Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Luminescence dosimetry with ceramic materials for application to radiological emergencies and other incidents

The likelihood of the occurrence of radiological accidents which can induce significant health consequences to the members of the public has raised the importance of developing a personal radiation dosimetry system applicable to populations not monitored by dedicated dosemeters. Mobile phones are personal devices with high ubiquity and great potential for accident dosimetry applications. Alumina surface mount resistors (SMRs) are abundant in the printed circuit board of mobile phones and their potential as fortuitous dosemeters has been investigated using thermoluminescence (TL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) techniques. The physical mechanism of the generation of luminescence of the alumina SMRs is, however, less known. The basic luminescence defects in SMRs were identified to be F-type centres and their emission process was shown to be temperature dependent and highly quenched at room temperature (RT). The trap environment of beta irradiated SMRs includes a series of closely spaced traps covering thermal depths between 0.9-1.4 eV; predicting an average lifetime for thermal fading at RT of ca 23 years. Trapped charges evicted by thermal or optical stimulation are likely to recombine at F-type centres and contribute to the luminescence response that is likely to be thermally assisted via the vibrational modes of the lattice. A phonon-assisted de-excitation of the trapped charge population could additionally be involved in the mechanism of athermal or anomalous fading. Based on the temperature dependence of the rate of fading, a model is presented for the anomalous fading observed where phonon-assisted and tunnelling effects alternate or operate simultaneously depending on the temperature of the material. A number of aspects related to the use of SMRs in dosimetry seem to benefit from the investigation of the physical processes, although for accurate dose reconstruction it is imperative to know the energy of the ionising radiation source and the position of the mobile phone relative to the direction of the source. For example, at low-energy exposures the dose may be over-estimated, not only due to the non-flat energy response of the alumina, but also due to the presence of several parts of the mobile phone which can increase the amount of energy deposited in alumina substrates due to backscatter effects. In addition, MCNP simulations indicated that for low-energy exposures, such as for 192Ir, differences of up to an order-of-magnitude between resistor and whole body dose are expected. Finally, to specify the most appropriate dose conversion coefficients that can be applied to estimate whole body dose from OSL / TL determinations, the knowledge of the exposure geometry is crucial.
Optimizing large‐scale autologous human keratinocyte sheets for major burns—Toward an animal‐free production and a more accessible clinical application

Autologous keratinocyte sheets constitute an important component of the burn wound treatment toolbox available to a surgeon and can be considered a life‐saving procedure for patients with severe burns over 50% of their total body surface area. Large‐scale keratinocyte sheet cultivation still fundamentally relies on the use of animal components such as inactivated murine 3T3 fibroblasts as feeders, animal‐derived enzymes such as trypsin, as well as media components such as fetal bovine serum (FBS). This study was therefore aimed to optimize autologous keratinocyte sheets by comparing various alternatives to critical components in their production.
Vowel allophony in Ness Gaelic: Phonetic and phonological patterns of laxing and retraction

The vowel system of the dialect of Scottish Gaelic spoken in Ness, Lewis differs from that of other dialects in several important ways. In particular, several vowels display patterns of allophony that have not been investigated instrumentally and, in some cases, have not been reported before for Scottish Gaelic. This paper documents the Ness system in detail, focusing in particular on the tense–lax opposition in /i e/ and retraction of /a(ː)/ next to velarised consonants. The results of a traditional linguistic fieldwork study are presented first, followed by a detailed acoustic study of nine speakers. The acoustic reality of these allophonic patterns, reflected in F1 and F2 values, is verified statistically using LME modelling. Bimodality in the distribution of tokens in acoustic space, confirmed statistically with Hartigan’s Dip Test, is taken as evidence for the existence of discrete phonological categories (Bermúdez-Otero & Trousdale 2011). It is found that speakers vary as to whether these allophonic oppositions are restricted to the phonetic grammar, or have undergone stabilisation and advanced into the categorical phonology (Bermúdez-Otero 2007, 2015). It is observed that laxing of /i e/ in Ness Gaelic occurs in exactly those contexts where there is a direct transition between the vowel and a following supra-glottal consonant. It is therefore proposed that this tense–lax opposition is grounded in conflicting strategies of contrast enhancement, whereby laxing increases the perceptual distinctiveness of a following consonant by allowing for more distinctive formant transitions, at the expense of the distinctiveness of the vowel itself (Storme 2019).
Black carbon aerosol reductions during COVID-19 confinement quantified by aircraft measurements over Europe

