Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Warm Epsom Salt Pack over Knee Osteoarthritis-A Randomized Controlled Trial

Aims: Osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis which commonly affects weight-bearing joints like the knee, hip, spine, and joints. Since the effectiveness of conventional medicine on severe types of osteoarthritis is surgical intervention, the patients are seeking alternative medicine. A warm Epsom salt pack is used commonly for pains over joints. Hence this study is undertaken. Study Design: Randomized Controlled Trial. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Naturopathy, SDM College of Naturopathy and Yogic Sciences, between November 2019 and January2020. Methodology: From the inpatient department of Shri Dharmasthala Yoga and Nature cure Hospital Shanthivana, hundred subjects diagnosed with osteoarthritis belonging to the age groupof35to75yearswererecruitedandwererandomlyallocated to case (Warm Epsom salt pack) and control group. Subjects were assessed for Goniometry, Visual analog scale (VAS), Shortform-12(SF-12), Western Ontario and McMaster Osteoarthritis Index Scale (WOMAC) before and after the intervention of 20 minutes. Results: The study was done to evaluate the effect of Warm Epsom salt on Knee Osteoarthritis. There were 100 subjects in the sample. Shapiro-Wilk’s test/Quantile-Quantile (QQ) plot was used to check the normality of variables. In study group there was a significant decrease in Goniometry (p=<0.0001), SF 12 (p=<0.0001), WOMAC (P=<0.0001). In the control group, other than VAS there were no significant changes in other variables (Goniometry, WOMAC, SF-12). Conclusion: Our study indicates that a warm Epsom salt pack may reduce pain, stiffness, range of motion, and improves the quality of life. The study revealed that Warm Epsom salt reduced Range of motion from 172.94 to 134.5, WOMAC from 65.94 to 26.38, and Quality of life from 33.98 to 31.22. Results reveal with significant improvement (p<0.001) in pain, swelling, and quality of life.
ELAA: An efficient local adversarial attack using model interpreters

Modern deep neural networks are highly vulnerable to adversarial examples, which attracts more and more researchers' attention to craft powerful adversarial examples. Most of these generation algorithms create global perturbations that would affect the visual quality of adversarial examples. To mitigate such drawbacks, some attacks attempt to generate local perturbations. However, existing local adversarial attacks are time‐consuming and the generated adversarial examples are still distinguishable from clean images. In this paper, we propose a novel efficient local adversarial attack (ELAA) using model interpreters to generate severe local perturbations and improve the imperceptibly of the generated adversarial examples. Specifically, we take advantage of model interpretation methods to search the discriminative regions of clean images. Then, we generate local adversarial examples by adding masks to original clean images. We also propose a new optimization method to reduce the redundancy of local perturbations. Through extensive experiments, we show our ELAA can maintain a high attack ability while preserving the visual quality of clean images. Experimental results also demonstrate our local attack outperforms state‐of‐the‐art local attack methods under various system settings.
Neuromarketing: The popularity of the brain-imaging and physiological tools

In the last two decades, neuromarketing (NM) studies are snowballed because scientists and researchers are looking for understanding the mechanisms of decision-making in the consumer's brain toward marketing stimuli, for example, but not limited to advertising and brands that have not changed overnight. For this purpose, NM research is using state-of-the-art technology to gauge the responses of consumers’ minds to marketing stimuli, which is impossible by traditional marketing methods. In this paper, we have concentrated on neuromarketing tools such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), electroencephalography (EEG), and eye-tracking (ET). Literature indicates that EEG, fMRI, and ET enable to gauge consumers' neurometrics and biometrics responses; thereby, they provide valuable information about the physiological and mental reactions toward marketing stimuli, which can be used to improve marketing research. Neuromarketing can provide valuable information about consumer behaviour, which is impossible by traditional methods. We hope that this study provides valuable insights into neuromarketing and future directions.
Effects of aging temperature and humidity on the response of medium and high strength threadlockers

ABSTRACT To prevent the preload loss, threadlockers are frequently used in threaded connections (e.g. to avoid self-loosening). Threadlockers are generally anaerobic adhesives and are commercially available either as semi-solid (pre-applied) or as liquid (to be applied just before tightening). Previous research deals with the frictional behavior of threaded joints with applied threadlocker. However, fasteners with applied threadlocker may sometimes operate at variable levels of temperature and humidity. A literature survey indicates there is a lack of data about the strength of joints with added threadlocker when they operate at different temperature/humidity levels with respect to conventional environmental conditions. In this research, the aforementioned issue has been tackled by means of an experimental campaign performed on liquid medium/high strength anaerobic adhesives (respectively, Loctite 243 and Loctite 270) applied to M10, 8.8 grade, zinc-coated screws. Following complete adhesive polymerization, the joints were aged in an environmental chamber, accounting for four combinations of temperature (room temperature – 90°C) and humidity (20–90%) for one week. The joints were then untightened, sampling the breakaway torque. Statistical analyses of the data were carried out, to assess the influence of each parameter on the breakaway torque of the aged joint, thus deriving useful data for design.
Dissociative Disorder in the Iranian Culture: The Lawless Utopia

