Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Facility location selection using fuzzy axiomatic design principles under group decision-making environment

Choosing the most suitable site for carrying out operations of any manufacturing or service organisation is a typical facility location selection problem. Selecting a location for a new organisation or expansion of an existing one is a crucial decision for its eventual success or failure. This paper presents a fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method based on axiomatic design principles for solving facility location selection problems under group decision-making environment. The group of decision makers is assumed to be homogeneous where the degrees of importance (reliability) of all decision makers are taken to be equal to each other. The decision of selecting an appropriate facility location for a distribution centre, manufacturing set-up, commercial complex or any public organisation always involves consideration of many socio-economic criteria which can be more effectively expressed in qualitative terms. Trapezoidal fuzzy numbers are used here for representing those qualitative criteria into quantitative values. The location alternatives are ranked based on the ascending values of their total information content. Two illustrative examples are solved applying the adopted method to validate its universal applicability and acceptability as an almost accurate and comprehensive MCDM tool. A sensitivity analysis study is also performed.
MIMO-OFDM Wireless Channel Prediction by Exploiting Spatial-Temporal Correlation

Multiple input multiple output orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (MIMO-OFDM) is considered to be a promising technique for reliable high data-rate wireless transmission systems, which can provide high spectral efficiency and high data rate transmission over frequency selective channels. Recently, adaptive multiuser resource allocation and precoding techniques are introduced to modern MIMO-OFDM systems to further improve the spectral efficiency and the system
Masticatory and cervical muscle tenderness and pain sensitivity in a remote area in subjects with a temporomandibular disorder and neck disability.

AIMS To compare the masticatory and cervical muscle tenderness and pain sensitivity in the hand (remote region) between patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and healthy controls. METHODS Twenty female subjects were diagnosed with chronic TMD, and 20 were considered healthy. Subjects completed the Neck Disability Index and Limitations of Daily Functions in a TMD questionnaire. Tenderness of the masticatory and cervical muscles and pain sensitivity in the hand were measured using an algometer. Three-way mixed analysis of variance (ANOVA) evaluated differences in muscle tenderness between groups. One-way ANOVA compared pain sensitivity in the hand between groups. Effect sizes were assessed using Cohen guidelines. RESULTS Significantly increased masticatory and cervical muscle tenderness and pain sensitivity in the hand were found in subjects with TMD when compared with healthy subjects. Moderate to high effect sizes showed the clinical relevance of the findings. CONCLUSION The results of this study have highlighted the importance of assessing TMD patients not only in the craniofacial region but also in the neck and other parts of the body. Future studies should focus on testing the effectiveness of treatments addressing the neck and the pain sensitivity in the hand in patients with TMD.
Two types of cis-trans compensation in the evolution of transcriptional regulation

Because distant species often share similar macromolecules, regulatory mutations are often considered responsible for much of their biological differences. Recently, a large portion of regulatory changes has been attributed to cis-regulatory mutations. Here, we examined an alternative possibility that the putative contribution of cis-regulatory changes was, in fact, caused by compensatory action of cis- and trans-regulatory elements. First, we show by stochastic simulations that compensatory cis-trans evolution maintains the binding affinity of a transcription factor at a constant level, thereby spuriously exaggerating the contribution of cis-regulatory mutations to gene expression divergence. This exaggeration was not observed when changes in the binding affinity were compensated by variable transcription factor concentration. Second, using reciprocal introgressions of Drosophila, we show that relative expression of heterozygous alleles from two distinct species often varied significantly between different species backgrounds, indicating the possible action of cis-trans compensation. Taken together, we propose that cis-trans hybrid incompatibilities are accumulating much faster than generally considered.
Frequency Dependent Noise Flooring Parameter (FDNFP) For Speech Enhancement

An enhancement method for single-channel speech degraded by additive noise is proposed. A spectral weighting functions derived by constrained optimization to suppress noise in the frequency domain. Two design parameters are included in the suppression gain, namely, the frequency-dependent noise flooring parameter (FDNFP) and the gain factor. The FDNFP controls the level of admissible residual noise in the enhanced speech. Enhanced harmonic structures are incorporated into the FDNFP by time-domain processing of the linear prediction residuals of voiced speech. Further enhancement of the harmonics is achieved by adaptive comb filtering derived using the gain factor with a peak-picking algorithm
Phosphate Uptake in an Obligately Marine Fungus II. Role of Culture Conditions, Energy Sources, and Inhibitors