Abstract. The abrupt reduction in human activities during the first lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic created unprecedented atmospheric conditions. To quantify the changes in lower tropospheric air pollution, we conducted the BLUESKY aircraft campaign and measured vertical profiles of black carbon (BC) aerosol particles over Western and Southern Europe in May and June 2020. We compared the results to similar measurements of the EMeRGe EU campaign performed in July 2017 and found that the BC mass concentrations (MBC) were reduced by about 47 %. For BC particle number concentrations, we found comparable reductions. Based on EMAC chemistry-transport model simulations, we find differences in meteorological conditions and flight patterns responsible for about 7 % of the reductions in MBC, whereas 40 % can be attributed to reduced anthropogenic emissions. Our results reflect the strong and immediate positive effect of changes in human activities on air quality and the atmospheric role of BC aerosols as a major air pollutant and climate forcing agent in the Anthropocene.
Hydroxychloroquine PK and exposure-response in pregnancies with lupus: the importance of adherence for neonatal outcomes

Objective Evaluate the impact of pregnancy physiology and medication non-adherence on serum hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) pharmacokinetics (PK) and exposure-response in SLE. Methods We conducted a PK analysis using data from two observational pregnancy registries. We enrolled pregnant women with SLE taking HCQ at least 3 months prior to, and throughout pregnancy, and excluded those with multiple gestations. Using the PK model, we conducted dosing simulations and imputed 0%/20%/40%/60% non-adherence to evaluate the impact of adherence versus physiological changes on HCQ concentrations. We compared the effect of pregnancy-average non-adherent concentrations (≤100 ng/mL vs >100 ng/mL) on preterm birth using adjusted logistic regression. Results We enrolled 56 women who had 61 pregnancies. By the third trimester, mean apparent HCQ clearance increased by 59.6%. At a dosage of 400 mg/day, fully adherent patients are expected to have HCQ concentrations ≤100 ng/mL only 0.3% of the time, compared with 24.2% when 60% of doses are missed. Persistently low HCQ concentrations throughout pregnancy were associated with a significantly higher odds of preterm birth, controlling for lupus nephritis and race (OR 11.2; 95% CI 2.3 to 54.2; p=0.003). Conclusions We observed significant changes in HCQ PK during pregnancy, resulting in a shortening in the drug’s half-life by 10 days; however, medication non-adherence had a more pronounced effect on HCQ exposure compared with physiological changes alone. Moreover, pregnant women with non-adherent HCQ concentrations had significantly higher rates of preterm birth. Accordingly, optimising adherence in pregnancy may be more clinically meaningful than adjusting HCQ dosage to account for physiological changes. PK modelling indicates that serum HCQ concentrations ≤100 ng/mL are suggestive of non-adherence regardless of trimester and may help identify pregnancies at risk for poor outcomes.
Commentary: Another layer to the “PPM conundrum”

