Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Designing interactive technologies to enhance nature engagement for children in urban Bhutan

This study is an exploratory study to understand what kinds of interactive technologies can enhance nature engagement for children in urban Bhutan. The study undertook online and distributed methods of qualitative study during the time of the Covid-19 pandemic. The thesis suggests technology design opportunities that can enhance children’s engagement with nature. It also contributes to knowledge by bringing forth challenges and benefits of conducting distributed research with children.
Low Power Ultra-Wideband VCRO in 130nm CMOS Technology

The development of voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) that can operate at high performance within the ultra-wideband (UWB) frequency with low power consumption is useful for the future device implementation in communication system. This paper presents a design of low power ultra-wideband voltage-controlled ring-oscillator (VCRO) in 130 nm complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology with single-ended differential pair architecture for UWB application. The aim of this project is to optimize the VCRO with low power technique to ensure it consumes less power and able to operate within the UWB frequency. All design architecture, schematic and layout and simulation and analysis are implemented using Cadence Tool in 130 nm CMOS technology. Through simulation and analysis process, this VCRO achieved a wider frequency from 7.186 GHz to 9.651 GHz with lowest power consumption of 0.78 mW. This VCRO has tuning range of 25.54%. The output noise and figure of merit (FOM) at 1 MHz offset frequency is -153.1 dBc/Hz and -234.83 dBc/Hz while at a 10 MHz offset frequency, the output noise and FOM is -162.0 dBc/Hz and -223.73 dBc/Hz respectively. Through overall analysis, it can be conclude that this VCRO has better performance compared to previous work in terms of power consumption, output noise and frequency tuning range.
Virtual Water Flow Pattern in the Yellow River Basin, China: An Analysis Based on a Multiregional Input–Output Model

Research on the Yellow River Basin’s virtual water is not only beneficial for rational water resource regulation and allocation, but it is also a crucial means of relieving the pressures of a shortage of water resources. The water stress index and pull coefficient have been introduced to calculate the implied virtual water from intraregional and interregional trade in the Yellow River Basin on the basis of a multi-regional input–output model; a systematic study of virtual water flow has been conducted. The analysis illustrated that: (1) Agriculture is the leading sector in terms of virtual water input and output among all provinces in the Yellow River Basin, which explains the high usage. Therefore, it is important to note that the agricultural sector needs to improve its water efficiency. In addition to agriculture, virtual water is mainly exported through supply companies in the upper reaches; the middle reaches mainly output services and the transportation industry, and the lower reaches mainly output to the manufacturing industry. Significant differences exist in the pull coefficients of the same sectors in different provinces (regions). The average pull coefficients of the manufacturing, mining, and construction industries are large, so it is necessary to formulate stricter water use policies. (2) The whole basin is in a state of virtual net water input, that is, throughout the region. The Henan, Shandong, Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Qinghai Provinces, which are relatively short of water, import virtual water to relieve local water pressures. However, in the Gansu Province and the Ningxia Autonomous Region, where water resources are not abundant, continuous virtual water output will exacerbate the local resource shortage. (3) The Yellow River Basin’s virtual water resources have obvious geographical distribution characteristics. The cross-provincial trade volume in the downstream area is high; the virtual water trade volume in the upstream area is low, as it is in the midstream and downstream areas; the trade relationship is insufficient. The Henan and Shandong Provinces are located in the dominant flow direction of Yellow River Basin’s virtual water, while Gansu and Inner Mongolia are at the major water sources. Trade exchanges between the midstream and downstream and the upstream should be strengthened. Therefore, the utilization of water resources should be planned nationwide to reduce water pressures, and policymakers should improve the performance of agricultural water use within the Yellow River Basin and change the main trade industries according to the resource advantages and water resources situation of each of them.
Dexterity Analysis and Motion Optimization of In-Situ Torsionally-Steerable Flexible Surgical Robots

Flexible robots with <italic>in-situ</italic> torsion can be used in laryngeal endoscopic surgery which can maintain the position and approach vector of the end-effector during the operation. However, the inherent errors would be produced by <italic>in-situ</italic> torsional motion which are different due to the various configuration of serpentine module in robot. In this letter, the kinematic model is established according to the structure of serpentine module. The dexterity analysis shows that the singular position is reduced and the angular velocity of dexterity is improved comparing with the robot without <italic>in-situ</italic> torsion function. The theoretical position errors caused by <italic>in-situ</italic> torsion is quantitatively analyzed by simulation. It is found that the maximum error is 5.19mm at the bending angle of 120<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$ ^\circ$</tex-math></inline-formula>. In addition, the existence of joints in the robot arm also leads to the occurrence of rotation errors. The configuration and number of the joints are optimized to improve the accuracy. Finally, the experiments are carried out to verify the effectiveness of the proposed design and the model. The results indicate that the <italic>in-situ</italic> torsionally steerable flexible robots have higher motion dexterity, its inherent error during the in-situ torsion motion can be eliminated by structural optimization.
RMIT University's Practical Space Weather Prediction Laboratory