Phosphate uptake in the obligately marine fungus, Thraustochytrium roseum, is maximal at pH 7.5 to 7.8, is dependent on temperature, and varies with phosphate concentration. Pyruvate and succinate stimulate phosphate uptake, although they do not increase respiration. The uncoupling agents, 2,4-dinitrophenol and dicoumerol, inhibit phosphate uptake but stimulate oxygen consumption only in the presence of NaCl. Oligomycin inhibits both processes. Among the inhibitors of protein synthesis, chloramphenicol reduces phosphate uptake without affecting respiration. Puromycin is unique in that it greatly enhances phosphate uptake and abolished the lag period associated with this phenomenon. It does not affect respiration.
Treatment of Secondary Sludge for Energy Recovery

Primary and secondary sludges are produced as a result of primary and secondary wastewater treatment in municipal wastewater plant or pulp and paper mills. Sludge disposal has become a worldwide problem for many reasons including rapidly shrinking landfill space, increased environmental awareness, more stringent environmental standards governing the disposal of sludge, and dewatering challenges. Unlike the primary sludge, the secondary sludge as byproduct of the biological treatment is far more difficult to dewater and to be disposed. Secondary sludge waste management issues are a continuing challenge. This together with record high oil prices have contributed to a need to examine methods of converting secondary sludge waste into energy. In this chapter, we have overviewed a variety of secondary sludge post treatment methods for energy recovery, including incineration, gasification, pyrolysis, direct liquefaction, supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) and anaerobic digestion. A critical comparison between these methods is presented with respect to their net energy efficiencies. The advantages and drawbacks of each treatment option are also highlighted in this chapter. CONTENTS
Studies of LBNE Neutrino Flux and Beamline

The proposed Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiment (LBNE) will produce a neutrino beam whose contents will be measured kilometers away from the facility of production. These measurements will give insight into neutrino oscillation. The beam is produced and focused through a series of independent beamline elements. Misaligning these elements with one another leads to a change in the neutrino flux seen at the far detector. It was found that a 5% flux decrease is observed when the target is misaligned 1 mm, the first focusing horn is misaligned 5mm, or the second focusing horn is misaligned 10 mm. Therefore, the alignment of the initial proton beam on the target is the most crucial aspect of beam alignment for maximum neutrino flux. This final neutrino beam has an analogous direction and energy to the muon beam created through the decay of shared parent pions. This muon beam was also investigated through interactions with a hadron absorber. It was seen for every two muons stopped in the absorber, only one has sufficient energy to escape the absorber and be measured downstream. It was also found that the focusing horns act very much as a lens and can over-focus the beam, resulting in a negatively angled beam when the initial proton beam was offset positively.
Immune Deviation Away from Th1 in Interferon-γ Knockout Mice Does Not Enhance TSH Receptor Antibody Production after Naked DNA Vaccination.

TSH receptor (TSHR) DNA vaccination induces high TSHR antibody levels in BALB/c mice housed in a conventional facility. However, under pathogen-free conditions, we observed a Th1 cellular response to TSHR antigen characterized by interferon-γ (IFNγ) production. In the present study we investigated the effect on TSHR DNA vaccination of diverting the cytokine milieu away from Th1 using 1) IFNγ knockout BALB/c mice, and 2) wild-type mice covaccinated with DNA for the TSHR and for IFNγ/receptor-Fc protein that prevents IFNγ from binding to its receptor. Neither approach enhanced TSHR antibody levels, although splenocyte IFNγ production in response to TSHR antigen was absent (IFNγ knockouts) or reduced (IFNγ receptor-Fc). Moreover, production of IL-2, another Th1 cytokine, but not Th2 cytokines, indicated that neither strategy overcame the Th1 bias of im DNA vaccination. Importantly, splenocyte production of IFNγ and IL-2 provides a sensitive detection system for TSHR-specific T cells. Unexpectedly, higher TSH.
Suicidal ideation in early to middle adolescence: sex-specific trajectories and predictors.

BACKGROUND The present study examined developmental trajectories of suicidal ideation (SI) and predictors of the course of SI across early to middle adolescence in a sample of 521 children utilizing a prospective longitudinal design. METHOD A baseline assessment including structured interviews and parent- and adolescent-reported measures was conducted at age 11-12 years, with follow-up assessments occurring 6, 12, 18, and 36 months later. RESULTS Group-based trajectory analyses revealed three groups of individuals, one group that remained at low ideation scores throughout the time period examined, another group with moderate ideation scores and a minority of children who had fluctuating SI. Sex differences in SI trajectories were revealed with the highest SI scores at age 12 for boys. For boys in this group, high ideation followed by a steady decline in the slope over time. SI in girls demonstrated a quadratic function increasing from age 12 to 13, and decreasing from age 14 to 15. Factors that predicted SI group membership were identified. Depression, externalizing problems, family and friend support discriminated SI trajectories for both boys and girls. History of a suicide attempt was associated with moderate- and high-declining ideation groups for boys, and moderate and high ideation group for girls. CONCLUSIONS Assessment of SI in adolescents should occur in early adolescents, particularly around the time of school transitions.
Model Comparison in Group Decision Making

