Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Treatment of Severe Ptosis by Conjoint Fascial Sheath Suspension

Objective To explore the role of conjoint fascial sheath (CFS) suspension in the treatment of severe ptosis. Methods A total of 110 patients with severe ptosis who were admitted to our hospital from May 2018 to December 2020 were included. Fifty-seven patients treated with frontalis suspension were assigned into group A, and the remaining 53 patients treated with CFS suspension were assigned into group B. The curative effect, ocular surface alterations, complications, and satisfaction in the two groups were compared. Results Patients in group B suffered from severe upper eyelid retraction and lid lag than those in group A, as well as more limited range of motion (ROM) (P < 0.05). The curative effect and patient satisfaction in group B were higher than those in group A (P < 0.05). Postsurgical complications in group B were fewer than those in group A (P < 0.05). Conclusion CFS suspension is effective in the treatment of severe ptosis.
Self-correction two-machine equivalent model for stability control of FACT system using real-time phasor measurements

A self-correction two-machine equivalent model for the stability control of a flexible AC transmission (FACT)-based transmission system is developed. Shaping of the self-correction two-machine equivalent model uses only the real-time phasor signals available from the synchronous phasor measurement units (PMUs). The errors between the proposed model and practical power system are corrected by real-time measurements. The adaptive and robust behaviours both get involved in this model. In addition, linearity approximation is not used in its development. The proposed model is appropriate for transient stability control. Via the self-correction two-machine equivalent model, this work successfully applies the direct feedback linearisation (DFL) technique to a multimachine interconnected power system for transient stability control. The parameters and model uncertainties are also considered in the proposed DFL controller. This approach is then successfully applied to a three-area six-machine test system that installed two thyristor-controlled switch capacitors (TCSCs) controllers. Simulation results indicate that the proposed model and DFL controller are effective and robust in stabilising the transient swings between interconnected systems under various system conditions and the occurrence of severe faults.
Cavity control of active integrated antenna oscillators

The use of a cavity coupled to an active integrated antenna oscillator is described. The cavity increases the loaded Q factor of the oscillator, thus improving stability and reducing the phase noise. Cavity stabilisation of a microstrip patch and slot ring oscillators is described. In both cases, phase noise at a frequency offset of 10 kHz is reduced by the order of 20 dB. A first-order analysis based on measured and simulated cavity Q factors is shown to give similar results. A Van der Pol analysis of a two-element array of patch oscillators, with a single extended coupled cavity, indicates that the likelihood of mutual locking in an array which has oscillators with slightly different free running frequencies is enhanced albeit at the expense of increased start-up time.
ENHANCING COASTAL RESILIENCY OF HYPOTHETICAL LAND RECLAMATION SCENARIOS WITH MANGROVE FOREST AND OYSTER REEF ASSESSED BY ADCIRC AND SWAN STORM SURGE MODEL

Abstract. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of mangrove forests and oyster reefs on reducing the damages from typhoons in hypothetical land reclamation scenarios in Atimonan, Philippines. Storm surge simulations were ran using ADCIRC and SWAN coupled model on the local government unit’s (LGU) land reclamation plan and the proposed crenulate bay reclamation plan, both with concrete seawall, mangrove forests and oyster reefs. Inputs to the model include modified topography and bathymetry, coastline, land cover, typhoon Durian data and tidal potential constituents. Simulations show that the crenulate bay reclamation plan is better by 39.15% than the LGU’s land reclamation plan on reducing typhoon winds and storm surge inundation extent induced by Typhoon Durian. However, this advantage comes with an additional implementation cost of 11.02%. This study is envisioned to help the land reclamation project of Atimonan LGU to be resilient against typhoon winds and coastal inundation.
Characterization of the Medipix3 pixel readout chip

The Medipix3 chip is a hybrid pixel detector readout chip working in Single Photon Counting Mode. It has been developed with a new front-end architecture aimed at eliminating the spectral distortion produced by charge diffusion in highly segmented semiconductor detectors. In the new architecture charge deposited in overlapping clusters of four pixels is summed event-by-event and the incoming quantum is assigned as a single hit to the summing circuit with the biggest charge deposit (this mode of operation is called Charge Summing Mode (CSM)). In Single Pixel Mode (SPM) the charge reconstruction and the communication between neighbouring pixels is disabled. This is the operating mode in traditional detector systems. This paper presents the results of the characterization of the chip with electrical stimuli and radioactive sources.
Point‐of‐entry water filter for removal of per‐ and poly‐fluoroalkyl substances and precursors

