Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Human Factors Evaluation of a Methodology for Pressurized Crew Module Acceptability for Zero-Gravity Ingress of Spacecraft

This project aimed to develop a methodology for evaluating performance and acceptability characteristics of the pressurized crew module volume suitability for zero-gravity (g) ingress of a spacecraft and to evaluate the operational acceptability of the NASA crew return vehicle (CRV) for zero-g ingress of astronaut crew, volume for crew tasks, and general crew module and seat layout. No standard or methodology has been established for evaluating volume acceptability in human spaceflight vehicles. Volume affects astronauts'ability to ingress and egress the vehicle, and to maneuver in and perform critical operational tasks inside the vehicle. Much research has been conducted on aircraft ingress, egress, and rescue in order to establish military and civil aircraft standards. However, due to the extremely limited number of human-rated spacecraft, this topic has been un-addressed. The NASA CRV was used for this study. The prototype vehicle can return a 7-member crew from the International Space Station in an emergency. The vehicle's internal arrangement must be designed to facilitate rapid zero-g ingress, zero-g maneuverability, ease of one-g egress and rescue, and ease of operational tasks in multiple acceleration environments. A full-scale crew module mockup was built and outfitted with representative adjustable seats, crew equipment, and a volumetrically equivalent hatch. Human factors testing was conducted in three acceleration environments using ground-based facilities and the KC-135 aircraft. Performance and acceptability measurements were collected. Data analysis was conducted using analysis of variance and nonparametric techniques.
Prediction of vehicle stability using a "back to back" tyre test method

A novel method for measuring the cornering stiffness of pneumatic tyres is described. Data collected for a bicycle tyre are presented, and it is shown that the variation of cornering stiffness with vertical force is similar to that observed for car tyres. The stability of a lightweight vehicle using three wheels fitted with the tyres is investigated theoretically. It is found that there is a trade-off between understeer gradient (a measure of directional stability) and rollover threshold. The nature of the trade-off depends on whether the single wheel is on the front axle or rear axle. Neither position is clearly better.
Associations between Sex Hormones and Circulating Growth Differentiation Factor-15 in Male Patients with Major Depressive Disorder

The interaction between the endocrine system and inflammation is crucial pathogenesis of depression. Our study aimed at exploring the possible relationship between sex hormones and growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15), a common indicator of inflammation in male patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Methods: GDF-15 levels of 121 male MDD patients were compared with 105 healthy subjects with the help of a Cobas 8000 automatic chemiluminescence immunoanalyzer. Results: (1) MDD patients showed higher GDF-15 levels, a lower testosterone (T) level and testosterone/estradiol ratio (T/E2 ratio) than healthy subjects (all p < 0.05). (2) Serum T levels and the T/E2 ratio were inversely associated with GDF-15 serum levels (all p < 0.05). (3) HAMD-24 scores were positively correlated with the levels of GDF-15 (p < 0.01), but not with T levels, estradiol (E2) levels, and the T/E2 ratio (all p > 0.05). Conclusion: The high level of GDF-15 was correlated with a low T/E2 ratio and T deficiency in male MDD patients. The above results demonstrate that up-regulation of serum GDF-15 and down-regulation of T and T/E2 ratio may be correlated with the occurrence and severity of depression. So, changing the level of GDF-15 by regulating the proportion of sex hormones may play a key role in the prognosis and treatment of depression.
Design of compact bandpass filter with improved selectivity using source-load coupling

A compact planar bandpass filter with improved selectivity using source-load coupling is proposed. The new filter consists of quarter-wavelength resonators and short-ended feedlines. An extra transmission zero is produced near the passband owing to the source-load coupling, which can improve the skirt-selectivity of the filter, and quarter-wavelength resonators are used to enhance the rejection level around the second harmonic. Both simulated and measured results with good agreement are presented.
Prenatal Exposure to Chemical Mixtures and Cognitive Flexibility among Adolescents