In some studies based on social identity perspectives, identification with others and conformity to a majority opinion have been indisputable outcomes when individuals involved all look alike. In contrast, another group of studies suggests individuals in a visually deindividuated condition are reluctant to agree with a majority opinion. To investigate such inconsistency, we set up and tested a hypothesized model that compares two processes that provide competing predictions about the effect of uniform visual cue on conformity: the social identification process derived from the social identity model of deindividuation effects (SIDE) and the compensatory nonconformity process derived from optimal distinctiveness theory (ODT). We also investigate how changes in the visual cue conditions affect those two processes. Implications are discussed regarding the comparison of two models and the investigation of conditions under which either process is more or less operant during group interaction.
Fatigue and circadian activity rhythms in breast cancer patients before and after chemotherapy: a controlled study

Background: Breast cancer (BC) patients often experience cancer-related fatigue (CRF) before, during, and after their chemotherapy. Circadian rhythms are 24-hour cycles of behavior and physiology that are generated by internal pacemakers and entrained by zeitgebers (e.g., light). A few studies have suggested a relationship between fatigue and circadian rhythms in some clinical populations. Methods: One hundred and forty-eight women diagnosed with stage I–III breast cancer and scheduled to receive at least four cycles of adjuvant or neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and 61 controls (cancer-free healthy women) participated in this study. Data were collected before (Baseline) and after four cycles of chemotherapy (Cycle-4). Fatigue was assessed with the Short Form of Multidimensional Fatigue Symptom Inventory (MFSI–SF); circadian activity rhythm (CAR) was recorded with wrist actigraphy (six parameters included: amplitude, acrophase, mesor, up-mesor, down-mesor and F-statistic). A mixed model analysis was used to examine changes in fatigue and CAR parameters compared to controls, and to examine the longitudinal relationship between fatigue and CAR parameters in BC patients. Results: More severe CRF (total and subscale scores) and disrupted CAR (amplitude, mesor and F-statistic) were observed in BC patients compared to controls at both Baseline and Cycle-4 (all p's < 0.05); BC patients also experienced more fatigue and decreased amplitude and mesor, as well as delayed up-mesor time at Cycle-4 compared to Baseline (all p's < 0.05). The increased total MFSI–SF scores were significantly associated with decreased amplitude, mesor and F-statistic (all p's < 0.006). Conclusion: CRF exists and CAR is disrupted even before the start of chemotherapy. The significant relationship between CRF and CAR indicate possible underlying connections. Re-entraining the disturbed CAR using effective interventions such as bright light therapy might also improve CRF.
A modular SCR-based DC-DC converter for medium-voltage direct-current (MVDC) grid applications

A reliable modular dc-dc converter that is well-suited to the MVDC grid applications is proposed in this paper. This converter benefits from zero current turn-off and soft turn-on switching; hence, it can use naturally commutated switches such as silicon-controlled rectifiers (SCR). SCRs offer numerous advantages over other types of switches, among them are simple control, long lifetime, low losses, low cost, and availability at both high voltage and high current ratings; therefore, use of SCRs in the proposed converter is expected to improve its attributes. The behavior of each power module in the proposed modular converter is similar to that of a Quasi-Square-Wave Ćuk converter. Each power module is designed and controlled such that it employs a very small film capacitor for transferring the power from the input to the output. This feature eliminates the need for electrolytic capacitors that have high failure rates. Furthermore, each power module can be configured as an isolated converter, using an integrated high frequency transformer. Another advantage of the proposed converter is the possibility of having bidirectional flow of power. The input and output terminals of the power modules can be connected in series or in parallel. In this paper, an input-parallel output-series (IPOS) modular configuration is considered to increase the voltage blocking capability at the output. Design and analysis of the proposed modular converter are discussed in this paper. Moreover, its performance is evaluated through simulations and experiments.
LiFlow : A Workflow Automation System for Reproducible Simulation Studies

Simulation of living systems often requires numerous computational experiments on the same model for different parameter values. This paper describes the design of a user-friendly workflow automation system LiFlow for simulation of living systems, which is capable of conducting such a large series of computational experiments on supercomputers. The system provides a convenient interface for preparing input experimental data, executing the experiments on a supercomputer, and storing experimental results in a storage system. A distinctive feature of LiFlow is its simplicity and usability—the system is intended to be used by researchers in mathematical biology and biophysics without extensive knowledge in parallel computing. The paper provides examples of the use of the LiFlow system for simulation of the human heart left ventricle.
Partnered Women's Labour Supply and Child‐Care Costs in Australia: Measurement Error and the Child‐Care Price