Epidemiologic and etiological studies of dissociative disorders are a challenging area in psychiatry. These challenges become more complex when noting that the existing theories cannot explain the differences observed in certain cases; for example, studies in Iran have reported the prevalence of dissociative disorders (dissociative amnesia, dissociative fugue, and depersonalization disorder) as less than 0.6%, and there has been no reported case of dissociative identity disorder (DID) in this country; meanwhile, the prevalence of all dissociative disorders in the general population of the US has been reported as 18.3%, and the prevalence of DID as about 1.1%. Although several studies indicate the high prevalence of dissociative symptoms in many Iranian psychiatric illnesses, dissociative disorders as a stand-alone disorder have a very low prevalence in Iran. The present article attempts to propose a possible hypothesis for the answer to the above questions through a different cultural conceptualization and seeks to be of some help to future studies in this area. Certainly, this hypothesis requires a careful study to be validated.
Impacts of surfactants on dissolution and sulfidation of silver nanowires in aquatic environments

Due to their excellent properties, silver nanowires (AgNWs) have been applied increasingly in many optical and electronic products, and may be inevitably discharged in aquatic environments. Dissolution and sulfidation are two of the most important processes of AgNWs occurring in aquatic environments and may significantly affect their fate and toxicities. This study aimed to investigate the impacts of four types of surfactants on the dissolution and sulfidation of AgNWs. Anionic, zwitterionic, and nonionic surfactants, including sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate, cetyl betaine, and glycerol monostearate, did not affect the dissolution and sulfidation of AgNWs. However, cationic surfactants (cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, cetyltrimethylammonium nitrate and benzyldimethyldodecylammonium nitrate) promoted the dissolution and sulfidation of AgNWs significantly. The cationic surfactants, especially cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, preferred to bind with the (111) planes of AgNWs, leading to the corrosion of the initial wire structure of AgNWs to shorter nanorods. The increased surface area of AgNWs resulted in faster dissolution. The dissolved Ag+ ions reacted with sulfide quickly, leading to faster sulfidation of AgNWs. In addition, the cationic surfactants interacted with AgNWs and decreased the electrostatic repulsion between the sulfide ions and the surface of AgNWs, thus promoting the direct oxysulfidation. As a consequence, the cationic surfactants facilitated the sulfidation of AgNWs to a greater extent than dissolution. The interaction of AgNWs and surfactants could significantly affect their bioavailability and ecotoxicities in aquatic environments.
An Adaptive UAV Deployment Scheme for Emergency Networking

In the areas after natural disaster strikes, the ground communication network can be failed, due to the damage of the communication infrastructure. However, during or after the natural disasters such as earthquakes or tsunamis, ground vehicles may not enter the affected areas easily to set up mobile base stations. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) can be an alternate to provide emergency coverage for ground nodes (GNs). Therefore, how to determine the best location for UAV to achieve the maximum coverage is a key issue. In this paper, an adaptive UAV deployment scheme is proposed to solve the coverage problem of UAV- aided GNs communication. The objective is to optimize the location of the UAV to cover as many GNs as possible and reduce communication energy consumption. We construct a unique analysis method assisted by the collected ground information to solve this problem. First, we propose an information collection method based on the communication probability of Line-of-Sight (LoS) to guarantee the integrity of ground information acquisition. Then, based on the results of the information collection, a virtual obstacle model is built around each GN. Meanwhile, the UAV’s coverage problem is decomposed from the horizontal and vertical dimensions to simplify the difficulty of solving the problem. Finally, the best location of the UAV and the optimal transmission power of GNs can be obtained through the iterative methods and the power control, respectively. The extensive simulation results demonstrate that the proposed deployment scheme outperforms its counterparts.
Synthetic case study: discrimination of unexploded ordnance (UXO) and non-UXO sources with varying remanent magnetization strength using magnetic data