Cognitive flexibility, the ability to smoothly adapt to changing circumstances, is a skill that is vital to higher-level executive functions such as problem-solving, planning, and reasoning. As it undergoes substantial development during adolescence, decrements in cognitive flexibility may not become apparent until this time. There is evidence that prenatal exposure to individual chemicals may adversely impact executive functions in children, but few studies have explored the association of co-exposure to multiple chemicals with cognitive flexibility specifically among adolescents. We investigated this association among a diverse group of adolescents living near a Superfund site in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Specifically, using Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) and multivariable regression analyses, we investigated the association of biomarkers of prenatal exposure to organochlorines (DDE, HCB, PCBs) and metals (lead, manganese) with cognitive flexibility, measured with four subtests of the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System. In BKMR models, we observed adverse joint associations of the chemical mixture with two of the four cognitive flexibility subtests. In covariate-adjusted linear regression models, a two-fold increase in cord blood Mn was associated with poorer performance on two of the subtests: Trail-Making (scaled score difference = −0.60; 95% CI: −1.16, −0.05 points) and Color-Word Interference (scaled score difference = −0.53; 95% CI: −1.08, 0.01 points). These adverse Mn-cognitive flexibility associations were supported by the results of the BKMR. There was little evidence of effect modification by sex and some evidence of effect modification by a measure of social disadvantage, particularly for the associations between HCB and cognitive flexibility. This study is among the first to provide evidence of an adverse association of prenatal exposure to a chemical mixture with cognitive flexibility in adolescence.
New Insights Into the Correlation Between Lightning Flash Rate and Size in Thunderstorms

Thunderstorms over the Tibetan Plateau (TP), Central and Eastern China (CEC), and southern foothills of the Himalayas (SHF), have the correlations between lightning flash rate and size disagreeing with the previously published negative correlation in thunderstorms with different dynamics. There is a positive correlation when comparing TP and CEC thunderstorms. Compared with SHF thunderstorms, TP thunderstorms have much lower flash rate and similar flash size. It is explored that the TP and SHF thunderstorms have the weakest and strongest convection, respectively, and both have small effective charge regions (ECRs). The CEC and SHF thunderstorms contain more ECRs than TP thunderstorm. The weak convection in TP thunderstorm should be responsible for the common occurrence of small flash rate and size. The results suggest that the negative correlation between flash rate and size may require the dynamic intensity of compared thunderstorms to exceed a certain threshold.
Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs): here to stay, or on the brink of demise?

Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) are popular with many educational institutions, ranging from primary schools to universities. This paper is meant as an introduction to VLEs and the pedagogical issues surrounding them. It explores what they are, as well as the benefits and potential problems arising from their use. Recent literature and personal blogs are used to understand how the VLE as a concept is understood. The role of the VLE appears to be changing. Most students’ proficiency in using the internet productively has increased dramatically; Web 2.0 tools have provided further ways in which to engage and communicate with students. Indeed, these tools are being bolted on to VLEs in an attempt to exploit this, with limited success. Some are promoting Personal Learning Environments (PLEs) instead – a personal construct taking advantage of a range of tools to benefit ones own learning. Educators and institutions that are either using, or considering implementing a VLE in their teaching will find this paper especially useful.
Comparison of Safety and Efficacy of Glimepiride-Metformin and Vildagliptin- Metformin Treatment in Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetic Patients

