculated at optimum SNR of 20 dB and it has been shown, it gets significantly reduces when our proposed decoding algorithms are applied.
2 Normalized Volume of Interest Selection and Measurement of Bone Volume in µ CT Scans

Quantiﬁcation of osteolytic lesions in bone is pivotal in the research of metastatic bone disease in small animal models. Osteolytic lesions are quantiﬁed using two dimensional X-ray photographs, which often neglects to take into account any changes in three dimensional structure. Furthermore, measurement errors are inadvertently introduced when a region of interest with predeﬁned dimensions is used during µ CT analysis. To study osteolytic processes, a normalized method of selecting a region of interest is required. Here we describe a new method to select volumes of interest in a normalized way regardless of curvature, fractures or dislocations within the bone. In addition, this method enables the user to visualize normalized cross-sections in an exact 90 ◦ angle or along the longitudinal axis of bone, at any given point. As a result, the user can compare measurements of diameter, volume and structure between diﬀerent bones in a normalized manner.
10 years of research on toughness enhancement of structural ceramics by graphene

Over the past decade, a new family of ceramic matrix composites has been developed from the incorporation of homogeneously dispersed graphene-based fillers (graphene nanoplatelets/GNP, graphene oxide sheets/rGO or graphene nanoribbons/GNR) into the ceramic matrices. These composites have shown a significant increment of their fracture toughness accompanied by other electrical and thermal functionalities, which make them potentially attractive for a wide range of applications. Here, the main methods for testing the fracture toughness of these composites are described, then the principal observations on the reinforcing mechanisms responsible for this improvement are briefly reviewed, and we discuss the relation with graphene platelets type, morphology and alignment. This article is part of the theme issue 'Nanocracks in nature and industry'.
Novice Use of the Java Programming Language

Objectives. Java is a popular programming language for use in computing education, but it is difficult to get a wide picture of the issues that it presents for novices; most studies look only at the types or frequency of errors. In this observational study, we aim to learn how novices use different features of the Java language. Participants. Users of the BlueJ development environment have been invited to opt in to anonymously record their activity data for the past 8 years. This dataset is called Blackbox, which was used as the basis for this study. BlueJ users are mostly novice programmers, predominantly male, with a median age of 16 years. Our data subset featured approximately 225,000 participants from around the world. Study Methods. We performed a secondary data analysis that used data from the Blackbox dataset. We examined over 320,000 Java projects collected over the course of 8 years and used source code analysis to investigate the prevalence of various specifically selected Java programming usage patterns. As this was an observational study without specific hypotheses, we did not use significance tests. Instead, we present the results themselves with commentary, having applied seasonal trend decomposition to the data. Findings. We found many long-term trends in the data over the course of the 8 years, most of which were monotonic. There was a notable reduction in the use of the main method (common in Java but unnecessary in BlueJ) and a general reduction in the complexity of the projects. We find that there is only a small number of frequently used types: int, String, double, and Boolean, but also a wide range of other infrequently used types. Conclusions. We find that programming usage patterns gradually change over a long period of time (a period in which the Java language was not seeing major changes) once seasonal patterns are accounted for. Any changes are likely driven by instructors and the changing demographics of programming novices. The novices use a relatively restricted subset of Java, which implies that designers of languages specifically targeted at novices can satisfy their needs with a smaller set of language constructs and features. We provide detailed recommendations for the designers of educational programming languages and supporting development tools.
Groom Styles Interpolation with Features Preservation for Digital Creatures Effects

The Visual Effects industry has experienced a strong shift towards the creation of many shots with several digital creatures and complex grooms (i.e. fur and hair). It is common for these grooms to change in shape over the duration of a shot (e.g. from dry to wet), which requires specific techniques to interpolate across different sets of curves. While researchers have extensively focused on algorithms for polygonal mesh deformation, very little can be found for curves, and basic linear interpolation techniques produce unrealistic results that do not emulate the expected behavior of groom filaments changing in shape and style. In this paper we present an iterative algorithm that allows for the interpolation across different curve shapes with the ability to preserve key features like strand’s curvature and segment lengths. We also introduce the concept of partial blendshape linear interpolation to help the system to rapidly converge to the optimal solution in few iterations. We present detailed results and production use-cases in creatures’ Visual Effects.
Under the umbrella: components of empathy in psychology and design