Space weather is a key component in the daily operation of many technological systems and applications; including large-scale power grids, high-frequency radio systems and satellite systems. As the international space sector continues to boom, accessible space weather products, tools and education are increasingly important to ensure that space actors (both old and new) are equipped with the knowledge of how space weather influences their activities and applications. At RMIT University, the initiative was taken to develop a Space Weather Prediction Laboratory exercise for students as part of its new offering of a Bachelor Degree in Space Science in 2020. This new Space Weather Prediction Lab exercise is offered as part of an undergraduate course on `Space Exploration', which has a diverse student in-take, including students with no background in physics; a key detail in the design of the Lab. The aims of the Space Weather Prediction Lab were to: (1) Provide a short and intense introduction to the near-Earth space environment and its impact on various human technologies; (2) Give students `hands-on' training in data analysis, interpretation and communication; and (3) Create an immersive space science experience for students that encourages learning, scientific transparency and teamwork. The format of the lab that was developed can be easily scaled in difficulty to suit the students' technical level, either by including more/less space weather datasets in the analysis or by analyzing more/less complicated space weather events. The details of the Space Weather Prediction Lab developed and taught at RMIT in 2020, in both face-to-face and online formats, are presented.
A Design Approach to Optimise Secure Remote Three-Dimensional (3D) Printing: A Proof-of-Concept Study towards Advancement in Telemedicine

Telemedicine is defined as the delivery of healthcare services at a distance using electronic means. The incorporation of 3D printing in the telemedicine cycle could result in pharmacists designing and manufacturing personalised medicines based on the electronic prescription received. Even with the advantages of telemedicine, numerous barriers to the uptake hinder the wider uptake. Of particular concern is the cyber risk associated with the remote digital transfer of the computer-aided design (CAD) file (acting as the electronic prescription) to the 3D printer and the reproducibility of the resultant printed medicinal products. This proof-of-concept study aimed to explore the application of secure remote 3D printing of model solid dosage forms using the patented technology, DEFEND3D, which is designed to enhance cybersecurity and intellectual property (IP) protection. The size, shape, and colour of the remote 3D-printed model medicinal products were also evaluated to ensure the end-product quality was user-focused. Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and poly(lactic) acid (PLA) were chosen as model polymers due to their flexibility in preventing breakage printing and ease of printing with fused deposition modelling (FDM). Our work confirmed the potential of secure remote 3D (FDM) printing of prototype solid dosage forms resulting in products with good reproducibility, resolution, and quality towards advancements in telemedicine and digital pharmacies. The limitation of the work presented here was the use of model polymers and not pharmaceutically relevant polymers. Further work could be conducted using the same designs chosen in this study with pharmaceutically relevant polymers used in hot-melt extrusion (HME) with shown suitability for FDM 3D printing. However, it should be noted that any challenges that may occur with pharmaceutically relevant polymers are likely to be related to the polymer’s printability and printer choice as opposed to the ability of the CAD file to be transferred to the printer remotely.
Alveolar–Arterial Gradient Is an Early Marker to Predict Severe Pneumonia in COVID-19 Patients

Background: One of the main challenges in the management of COVID-19 patients is to early assess and stratify them according to their risk of developing severe pneumonia. The alveolar–arterial oxygen gradient (D(A-a)O2) is defined as the difference between the alveolar and arteriolar concentration of oxygen, an accurate index of the ventilatory function. The aim of this study is to evaluate D(A-a)O2 as a marker for predicting severe pneumonia in COVID-19 patients, in comparison to the PaO2/FiO2. Methods: This retrospective, multicentric cohort study included COVID-19 patients admitted to two Italian hospitals between April and July 2020. Clinical and laboratory data were retrospectively collected at the time of hospital admission and during hospitalization. The presence of severe COVID-19 pneumonia was evaluated, as defined by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) criteria for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Patients were divided in severe and non-severe groups. Results: Overall, 53 COVID-19 patients were included in the study: male were 30/53 (57%), and 10/53 (19%) had severe pneumonia. Patients with severe pneumonia reported dyspnea more often than non-severe patients (90% vs. 39.5%; p = 0.031). A history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) was recalled by 5/10 (50%) patients with severe pneumonia, and only in 6/43 (1.4%) of non-severe cases (p = 0.023). A ROC curve, for D(A-a)O2 >60 mmHg in detecting severe pneumonia, showed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.877 (95% CI: 0.675–1), while the AUC of PaO2/FiO2 < 263 mmHg resulted 0.802 (95% CI: 0.544–1). D(A-a)O2 in comparison to PaO2/FiO2 had a higher sensibility (77.8% vs. 66.7%), positive predictive value (75% vs. 71.4%), negative predictive value (94% vs. 91%), and similar specificity (94.4% vs. 95.5%). Conclusions: Our study suggests that the D(A-a)O2 is more appropriate than PaO2/FiO2 to identify COVID-19 patients at risk of developing severe pneumonia early.
Usability and acceptability of a fall monitoring system