We show that measurement error in the constructed price of child care can explain why previous Australian studies have found partnered women’s labour supply to be unresponsive to child care prices. Through improved data and improved construction of the child care price variable, we find child care price elasticities that are statistically significant, negative and in line with elasticities found in other developed countries.
A process-insensitive current-controlled delay generator with threshold voltage compensation

A process-insensitive current-controlled delay generator is presented with a large tunable range of the time delay. By adopting process variation compensation techniques in the generation of time delay, the delay generator is able to provide process-insensitive clock pulses. The circuit has been fabricated in 90nm CMOS technology, consumes 310μW from a 1. IV supply. Using, in a typical case, 20μA of reference current, it can generate a delay of 2.36 ns. The delay variation observed in 14 measured chips has shown a standard deviation of 1.24%.
Watching the Race to Find the Breast Cancer Genes

This article focuses on a crucial development in genetic research that occurred in the 1990s: the identification of the first two of the genes responsible for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (BRCA1 and BRCA2). Issues addressed touch on the evolution of the subfield, its potential impact on cancer treatment, and industry involvement. The article follows the activities of the various research groups competing in the race to identify the genes and depicts the frequent conflicts between them. Data are derived chiefly from a bibliometric database. The results show a diversity of research practices. Industrial researchers interacted within far more tightly knit networks than their counterparts working in public organizations. The patenting and commercial exploitation of results led to fierce battles, with one group capturing most of the benefits.
A novel sense amplifier for flexible voltage operation NAND flash memories

This paper proposes a new bit-by-bit verify circuit for application in NAND flash memories. The Sense Amplifier (S/A) employed confers two benefits: flexible power supply voltage (ex. 3 V or 5 V) operation with a high noise immunity and an intelligent page copy function. The benefits are very useful to the flash memory card or system and accelerate the replacement of magnetic memories by flash memories. The S/A has been successfully implemented in the commercial version of the 32 Mbit NAND-EEPROM, in which the S/A is newly introduced in comparison with the prototype version.
Expectations and Experiences With MyLabourParty: From Right to Know to Right to Participate?

Social media are often argued to change political communication, decreasing the distance between politicians and citizens, and increasing citizens' influence on policymaking. This paper presents findings from a study of how the Norwegian Labour Party uses social media, focusing on the community platform MyLabourParty. Interviews with politicians and a survey with citizens as respondents were conducted to examine the experiences of online political discussions. Findings show that citizens and politicians expect MyLabourParty to strengthen citizen participation. Yet, citizens still experience communication asymmetry and politicians may find it challenging to participate to the extent citizens expect. Means for bridging the gap between expectations and experiences are called for, in particular redefinition of the offering, changes of user-practices, and system improvements.
Susceptibility to local and systemic bacterial infections in intercellular adhesion molecule 1-deficient transgenic mice.

The contribution of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) during systemic and local bacterial infections was studied in transgenic ICAM-1-deficient and control mice that were injected intraperitoneally (ip) or intradermally (id) with Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, or Staphylococcus aureus. Mortality rates, blood cultures, white blood cell (WBC) counts and absolute neutrophil counts (ANCs) were obtained daily until cultures were sterile. Six and 24 h after injections, autopsies were done on randomly selected ip-inoculated mice and biopsies were done on randomly selected id-inoculated mice. Survival rates were similar. In ICAM-1-deficient mice, ip P. aeruginosa resulted in higher incidences of bacteremia at 24 h (P = .003) and 48 h (P = .002); id S. aureus resulted in larger skin lesions (P = .026). Leukocytosis persisted in ICAM-1-deficient mice 6 h after ip injection of E. coli; however, WBC counts and ANCs in peritoneal fluid did not differ. Although the inflammatory responses were similar histologically in ICAM-1-deficient and normal mice, differences in site- and stimulus-specific susceptibilities were noted.
Clip-grafts for aneurysm and small vessel surgery. 4. Relative application to various aneurysms and repair of anterior communicating aneurysms using right-angle clip holder. Technical note.

✓ Analysis of the use of the clip-graft for intracranial aneurysms indicates that the clip-graft is chiefly applicable to internal carotid and anterior communicating artery aneurysms. The development of the right-angle clip holder has extended its use to anterior communicating artery aneurysms that project posteriorly or superiorly. The dangers of dissection in the septal region are discussed. With few exceptions, the clip-graft is not applicable to the vertebrobasilar system or middle cerebral artery trifurcation aneurysms, although it has been used for aneurysms arising from the trunk of the latter vessel.