How do manufacturer estimates of valve performance match up to reality and stress testing? We are reviewing a manuscript by Porterie et al. in the Journal of Cardiac Surgery detailing a single‐center, assessment of Avalus™ bioprosthetic valve hemodynamics during stress echocardiography. At maximal stress, they found that indexed effective orifice area had better alignment with manufacturer estimates than measurements at rest. In addition, they found a significant difference between EOA and flow rates at rest versus maximal exertion and quantified it as the “opening reserve. ” Patients without patient prosthetic mismatch had much higher opening reserves. This interesting study helps us to understand how estimates align with reality and draws attention to the concept of the opening reserve. Could differences in opening flow impact the durability or longevity of prosthetics?
System Design of Three Phases Six Legs DC/DC Converter for Solar Cell

this paper describes the design of full bridge DC to DC converter 3 phase six legs for solar PV. The prototype is built with 5 kHz transformers, 2 lead-acid batteries with each energy storage of 12V, 7.2Ah and 20WP solar PV. Three phase switching is provided by analog op-amp comparator circuit with variable frequency 1 kHz-20 kHz. The controller of the converter use adjustable DC power supply as voltage reference for analog op-amp comparator, works varies from 0-11VDC (0%-50% duty cycle) and controlled manually
Beyond Tacit Knowledge Conversion: turning project extranets into social web-based systems

The importance of knowledge sharing between project participants is well recognized. In particular, management theory advocates knowledge-sharing between assemblers/system integrators and specialist suppliers/contractors from the early design stages in product development projects. Yet while the exchange of explicit knowledge happens through manuals of practice, handbooks, specifications and drawings, and digital databases, it remains a problem how to facilitate best tacit knowledge-sharing. Of course socialization is one alternative but it can be hard to accomplish among project participants with different occupations and working languages, not co-located, and who only work together occasionally. The fact that practitioners get face to face also does not warrant an effective exchange of knowledge since they may fail to communicate properly. Interestingly, project participants are increasingly connected across firm boundaries through digital networks – known as project extranets or project web sites. This hypothetically creates added opportunities for digital socialization in the project’s life. In this paper, we review literatures on knowledge management and human-computer interaction to inform a discussion on how adding a 'social' dimension to digital networks may facilitate the transfer of tacit knowledge between project integrators and specialists. INTRODUCTION The management of knowledge has long been recognized an important source of learning and innovation for a firm (Hayek 1945, Polany 1966, Kogut and Zander 1992, Grant 1996). Knowledge and skills possessed by a firm are essential for developing new products, processes, and services (Nonaka 1991). Successful companies consistently create new knowledge, disseminate it widely within the organization, and quickly embody it in new technologies and products (Nonaka et al. 2000). As put by Teece (2001): “managing knowledge assets is the key to building competitive advantage. ” Knowledge sharing across boundaries of firms is also important. It helps a network of firms to cope better with rising costs of product development, short product cycles, and technological innovation (Saxenian 1991, Brusoni et al. 2001). Interfirm flows of tacit knowledge help firms to search for new technological knowledge, e.g., as inventors move between firms involved in a long-term alliance (Almeida et al. 2002). Institutionalized routines to facilitate multidirectional knowledge such as supplier associations, problemsolving and voluntary learning teams, and interfirm employee transfers explain the productivity advantages enjoyed by some automobile manufacturers and their network of suppliers in relation to competitors (Womack et al. 1990, Clark and Fujimoto 1991). The success of these routines relies on a set of network ‘rules’ for knowledge protection and value appropriation, including open sharing of production knowledge, reciprocal 1 Lecturer, The University of Manchester, UK, nuno.gil@umist.ac.uk 2 PhD Student, The University of Manchester, UK, A.El-tayeh@postgrad.umist.ac.uk
FASN-dependent de novo lipogenesis is required for brain development