Abstract Empathy is argued to be a key factor for a successful design discussion. However, such causality cannot be empirically proven based on how empathy is currently defined in design community. Empathy is used as an umbrella construct, broad and encompassing of diverse phenomena, making it difficult to quantify. We suggest improving such a situation by introducing a definition of empathy based on psychology literature, which provides structure and guidance for studying the role of empathy in design. We first break empathy to components. Then, we review empathy as used in design. Finally, we synthetize the reviewed material. From this synthesis, we conclude that empathy in design shares several key components of empathy in psychology; particularly with state influences, top-down control process and emotional stimuli. These are present in design methods although they have not been studied using such terms. Incorporating psychological components of empathy into design can help conceptualising empathy from a different angle, thus opening interesting new avenues for future research. We hope that our treatment provides present and future designers with some useful guidance.
Multi-degrees-of-freedom soft robotic ankle-foot orthosis for gait assistance and variable ankle support

Abstract This paper presents the design, modeling, analysis, fabrication, and experimental characterization of the soft robotic ankle-foot orthosis (SR-AFO), which is a wearable soft robot designed for ankle assistance, and a pilot human study of its use. Using two novel pneumatically powered soft actuators, the SR-AFO is designed to assist the ankle in multiple degrees-of-freedom during standing and walking tasks. The flat fabric pneumatic artificial muscle (ff-PAM) contracts upon pressurization and assists ankle plantarflexion in the sagittal plane. The multi-material actuator for variable stiffness (MAVS) aids in supporting ankle inversion/eversion in the frontal plane. Analytical models of the ff-PAM and MAVS were created to understand how the changing of the design parameters affects tensile force generation and stiffness support, respectively. The models were validated by both finite element analysis and experimental characterization using a universal testing machine. A set of human experiments was performed with able-bodied participants to evaluate: (a) lateral ankle support during quiet standing, (b) lateral ankle support during walking over compliant surfaces, and (c) plantarflexion assistance during push-off in treadmill walking. Group results revealed increased lateral ankle stiffness during quiet standing with the MAVS active, reduced lateral ankle deflection while walking over compliant surfaces with the MAVS active, and reduced muscle effort in ankle platarflexors during 40–60% of the gait cycle with the dual ff-PAM active. The SR-AFO shows promising results in providing lateral ankle support and plantarflexion assistance with able-bodied participants, which suggests a potential to help restore the gait of impaired users in future trials.
Non‐parametric Analysis of Gap Times for Multiple Event Data: An Overview

Multiple event data are frequently encountered in medical follow‐up, engineering and other applications when the multiple events are considered as the major outcomes. They may be repetitions of the same event (recurrent events) or may be events of different nature. Times between successive events (gap times) are often of direct interest in these applications. The stochastic‐ordering structure and within‐subject dependence of multiple events generate statistical challenges for analysing such data, including induced dependent censoring and non‐identifiability of marginal distributions. This paper provides an overview of a class of existing non‐parametric estimation methods for gap time distributions for various types of multiple event data, where sampling bias from induced dependent censoring is effectively adjusted. We discuss the statistical issues in gap time analysis, describe the estimation procedures and illustrate the methods with a comparative simulation study and a real application to an AIDS clinical trial. A comprehensive understanding of challenges and available methods for non‐parametric analysis can be useful because there is no existing standard approach to identifying an appropriate gap time method that can be used to address research question of interest. The methods discussed in this review would allow practitioners to effectively handle a variety of real‐world multiple event data.
Surfacing Algorithms: An Inventive Method for Accountability

For many scholars and policy makers, the democratic demand for algorithmic transparency is a call for openness. Yet critical algorithm studies have shown that classical accountability devices, such as freedom of information, audits, or code openness have failed to make algorithms meaningfully knowable to ordinary citizens. Rather than waiting for curated and limited transparency to open so-called “hidden black boxes,” I propose and illustrate in this article a method of “surfacing algorithms. ” This experimental method makes algorithms accountable through the (re)design of their surfaces: the forms of appearance, documentation, and tangible devices accompanying their use in everyday life. Democratic accountability is thus reconceptualized as a design problem. I demonstrate my method by showing how the reverse-engineering of the French housing tax algorithm performed by citizens during collective workshops through the scrutiny of their tax letters served to interrogate a fiscal algorithm from its surface.
Correlation of platelet‐derived growth factor and thromboxane A2 expression with platelet parameters and coagulation indices in chronic altitude sickness patients