We investigate if it is theoretically possible to discriminate between unexploded ordnance (UXO) and non-UXO sources by modelling the magnetic dipole moment for ferrous objects of different shapes and sizes. This is carried out by approximating the volumetric demagnetization factors of rectangular prisms, representing shapes similar to a long rod or flat steel plate. By modelling different UXO as prolate spheroids the demagnetization factors can be determined which can be compared with the magnetic response of a prism. The inversion is carried out in a probabilistic framework, where the UXO forward model and the non-UXO forward model are assigned individual prior models in terms of shape, size, orientation and remanent magnetization of the object. 95 independent realizations of the prism prior model are generated to make 95 synthetic anomalies exemplifying non-UXO objects, which are inverted for using the UXO model. It is investigated if an identical magnetic moment can be produced between the two models and how well resolved the magnetic moment is in terms of the measured anomaly. The case study is carried out in two steps where we first have little prior information of expected UXO properties and another where a UXO prior is introduced with expected values of aspect ratio and size of 24 different UXO, that are often encountered in the North Sea. With no prior information of expected UXO, discrimination is at many times implausible, unless elongated rod prism objects are considered, where the magnetic moment often can not be reproduced by a spheroid. Introducing the UXO prior we achieve a much better discrimination rate when using the list of expected UXO properties. By using the UXO prior we can account for a much higher remanent magnetization allowed in the prior, and still achieve high discrimination capabilities in comparison to a case with no UXO prior.
Development of an innovative bioreactor system for human bone tissue engineering

In the last decades significant progress has been carried out leading to significant advances in the development of engineered tissues, thanks to taking into account three fundamental components: the cells to address tissue formation, a scaffold useful as substrate for tissue growth and development, growth factors and/or biomechanical stimuli to address the differentiation of cells within the scaffolds. In particular, mechanical stimuli are known to play a key role in bone tissue formation and mineralization. Mechanical actuators, namely bioreactor systems, can be used to enhance in vitro culture steps in the overall cell-based tissue engineering strategy of expanding in vitro a stem cell source to be cultured and differentiated on a three-dimensional scaffold, aiming at implanting this scaffold in vivo. The purpose of this study is thus to design a stand-alone perfusion/compression bioreactor system. The developed prototypal system allows to apply physical stimuli mimicking native loading regimens. The results obtained in human bone marrow stem cells (hBMSCs) onboard of a 3D graphene/chitosan scaffold indicate that their exposure to a controlled dynamic environment is suitable to address bone tissue commitment.
A Beam-Steering Solution With Highly Transmitting Hybrid Metasurfaces and Circularly Polarized High-Gain Radial-Line Slot Array Antennas

A continuous beam-steering solution for circularly polarized (CP) radial-line slot array (RLSA) antennas is presented and demonstrated with a fabricated prototype. The solution is based on the near-field meta-steering (NFMS) method, which is implemented through a pair of highly transmitting hybrid metasurfaces (HMs) that are placed above a high-gain CP RLSA antenna in the near-field region. Cells in HMs, unlike conventional metasurfaces (CMs), can provide exact or close to exact phase shift with transmission magnitude larger than −1 dB. This is achieved by combining the nonoverlapping phase ranges of two dramatically different phase-shifting cells. The RLSA is stationary, while the two HMs are rotated to steer the beam in a 2-D (azimuth and elevation) space. The measured results of the prototype demonstrate that the system can steer its beam to a maximum elevation angle of 40.6° with a maximum gain of 30.9 dBic. The axial ratio remained less than 3 dB in the 3 dB beamwidth even when the beam is steered. The height of the system is only 4.5 cm, which is much less than mechanically steered reflector antennas. Unlike electronically steered high-gain antenna arrays, this system requires only few watts of power only when rotating HMs and has zero power consumption when the beam is stationary.
Detection of Small Moving Objects in Long Range Infrared Videos from a Change Detection Perspective

Detection of small moving objects in long range infrared (IR) videos is challenging due to background clutter, air turbulence, and small target size. In this paper, we present two unsupervised, modular, and flexible frameworks to detect small moving targets. The key idea was inspired by change detection (CD) algorithms where frame differences can help detect motions. Our frameworks consist of change detection, small target detection, and some post-processing algorithms such as image denoising and dilation. Extensive experiments using actual long range mid-wave infrared (MWIR) videos with target distances beyond 3500 m from the camera demonstrated that one approach, using Local Intensity Gradient (LIG) only once in the workflow, performed better than the other, which used LIG in two places, in a 3500 m video, but slightly worse in 4000 m and 5000 m videos. Moreover, we also investigated the use of synthetic bands for target detection and observed promising results for 4000 m and 5000 m videos. Finally, a comparative study with two conventional methods demonstrated that our proposed scheme has comparable performance.
Total and Merchantable Volume Equations for 25 Commercial Tree Species Grown in Canada and the Northeastern United States