Objective: To compare the safety and efficacy of glimepiride and vildagliptin as add-on therapy to metformin in newly diagnosed patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: This 24-week, prospective, comparative, observational study was conducted among newly diagnosed patients with T2DM. The primary endpoint was a change in fasting plasma glucose (FPG), postpradinal glucose (PPG), and HbA1c from the baseline to week 24. The key secondary endpoints were monitoring treatment-emergent adverse events such as hypoglycemia, overall gastrointestinal symptoms and weight gain, and electrocardiogram (ECG) findings. Results: A total of 100 eligible patients were divided into two groups: group A (n = 50) received vildagliptin plus metformin and group B (n = 50) received glimepiride plus metformin. The mean age of the patients was 49.98 years and 52.12 years in group A and group B, respectively. Electrocardiographic findings were within normal limits in all the patients from group A, whereas 47 patients from group B showed normal ECG findings. A significant decrease in HbA1c, fasting and post-prandial plasma glucose was observed with group A and group B from the baseline to week-24. However, at week-24, reduction in HbA1c and blood glucose parameters were comparable between the groups. Safety outcomes did not show any events of hypoglycemia with vildagliptin. Mild hypoglycemia was reported with glimepiride in five patients. Conclusion: Vildagliptin-metformin appeared to be equally effective to glimepiride-metformin in reducing HbA1c level and blood glucose parameters, however, resulted in better adverse event profiles with lower risks of hypoglycemia.
Applying the TOC thinking process in manufacturing: A case study

A case study is presented to illustrate the application of the Theory of Constraints thinking process logic tools in a manufacturing environment. The study firm performs design activities related to meeting future product requirements while concurrently meeting existing production schedules for the current design of the product. Current approaches to managing the firm's limited productive capacity do not allow for both design and production activities to occur simultaneously while meeting the customer's current product delivery schedule. Thus, despite their desire to satisfy their customer's future design requirements, management uses the majority of its production capacity to meet its customer's current product delivery schedule. This case study demonstrates how a team of employees used thinking process logic diagrams to document reality, identify a core conflict and problem, develop proposed changes to address the core problem, and create several detailed action plans to implement changes within the study organization. Initially, scenarios associated with some undesirable effects are used to understand how prevailing policies and behaviours result in less than desired production line performance. Then, a current reality tree is constructed to link the core problem or system constraint with the previously identified undesirable effects. Next, two major injections are developed to address the core problem in managing the production line as logically documented in a future reality tree. Finally, three transition trees are presented to guide the implementation of change at the study organization.
Non-Isolated High Gain Quadratic Boost Converter Based on Inductor’s Asymmetric Input Voltage

This paper introduces the concept of inductors asymmetric input voltage to derive a new high voltage gain converter. The proposed converter has continuous input, positive output, and high-power density features suitable for renewable energy applications. The operating principle, steady-state performance, practical voltage gain, small-signal analysis, and efficiency of the converter are presented in this work. A comprehensive comparison is made with the high voltage gain converters available in literature in terms of component count, voltage gain, effectiveness index, voltage and current stress on the power devices, per unit switching device rating, and other features like output polarity and availability of common ground. The proposed topology possesses a higher effectiveness index and lower switching device power rating (SDP), resulting in a good form factor. To validate the performance of the proposed converter, the experiments are conducted on the 150 W laboratory prototype, and corresponding results are presented in this work.
A physically based model for carrier freeze-out in Si- and SiGe-base bipolar transistors suitable for implementation in device simulators

A physically based model for carrier freeze-out is presented. This model is implemented in the 2D drift-diffusion simulator PISCES and results of both Si and SiGe base transistor simulations are presented. The new model is shown to provide consistently accurate values for base sheet resistance for a variety of transistors over a wide range of temperatures.
Comparing Acute, High Dietary Protein and Carbohydrate Intake on Transcriptional Biomarkers, Fuel Utilisation and Exercise Performance in Trained Male Runners