Narciso González Vega (2017). Usability and Acceptability of a Fall Monitoring System. Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Master’s Thesis in Gerontology and Public Health, 41 pp. Falls and injurious falls affect one third of the older people. Those experiencing a fall might be unable to call for help remaining unattended for a long time. Pain, hypothermia and dehydration are common consequences. Additionally, ensuing fear of falling may reduce physical activity leading to functional decline and possibly institutionalisation. Monitoring fall events the CONFIDENCE system could summon emergency assistance automatically thus reducing the negative consequences of falls. This thesis is part of the European FP7 project “Ubiquitous care system to support independent living” (CONFIDENCE) which developed a fall monitoring system based on three-dimensional (3D) localisation of bodily worn radio frequency (RF) tags. Usability and acceptability are factors influencing the possible market success of technological innovations such as CONFIDENCE. The purpose of this study was to research the usability and acceptability of this system among 24 older people. Participants filled in the WHOQOL-BREF, Falls Efficacy Scale International, mobile phone expertise, usability and acceptability questionnaires. They interacted with the system wearing and removing the RF tags, and initiating and dismissing user-initiatedand system-detected-alarms through a smartphone interface. Data were analysed with the SPSS software. Performance time differences were subjected to ANOVA and t-tests. Associations among variables were studied with Spearman Rho (ρ) correlation tests. Performance time in the alarm tasks was similar when performed with the dominant and nondominant hands. There were no errors in task-goal achievement. Task performance did not differ when comparing two versions of the user interfaces. Performance and usability questionnaire reports indicated good usability of the system. The results suggest that the acceptability of the prototype was high and significantly (all ps < .05) associated with age (advantages-age ρ = .43, disadvantages-age ρ = -.46), FES-I (ρ = -.43), and the WHOQOL-BREF environment domain (ρ = .41). In real-life conditions, future prospective research should focus on the usability and acceptability of this or comparable systems, and whether these influence fear of falling and quality of life of faller vs. non-faller older adults.
The Predictive Value of Pre-operative N-Terminal Pro-B-Type Natriuretic Peptide in the Risk of Acute Kidney Injury After Non-cardiac Surgery

Objective To evaluate the association between N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and risk of post-operative acute kidney injury (PO-AKI). Methods The electronic medical records and laboratory results were obtained from 3,949 adult patients (≥18 years) undergoing non-cardiac surgery performed between 1 October 2012 to 1 October 2019 at the Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, China. Collected data were analyzed retrospectively. Results In all, 5.3% (209 of 3,949) of patients developed PO-AKI. Pre-operative NT-proBNP was an independent predictor of PO-AKI. After adjustment for significant variables, OR for AKI of highest and lowest NT-proBNP quintiles was 1.96 (95% CI, 1.04–3.68, P = 0.008), OR per 1-unit increment in natural log transformed NT-proBNP was 1.20 (95% CI, 1.09–1.32, P < 0.001). Compared with clinical variables alone, the addition of NT-proBNP modestly improved the discrimination [change in area under the curve(AUC) from 0.82 to 0.83, ΔAUC=0.01, P = 0.024] and the reclassification (continuous net reclassification improvement 0.15, 95% CI, 0.01–0.29, P = 0.034, improved integrated discrimination 0.01, 95% CI, 0.002–0.02, P = 0.017) of AKI and non-AKI cases. Conclusions Results from our retrospective cohort study showed that the addition of pre-operative NT-proBNP concentrations could better predict post-operative AKI in a cohort of non-cardiac surgery patients and achieve higher net benefit in decision curve analysis.
Targeting the Cation-Chloride Co-Transporter NKCC1 to Re-Establish GABAergic Inhibition and an Appropriate Excitatory/Inhibitory Balance in Selective Neuronal Circuits: A Novel Approach for the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease

GABA, the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in the adult brain, depolarizes and excites immature neurons because of an initially higher intracellular chloride concentration [Cl−]i due to the delayed expression of the chloride exporter KCC2 at birth. Depolarization-induced calcium rise via NMDA receptors and voltage-dependent calcium channels is instrumental in shaping neuronal circuits and in controlling the excitatory (E)/inhibitory (I) balance in selective brain areas. An E/I imbalance accounts for cognitive impairment observed in several neuropsychiatric disorders. The aim of this review is to summarize recent data on the mechanisms by which alterations of GABAergic signaling alter the E/I balance in cortical and hippocampal neurons in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and the role of cation-chloride co-transporters in this process. In particular, we discuss the NGF and AD relationship and how mice engineered to express recombinant neutralizing anti-NGF antibodies (AD11 mice), which develop a neurodegenerative pathology reminiscent of that observed in AD patients, exhibit a depolarizing action of GABA due to KCC2 impairment. Treating AD and other forms of dementia with bumetanide, a selective KCC2 antagonist, contributes to re-establishing a proper E/I balance in selective brain areas, leading to amelioration of AD symptoms and the slowing down of disease progression.
The Effect of HER2 Status on Metaplastic Breast Cancer A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis

Background The role of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) in metaplastic breast cancer (MBC) patients remains unclear. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of HER2 status on MBC patients by propensity-score matching (PSM). Methods The SEER data from 2010 to 2016 were extracted. The breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) of MBC patients, diagnosed from 2001 to 2016, was compared using Kaplan–Meier analysis. The multivariate Cox proportional model between groups was performed. PSM was used to make 1:1 case-control matching. Results We included 1887 patients with a median follow-up time of 28 months (range 1-83 months). 1749 (92.7%) and 138 (7.3%) patients presented in the HER2-negative group and HER2-positive group. 833 (44.1%) patients received post-mastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT). The HER2-positive group had younger patients, lower tumor grades, and more advanced tumor stages. The prognoses were related to age of diagnosis, race/ethnicity, TNM stage, and PMRT in multivariate Cox analysis. ER status and HER2 status had no impact on BCSS. In the Kaplan-Meier analysis, PMRT was associated with a better prognosis. Importantly, patients with HER2-negative status can benefit from PMRT, but not those with HER2-positive status. After PSM, on multivariate Cox analysis, the prognosis was related to HER2 status and PMRT. In the Kaplan-Meier analysis, PMRT was related to a better prognosis for HER2-negative patients. Conclusions Our findings supported that PMRT and HER2-positive status were associated with a better prognosis after PSM. However, HER2-negative, but not HER2-positive patients could benefit from PMRT.
Blade number impact on pressure and performance of archimedes screw turbine using CFD

Many rivers in Indonesia can be used as source of mini/micro hydro power plant using low head turbine. The most suitable type of turbine used in fluid flow with low head is the Archimedes screw turbine. The Archimedes screw hydro turbine is a relative newcomer to the small-scale hydropower that can work efficiently on heads as low as 10 meter. In this study, the performance of Archimedes water turbines that has different blade numbers that are thoroughly evaluated to obtain proper blade configuration. For this purpose, numerical simulations are used to predict the pressure changes that occur along the turbine. The simulation results show that turbines with an amount of two blades have more sloping pressure distribution so that it has better stability.
Recurrence Rate of Proximal Contact Loss Between Implant Restorations and Adjacent Teeth After Proximal Contact Repair: A Retrospective Study.

PURPOSE Proximal contact loss (PCL) between implant-supported fixed dental prostheses (FDPs) and adjacent teeth has been reported as a common complication of implant therapy. The prevalence of PCL and its potential risk factors have been extensively studied. However, few studies have discussed the recurrent PCL after intervention to restore the proximal contacts. Thus, this retrospective study aimed to evaluate the recurrence rate of PCL and its potential risk factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS This study included 41 patients (with 45 implants in the posterior region), who had experienced PCL between implant restorations and adjacent teeth and had received contact repair. Recurrent PCL was recorded and evaluated during routine follow-ups with an interval of 6 to 12 months. The recurrence rates and time were measured. The potential influential factors of PCL were also assessed. Fisher exact test, t test, univariate logistic regression analyses, and multivariate logistic regression model were utilized to identify factors influencing PCL. RESULTS The recurrence rates of mesial PCL were high (> 50%) and the recurrence time became progressively rapid after each repair (5, 3.2, and 2.2 years). Implants with the first PCL recurrence were more likely to be splinted than those implants without recurrence (54.5% vs 18.8%; P = .032). In addition, patients with the first recurrence were slightly older than those without recurrence (55.8 vs 50.1 years; P = .087). Age, implant restoration (splinted vs single), frequent use of interdental brushes, and time to first complaint were the candidate factors associated with recurrent PCL in the univariate logistic regression analysis. The multivariate logistic regression model revealed that only splinted implant restoration was independently associated with a higher risk of recurrence (odds ratio 4.99; 95% confidence interval 1.02-24.31; P = .047). CONCLUSION The recurrence rates of mesial PCL were high and associated with the splinted-type design. Also, the recurrence time of PCL accelerated after each repair. Therefore, routine follow-up monitoring PCL and carefully assessing patient compliance after implant therapy are recommended.