Accurate estimates of tree bole volume are fundamental to sustainable forest management. Total inside and outside bark and merchantable volume equations were developed for 25 major commercial tree species grown in natural stands in eastern and central Canada and the northeastern United States. Data used to develop these equations was collected from 9647 trees sampled from natural stands across the study area. The number of trees sampled varied among species. Jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) had the most observations (1648 trees) and American basswood (Tilia americana) and red oak (Quercus rubra L.) had the fewest (28 trees each). Two mathematically consistent volume equations (dimensionally compatible and combined variable) were fitted to inside and outside bark and merchantable tree volume data from these tree species. The final volume equation was selected based on fit statistics, predictive accuracy, and logical consistency. Its predictive accuracy was compared with a volume equation previously developed by Honer. Both (total and merchantable) volume equations were fitted using a nonlinear mixed-effects modelling approach. However, random effects were significant for total volumes for only four tree species. A weight (power function) was used to address heteroscedasticity in the data. The modified form of the dimensionally compatible volume equation outperformed the combined variable volume equation in terms of fit statistics and predictive accuracy and was selected as the total inside and outside bark and merchantable volume equations for all tree species. This equation produced logically consistent estimates of total and merchantable volumes and was more accurate than that previously developed by Honer to estimate volumes for most of the tree species used in this study. This new equation can be used to estimate total inside and outside bark and merchantable volumes of major commercial tree species in eastern and central Canada and the northeastern United States.
Monitoring the Dynamic Behavior of PCI Bridges Using Short Period Seismograph and CSI Bridge Modeling

Bridges are a critical part of transport infrastructure networks for social activities and economics of human life. Dynamic analysis of bridge is very important to perform in order to ensure the ability of the bridge to withstand loads and maintain the sustainability of transport infrastructure. This paper presents a methodological framework for monitoring dynamic behavior of the bridge (e.g., natural frequencies, displacement time history) by using civil engineering micro-tremor technique and numerical modeling. The study was conducted at the Alue Raya Bridge located in Lhokseumawe City, Aceh Province, Indonesia. To capture the dynamic behavior of the bridge under traffic loading, the micro-tremor techniques, e.g., Short Period Seismograph (SPS) sensor was placed underneath the bridge at the mid span of the bridge girder. The obtained vibration data were processed using Geopsy software. A three dimensional (3D) model of the bridge was then developed by using CSI Bridge software. The modal analysis was conducted to obtain the modal natural frequencies of the bridge due to traffic loads. The natural frequency measurements using SPS were compared with the simulation results. Through analyzing the measured results, it was found that the natural frequency of the bridge is around 4,3275 Hz which is very close to those obtained from numerical modeling using CSI bridge software. The measured maximum vertical displacement of the bridge girders is below 5mm under normal traffic condition which is under the allowable serviceability limit state requirements of the bridge. The outcomes of this study could have the potential to enable maintenance and capital works decisions which are an important component of the sustainability of transport infrastructure.
Dependence of cellular behaviour on viscosity defined ligand mobility in supported lipid bilayers

This thesis has explored the nature of cellular behaviour in response to the mobility of ligands presented on supported lipid bilayers of varying viscosity (diffusive characteristics). This was inspired by the various characteristics of the in vivo microenvironment, controlling the cell response. For example, the viscoelastic, topographical, or chemical nature of the extracellular matrix can control cellular behaviours, such as adhesion, proliferation, migration and differentiation. Numerous biomaterials have alternately sought to understand the nature of the cell response and also to take advantage of it; the current work predominantly falls into the former of these categories. Whereas elastic stiffness is one side of the coin of viscoelasticity, viscosity is the other. Further, while much work has sought to understand the nature of both the elastic and viscoelastic nature of the cell response, as of yet few have sought to understand the role of viscosity in isolation. This is despite some work seeking to take advantage of this viscosity, by observing cellular behaviour on surfaces with known viscous components. This work has noted that cellular adhesion and spreading, focal adhesions, and differentiation are all affected by the viscous component of the surface without addressing why. Supported lipid bilayers (SLBs) present an excellent opportunity to understand these mechanisms. Commonly used as biosensing platforms, non-fouling coatings and model systems, they have also found use in both cell culture systems and in understanding mechanobiology. Individual lipids may exhibit a phase transition, Tm, at a temperature defined by the chemistry of the SLB component lipids; as such, they can exhibit significantly different, viscosity-defining, diffusive characteristics. This work describes the use of SLBs of differing Tm¬ that exhibit fluid-like or gel-like properties in cell culture conditions. These non-fouling SLBs were functionalised with the cell adhesive ligand RGD, derived from the matrix protein fibronectin, with the response of the cell on both the cell-wide and molecular scale determined. The cell response was then understood via pathways related to the mechanical sensing of the environment. Further, initial forays into the nature of the response of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) was determined, to test the applicability of the system to the overall field of biomedical engineering.