What is the central question of this study? Is the expression of platelet‐derived growth factor (PDGF) and thromboxane A2 (TXA2) elevated in chronic altitude patients, and are they related to thrombosis in chronic mountain sickness? What is the main finding and its importance? The expression of PDGF and TXA2 in both the bone marrow and the peripheral blood of patients with chronic mountain sickness is elevated, and they are considered to be correlated in the mechanism of thrombosis in the chronic mountain sickness.
Kobe University Repository : Kernel タイトル Tit le Perceived Food Environment Predicts Vegetable Intake According to Income : A Cross-Sect ional Study 著者

Global health policies are promoting increased vegetable intake across all socioeconomic levels. However, the association between healthy vegetable intake and perception of the food environment has not been well investigated. Consequently, this study aimed to examine the association between vegetable intake and perceptions of neighborhood food environments. Participants were 3,137 Japanese adults (1,580 men, 1,557 women), aged 30 to 59 years, who completed an Internetbased survey. Self-report data were collected: vegetable intake, perceptions of food environment, household income, and demographic variables. We found that positive perceptions of the food environment (e.g., reasonable prices for foods and good social capital of food) predicted healthy vegetable intake in all household income groups. Therefore, supporters should take note of perceptions of the food environments—the findings suggest that the food environment can be altered via changing perceptions surrounding costs.
Concurrent Chemoradiation Followed by Adjuvant Temozolomide in the Management of Malignant Gliomas

Purpose: The current standard of care for newly diagnosed glioblastoma remains surgical resection followed by concurrent chemoradiation. The same treatment is often applied to other malignant gliomas. In this study, we report outcomes of patients with malignant gliomas treated with concomitant chemoradiation in the adjuvant setting at our institution. Patients and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 59 patients treated at our center between March 2003 and May 2009 for malignant gliomas. Median follow up was 19 months (3-61). Variables reviewed for analysis were histology (glioblastoma 61%, anaplastic astrocytoma 20%, mixed anaplastic oligoastrocytoma 10%, and anaplastic oligodendrogioma 9%), tissue sampling technique (open surgery 66%, stereotactic biopsy 34%), and extent of resection in the open surgery group: gross total resection (GTR) 44%, partial resection (PR) 22%. Radiotherapy was delivered to the tumor bed using 3D-conformal radiation for a total dose of 60 Gy in 30 fractions with concurrent and adjuvant temozolomide in all cases. Results: Median overall survival was 21 months (95% CI, 17.8-24.3). The two-year survival rate was 43% for the entire cohort and 68% in the subset of patients who had debulking surgery and therefore better than those who had only stereotactic biopsy (p=0.026). Conclusion: Outcomes of patients with malignant gliomas treated with concurrent chemoradiation followed by adjuvant temozolomide in our institution was comparable to historical data from the literature. Patients who had debulking surgery upfront and prior to concurrent and adjuvant treatment had better survival than those who had stereotactic biopsy in the same setting.
Appropriate analytical description of the temperature dependence of exciton peak positions in GaAs/AlxGa1−xAs multiple quantum wells and the Γ8v−Γ6c gap of GaAs

We have performed a detailed numerical reinvestigation of the photoluminescence peak position data given by G. Oelgart et al. [J. Appl. Phys. 74, 2742 (1993)] for the ground state heavy-and light-hole excitons in a high quality molecular beam epitaxially grown GaAs/Al0.3Ga0. 7As multiple quantum well structure. Appropriate fittings of the measured temperature dependencies of exciton peak positions from 4.2 up to 340 K are shown to be provided by a novel analytical four-parameter representation developed recently by one of the authors for the gap shrinkage effect in semiconductors. The magnitude of the limiting (T→∞) shrinkage coefficient, α=0.475 meV/K, and the associated average phonon temperature, Θ=222.4 K, have been determined. Characteristic qualitative differences and basic deficiencies of earlier three-parameter models are discussed and illustrated numerically by comparisons with various experimental observations from low to high temperatures.