Significance Regulation of cellular metabolism in proliferating progenitor cells and their neuronal progeny is critical for brain development and function. Here, we identify a pivotal role of fatty acid synthase (FASN)-dependent de novo lipogenesis for mouse and human brain development, as genetic deletion of FASN leads to microcephaly in the developing mouse cortex and cortical malformations in human embryonic stem cell–derived forebrain organoids. Mechanistically, we show that FASN is required for proper polarity of apical progenitor cells. The dual approach applied here, using mouse genetics and human forebrain organoids, establishes a role of FASN-dependent lipogenesis for mouse and human brain development and identifies a link between progenitor-cell polarity and lipid metabolism. Fate and behavior of neural progenitor cells are tightly regulated during mammalian brain development. Metabolic pathways, such as glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation, that are required for supplying energy and providing molecular building blocks to generate cells govern progenitor function. However, the role of de novo lipogenesis, which is the conversion of glucose into fatty acids through the multienzyme protein fatty acid synthase (FASN), for brain development remains unknown. Using Emx1Cre-mediated, tissue-specific deletion of Fasn in the mouse embryonic telencephalon, we show that loss of FASN causes severe microcephaly, largely due to altered polarity of apical, radial glia progenitors and reduced progenitor proliferation. Furthermore, genetic deletion and pharmacological inhibition of FASN in human embryonic stem cell–derived forebrain organoids identifies a conserved role of FASN-dependent lipogenesis for radial glia cell polarity in human brain organoids. Thus, our data establish a role of de novo lipogenesis for mouse and human brain development and identify a link between progenitor-cell polarity and lipid metabolism.
Super-Enhancers Dysregulations in Hematological Malignancies

Hematological malignancies affecting either the lymphoid or the myeloid lineages involve epigenetic mutations or dysregulation in the majority of cases. These epigenetic abnormalities can affect regulatory elements in the genome and, particularly, enhancers. Recently, large regulatory elements known as super-enhancers, initially identified for their critical roles in cell-type specific expression regulation of genes controlling cell identity, have been shown to also be involved in tumorigenesis in many cancer types and hematological malignancies via the regulation of numerous oncogenes, including MYC. In this review, we highlight the existing links between super-enhancers and hematological malignancies, with a particular focus on acute myeloid leukemia, a clonal hematopoietic neoplasm with dismal outcomes, resulting in an uncontrolled proliferation of myeloblasts, abnormally blocked during differentiation and accumulating within the patient’s bone marrow. We report recent works, performed during the last few years, treating this subject and consider the possibility of targeting oncogenic regulatory elements, as well as the effectiveness and limitations reported so far for such strategies.
Eddy Current Losses in Superconducting Secondary of a Linear Synchronous Motor: Calculations and Measurements

Superconducting linear synchronous motor (LSM) with superconducting magnets as its secondary is a promising candidate for driving high-speed transportations. The superconducting secondary operates at an ultra-low temperature environment generally supplied by a complex cryogenic system that contains numerous metal components, in which the eddy current losses are produced due to the magnetic fields from the primary. The ensuing temperature rise will inevitably lead to a reduction in the current-carrying capacity of superconducting secondary and threaten the operation safety of LSM. It is crucial to clarify the eddy current losses. To this end, we established a three-dimensional numerical model based on the A-formulation of Maxwell's equations. In this model, a kind of virtual primary was introduced to efficiently simulate the movement of the secondary instead of through a moving mesh technique since that is no longer suitable for this calculation. Afterwards, a testing setup of the superconducting LSM was constructed and the eddy current losses in the superconducting secondary were measured to validate the model. With the valid model, the eddy current losses in the secondary were systematically studied in consideration of different operating conditions of the LSM, followed by a discussion regarding the influence of cryogenic system on the losses.
On the Braking Behavior of Motorcycles

This work presents a study on the braking style and its implications on motorcycle stability. First, a simplified motorcycle model is used for highlighting basic phenomena which occur during braking and for developing an ideal braking strategy. Then, braking maneuvers are analyzed using a detailed multi-body model, which takes into account all relevant characteristics of a motorcycle, such as geometry, mass and inertia distribution, non-linear suspension and tire properties. Simulations are repeated for dry and wet road conditions, showing that the correct braking style should change as the adherence conditions change, according to the suggestions given by the simplified model. Finally, stability analysis is carried out for different speeds, deceleration rates and braking styles, showing that a correct braking balance may significantly improves vehicle stability.
Characteristics of transmission routes of COVID-19 cluster infections in Gangwon Province, Korea