Technologies for per‐ and poly‐fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) removal at a small scale suitable for point‐of‐entry (POE) treatment systems for household or business water supply are not well‐established. In the current study, a POE filter was tested for the removal of PFAS and precursors in groundwater contaminated with aqueous film‐forming foam. Long‐chain PFAS were more effectively removed than short‐chain PFAS. Total oxidizable precursor assays showed that precursors of short‐chain perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) broke through the filter earlier than routinely measured PFCAs and perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids. The dissolved organic carbon removal trend was similar to that of PFAS and precursors. Overall, the POE filter achieved good long‐term removal (up to 7 months household equivalent) of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and Australian Drinking Water Guidelines‐regulated PFAS. This study provides benchmark data for the long‐term removal of precursors and PFAS using POE treatment systems for household or business water supply impacted by PFAS‐contaminated water.
Challenges and Experiences Extending the cBioPortal for Cancer Genomics to a Molecular Tumor Board Platform

In Molecular Tumor Boards (MTBs), therapy recommendations for cancer patients are discussed. To aid decision-making based on the patient's molecular profile, the research platform cBioPortal was extended based on users' requirements. Additionally, a comprehensive dockerized workflow was developed to support the deployment of cBioPortal and connected services. In this work, we present the challenges and experiences of nearly two years of implementing and deploying an MTB platform based on cBioPortal and compare those to findings of a previous study.
A Controlled Study of Major Depressive Episodes in Long-Term Childhood, Adolescence, and Young Adult Cancer Survivors (The NOR-CAYACS Study)

Simple Summary A major depressive episode (MDE) is a common mental disorder with profound consequences concerning work ability, comorbidity, and health-related quality of life. Therefore, screening for probable MDE (pMDE) in survivors of childhood and adolescence (CACSs) and young adult cancer (YACSs) survivors is clinically important. This study shows that pMDE is more common among CACSs and YACSs than found in a normative sample using two different definitions of pMDE based on the PHQ-9 screener. pMDE based on a total PHQ-9 score of 10 or more gave higher rates of pMDE than those based on an algorithmic definition. Statistical analyses showed that pMDE according to both definitions was significantly associated with psychosocial factors and self-rated health, while survivor groups, cancer types, and adverse events were not. Screening for pMDE is meaningful in CACSs and YACSs since we have effective treatment methods for pMDE if the condition is identified rather than overlooked. Abstract Background: A major depressive episode (MDE) is typically self-rated by screening forms identifying probable MDE (pMDE). This population-based cross-sectional questionnaire study examined the prevalence rates of pMDE identified by the PHQ-9 screener in long-term survivors of childhood and adolescence (CACSs) and young adult cancer (YACSs) and a normative sample (NORMs). Methods: Data from 488 CACSs, 1202 YACSs, and 1453 NORMs were analyzed, and pMDE was defined both by cut-off ≥10 on the total PHQ-9 score and by an algorithm. Results: The prevalence rates of pMDE among CACSs were 21.5%, 16.6% in YACSs, and 9.2% among NORMs using the cut-off definition. With the algorithm, the prevalence rates of pMDE were 8.0% among CACSs, 8.1% among YACSs, and 3.9% among NORMs. Independent of definition, CACSs and YACSs had significantly increased prevalence rates of pMDE compared to NORMs. Psychosocial factors and self-rated health were significantly associated with both definitions of pMDE in multivariable analyses, while survivor groups, cancer types, and adverse events were not. Conclusion: Since pMDE has negative health consequences and is amenable to treatment, healthcare providers should be attentive and screen for pMDE in young cancer survivors. For PHQ-9, the preferred type of definition of pMDE should be determined.
Dead reckoning navigation for an autonomous mobile robot using a differential encoder and a gyroscope

Dead reckoning navigation algorithm using a differential encoder and a gyroscope is proposed for an autonomous mobile robot (AMR). The indirect Kalman filter which feeds back the error estimates to the main navigation algorithm mutually compensates the differential encoder errors and the gyroscope errors. The experimental results show that the proposed AMR navigation algorithm provides the reliable position and heading of the AMR without any external positioning system.
Modified Intelligent Driver Model for driver safety and traffic stability improvement

Abstract The Intelligent Driver Model (IDM) is an Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) model which is widely used for longitudinal vehicle motion modeling. The IDM presents important advantages against the other ACC models which are the availability and the intuitive of its parameters. Nevertheless, it presents some drawbacks such us the exceeding of the real vehicle deceleration. Moreover, the IDM does not totally guarantee the traffic safety in case of accident scenario in terms of collision number. This paper deals with IDM modification to improve the driver safety and to respect the real vehicle capability. Considering the last two modifications and assuming that the driver should takes into account the tail vehicle behavior, a new IDM version is developed and tested with a microscopic traffic simulator in terms of string stabilization. Results show good performance in terms of traffic safety as well as the string stability.
Resilience in computer networks and personal well-being: Computer engineering at the service of digital life