Abstract This study investigated the characteristics of transmission routes of COVID-19 cluster infections (⩾10 linked cases within a short period) in Gangwon Province between 22 February 2020 and 31 May 2021. Transmission routes were divided into five major categories and 35 sub-categories according to the relationship between the infector and the infectee and the location of transmission. A total of 61 clusters occurred during the study period, including 1741 confirmed cases (55.7% of all confirmed cases (n = 3125)). The the five major routes of transmission were as follows: ‘using (staying in) the same facility (50.7%), ‘cohabiting family members’ (23.3%), ‘social gatherings with acquaintances’ (10.8%), ‘other transmission routes’ (7.0%), and ‘social gatherings with non-cohabiting family members/relatives’ (5.5%). For transmission caused by using (staying in) the same facility, the highest number of confirmed cases was associated with churches, followed by medical institutions (inpatient), sports facilities, military bases, offices, nightlife businesses, schools, restaurants, day-care centres and kindergarten, and service businesses. Our analysis highlights specific locations with frequent transmission of infections, and transmission routes that should be targeted in situations where adherence to disease control rules is difficult.
A Credit Conflict Detection Model Based on Decision Distance and Probability Matrix

Considering the credit index calculation differences, semantic differences, false data, and other problems between platforms such as Internet finance, e-commerce, and health and elderly care, which lead to the credit deviation from the trusted range of credit subjects and the lack of related information of credit subjects, in this paper, we proposed a crossplatform service credit conflict detection model based on the decision distance to support the migration and application of crossplatform credit information transmission and integration. Firstly, we give a scoring table of influencing factors. Score is the probability of the impact of this factor on credit. Through this probability, the distance matrix between influencing factors is generated. Secondly, the similarity matrix is calculated from the distance matrix. Thirdly, the support vector is calculated through the similarity matrix. Fourth, the credit vector is calculated by the support vector. Finally, the credibility is calculated by the credit vector and probability.
Review of Machine Learning Applications Using Retinal Fundus Images

Automating screening and diagnosis in the medical field saves time and reduces the chances of misdiagnosis while saving on labor and cost for physicians. With the feasibility and development of deep learning methods, machines are now able to interpret complex features in medical data, which leads to rapid advancements in automation. Such efforts have been made in ophthalmology to analyze retinal images and build frameworks based on analysis for the identification of retinopathy and the assessment of its severity. This paper reviews recent state-of-the-art works utilizing the color fundus image taken from one of the imaging modalities used in ophthalmology. Specifically, the deep learning methods of automated screening and diagnosis for diabetic retinopathy (DR), age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and glaucoma are investigated. In addition, the machine learning techniques applied to the retinal vasculature extraction from the fundus image are covered. The challenges in developing these systems are also discussed.
Cross-Sessions and Cross-Paradigms Analysis for the Problem of Brain-Computer Interface Inefficiency*

Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs) allow users to make use of brain activity to control external devices directly for rehabilitation and enhancement of human functions. However, the inefficiency problem that a typical BCI system is unable to effectively decode EEG signals in some users, prevents BCI technology from benefitting all users. The proportion of inefficiency varies in the major BCI paradigms, among which Motor Imagery (MI)-based BCI achieves highest (10%-50%). Hence, the question arises as to whether other BCI paradigms, such as P300, could be substitutes for users who cannot be served by certain paradigm. In this work, a cross-paradigms BCI experiment, in which 93 healthy subjects executed BCI tasks including real movement and P300 for two sessions on separated days, was performed to answer the above question. Firstly, the highly correlation between the recognition accuracy in two sessions within subjects for both Sensory Motor Rhythm (SMR) features (p = 4.47×10-11) and P300 features (p = 2.17×10-3) indicated the reproducibility of the subject-level BCI inefficiency in the two paradigms. Further analysis demonstrated no significant correlation between the decoding performance of the SMR and P300 features (p = 0.604). The results verified the feasibility of improving BCI decoding performance by replacing certain BCI paradigm with another one when users encounter the problem of BCI inefficiency.