From personal computers with internet access from a fixed location to today's smartphones with personalized internet access anywhere, behavioral changes resulting from technological advances accumulate daily. With the COVID-19 pandemic and the expansion of the home office, home education, telemedicine, among countless other activities developed remotely because of social distancing, the internet has become a unique space in activities in which it did not play such a role before. Given this emergency and historical scenario, the present work aims to assess the social impact of a resilience solution for computer networks, based on the continuous need for internet connection in present society. The device in question maintains the internet connection, considering that serious failures can occur in the main network, through a prototype that foresees problems in this network and anticipates it, presenting a solution so that the user does not notice connection failures. Considering such a device, it is intended to evaluate its impact on the well-being of the customer who acquires it, according to the connection needs of different groups. Therefore, exploratory research is described since the impact on the clients' well-being was not studied in previous analyses. For the design of this research, it is understood that a survey-type survey is indicated, as it is intended, through questionnaires with Likert-type scales and short open questions, to capture the different needs and reactions in different social groups, chosen according to the need for internet access. This work, however, analyzes a case study in a focus group, in a home office, from the perspective of the importance of a resilience device in computer networks as a promoter of the personal well-being of individuals participating in the research. At the end of this study, we intend to answer the following research question: "Does resilience in computer networks influence the well-being of individuals who use it? "
Condition monitoring with ultrasonic arrays at elevated temperatures

The ability to generate and detect ultrasound in test objects at elevated temperatures has potential applications in monitoring of industrial plant and processes. However, the design of an ultrasonic transducer capable of long-term operation at high temperatures is not straightforward and adaptions of conventional NDT designs have been complicated and expensive. In addition, a single- or dual-element transducer fixed in position can typically provide only single A-scans, limiting its usefulness for condition monitoring. In contrast, ultrasonic arrays can provide B-scan data which are more useful in themselves and can also be processed to form images of the interior of the test object. In this paper we describe the design of ultrasonic transducers for condition monitoring at elevated temperatures. Results are presented from a composite material made with lithium niobate and high temperature cement, followed by an outline of the areas to be considered in further work.
Numerical study of zero boil-off storage system with heat pipe and pump-nozzle unit

To realize the long-term storage of liquid hydrogen for space application, different cooling enhancement components to control the pressure of the cryogenic tanks to a safety condition have been developed in the past decades. In this article, a microgravity, three-dimensional model of a liquid hydrogen storage system with heat pipe and pump-nozzle unit was built. Focusing on significant factors to the cooling performance, such as the heat transfer efficiency of the cool tip (evaporation section), the spraying direction of the nozzle, and the number of the pump-nozzle units, numerical simulations of six tanks with different components were carried out. Typical distributions of velocity and temperature of the fluid inside the tanks are illustrated and studied in detail. The maximum temperature and standard temperature deviation in the storage tank were chosen to evaluate cooling effect and mixing effect, respectively. By comparing the synthesized chilling performances of the six different configurations, an optimal structure has been obtained. This research is helpful to improve the performance of cryogenic liquid storage system for space application.
Quantifying the Morphology and Mechanisms of Cancer Progression in 3D in-vitro environments: Integrating Experiments and Multiscale Models

Mathematical models of cancer growth have become increasingly more accurate both in the space and time domains. However, the limited amount of data typically available has resulted in a larger number of qualitative rather than quantitative studies. In the present study, we provide an integrated experimental-computational framework for the quantification of the morphological characteristics and the mechanistic modelling of cancer progression in 3D environments. The proposed framework allows for the calibration of multiscale, spatiotemporal models of cancer growth using state-of-the-art 3D cell culture data, and their validation based on the resulting experimental morphological patterns using spatial point-pattern analysis techniques. We applied this framework to the study of the development of Triple Negative Breast Cancer cells cultured in Matrigel scaffolds, and validated the hypothesis of chemotactic migration using a multiscale, hybrid Keller-Segel model. The results revealed transient, non-random spatial distributions of cancer cells that consist of clustered, and dispersion patterns. The proposed model was able to describe the general characteristics of the experimental observations and suggests that cancer cells exhibited chemotactic migration and accumulation, as well as random motion during the examined time period of development. The developed framework enabled us to pursue two goals; first, the quantitative description of the morphology of cancer growth in 3D cultures using point-pattern analysis, and second, the relation of tumour morphology with underlying biophysical mechanisms that govern cancer growth and migration.
Optimization of Hemoglobin Encapsulation within PLGA Nanoparticles and Their Investigation as Potential Oxygen Carriers

Hemoglobin (Hb)-based oxygen carriers (HBOCs) display the excellent oxygen-carrying properties of red blood cells, while overcoming some of the limitations of donor blood. Various encapsulation platforms have been explored to prepare HBOCs which aim to avoid or minimize the adverse effects caused by the administration of free Hb. Herein, we entrapped Hb within a poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) core, prepared by the double emulsion solvent evaporation method. We study the effect of the concentrations of Hb, PLGA, and emulsifier on the size, polydispersity (PDI), loading capacity (LC), and entrapment efficiency (EE) of the resulting Hb-loaded PLGA nanoparticles (HbNPs). Next, the ability of the HbNPs to reversibly bind and release oxygen was thoroughly evaluated. When needed, trehalose, a well-known protein stabilizer that has never been explored for the fabrication of HBOCs, was incorporated to preserve Hb’s functionality. The optimized formulation had a size of 344 nm, a PDI of 0.172, a LC of 26.9%, and an EE of 40.7%. The HbNPs were imaged by microscopy and were further characterized by FTIR and CD spectroscopy to assess their chemical composition and structure. Finally, the ability of the encapsulated Hb to bind and release oxygen over several rounds was demonstrated, showing the preservation of its functionality.
Transcriptome Analysis of Insulin Signaling-Associated Transcription Factors in C. elegans Reveal Their Genome-Wide Target Genes Specificity and Complexity

Insulin/IGF-1-like signaling (IIS) plays a crucial, conserved role in development, growth, reproduction, stress tolerance, and longevity. In Caenorhabditis elegans, the enhanced longevity under reduced insulin signaling (rIIS) is primarily regulated by the transcription factors (TFs) DAF-16/FOXO, SKN-1/Nrf-1, and HSF1/HSF-1. The specific and coordinated regulation of gene expression by these TFs under rIIS has not been comprehensively elucidated. Here, using RNA-sequencing analysis, we report a systematic study of the complexity of TF-dependent target gene interactions during rIIS under analogous genetic and experimental conditions. We found that DAF-16 regulates only a fraction of the C. elegans transcriptome but controls a large set of genes under rIIS; SKN-1 and HSF-1 show the opposite trend. Both of the latter TFs function as activators and repressors to a similar extent, while DAF-16 is predominantly an activator. For expression of the genes commonly regulated by TFs under rIIS conditions, DAF-16 is the principal determining factor, dominating over the other two TFs, irrespective of whether they activate or repress these genes. The functional annotations and regulatory networks presented in this study provide novel insights into the complexity of the gene regulatory networks downstream of the IIS pathway that controls diverse phenotypes, including longevity.
Novel pressure-gradient driven component for blood extraction

Portable blood analysis devices are usually appreciable for applications in blood diagnostic system. We have designed and fabricated a low-cost and simple deal blood extraction device for a biomedical analysis. The device mainly composes of blood extraction tool and a functional bio-chemical analyzing element. In this work, we report the fabrication and pressure-gradient testing results of the blood extraction tool which consists of painless microneedle array and pressure-gradient tank. Microneedle array was fabricated by X-ray lithography using PCT (Plane-pattern to Cross-section Transfer) technique. The idea of our extraction device was simple but capability which is just to hold a sufficient pressure gradient between the tank and blood vessel. The device can draw the volume of blood up to 237 μl. The device was made of low-cost and disposable materials since it is expected to be used for single blood analysis system. In this work, we introduce design, fabrication and mechanism of the pressure gradient driven component including the extraction test results. The fabrication method of microneedle used in our system is also described.
Using frequency response function and wave propagation for locating damage in plates

In this study, the frequency domain method which utilizes the evaluation of changes in the structural mode shape is adopted to identify regions which contain localized damages. Frequency response function (FRF) values corresponding to the modal frequency, analogous to the mode shape coefficients, are used since change in natural frequency of the system is usually insignificant for localized damage. This method requires only few sensors to obtain the dynamic response of the structure at specific locations to determine the FRF via fast-Fourier transform (FFT). Numerical examples of an aluminum plate, which includes damages of varying severity, locations and combinations of multiple locations, are presented to demonstrate the feasibility of the method. An experimental verification of the method is also done using an aluminum plate with two different degrees of damage, namely a half-through notch and a through notch. The inconsistency in attaining the FRF values for practical applications due to varying impact load may be overcome via statistical averaging, although large variations in the loading in terms of the contact duration should still be avoided. Nonetheless, this method needs special attention when the damages induce notable changes in the modal frequency, such as when the damages are of high severity or cover more extensive area or near the boundary where the support condition is modified. This is largely due to the significant decrease in the frequency term compared to the increase in the vibration amplitude. For practical reasons such as the use of limited number of sensors and to facilitate automation, extending the resolution of this method of identification may not be efficient. Hence, methods based on wave propagation can be employed as a complement on the isolated region to provide an accurate localization as well as to trace the geometry of the damage.