Manipulating dietary macronutrient intake may modulate adaptive responses to exercise, and improve endurance performance. However, there is controversy as to the impact of short-term dietary modification on athletic performance. In a parallel-groups, repeated measures study, 16 trained endurance runners (maximal oxygen uptake (V˙O2max): 64.2 ± 5.6 mL·kg−1·min−1) were randomly assigned to, and provided with, either a high-protein, reduced-carbohydrate (PRO) or a high-carbohydrate (CHO) isocaloric-matched diet. Participants maintained their training load over 21-consecutive days with dietary intake consisting of 7-days habitual intake (T1), 7-days intervention diet (T2) and 7-days return to habitual intake (T3). Following each 7-day dietary period (T1–T3), a micro-muscle biopsy was taken for assessment of gene expression, before participants underwent laboratory assessment of a 10 km treadmill run at 75% V˙O2max, followed by a 95% V˙O2max time to exhaustion (TTE) trial. The PRO diet resulted in a modest change (1.37-fold increase, p = 0.016) in AMPK expression, coupled with a significant increase in fat oxidation (0.29 ± 0.05 to 0.59 ± 0.05 g·min−1, p < 0.0001). However, a significant reduction of 23.3% (p = 0.0003) in TTE post intervention was observed; this reverted back to pre levels following a return to the habitual diet. In the CHO group, whilst no change in sub-maximal fuel utilisation occurred at T2, a significant 6.5% increase in TTE performance (p = 0.05), and a modest, but significant, increase in AMPK (p = 0.042) and PPAR (p = 0.029) mRNA expression compared to T1 were observed; with AMPK (p = 0.011) and PPAR (p = 0.044) remaining significantly elevated at T3. In conclusion, a 7-day isocaloric high protein diet significantly compromised high intensity exercise performance in trained runners with no real benefit on gene markers of training adaptation. A significant increase in fat oxidation during submaximal exercise was observed post PRO intervention, but this returned to pre levels once the habitual diet was re-introduced, suggesting that the response was driven via fuel availability rather than cellular adaptation. A short-term high protein, low carbohydrate diet in combination with endurance training is not preferential for endurance running performance.
Low-Cost Micromechanically Tunable Optical Devices: Strained Resonator Engineering, Technological Implementation and Characterization

The rapid growth of the optical communication branches and the enormous demand for more bandwidth require novel networks such as dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM). These networks enable higher bitrate transmission using the existing optical fibers. Micromechanically tunable optical microcavity devices like VCSELs, Fabry-Pérot filters and photodetectors are core components of these novel DWDM systems. Several airgap based tunable devices were successfully implemented in the last years. Even though these concepts are very promising, two main disadvantages are still remaining. On the one hand, the high fabrication and integration cost and on the other hand the undesired adverse buckling of the suspended membranes. This thesis addresses these two problems and consists of two main parts: • PECVD dielectric material investigation and stress control resulting in membranes shape engineering. • Implementation and characterization of novel tunable optical devices with tailored shapes of the suspended membranes. For this purposes, low-cost PECVD technology is investigated and developed in detail. The macroand microstress of silicon nitride and silicon dioxide are controlled over a wide range. Furthermore, the effect of stress on the optical and mechanical properties of the suspended membranes and on the microcavities is evaluated. Various membrane shapes (concave, convex and planar) with several radii of curvature are fabricated. Using this resonator shape engineering, microcavity devices such as non tunable and tunable Fabry-Pérot filters, VCSELs and PIN photodetectors are succesfully implemented. The fabricated Fabry-Pérot filters cover a spectral range of over 200 nm and show resonance linewidths down to 1.5 nm. By varying the stress distribution across the vertical direction within a DBR, the shape and the radius of curvature of the top membrane are explicitely tailored. By adjusting the incoming light beam waist to the curvature, the fundamental resonant mode is supported and the higher order ones are suppressed. For instance, a tunable VCSEL with 26 nm tuning range, 400μW maximal output power, 47 nm free spectral range and over 57 dB side mode suppresion ratio (SMSR) is demonstrated. Other technologies, such as introducing light emitting organic materials in microcavities are also investigated.
Narrowband tunable graphene perfect absorber based on dielectric microcavity in mid-infrared

We numerically studied a simple and novel graphene-based dielectric microcavity narrowband perfect absorber. By electrically modulating the graphene Fermi level and critical coupling theory, our absorber achieves 100% perfect absorption at 8.0 μm in the mid-infrared, and the FWHM (full width at half-maximum) of the absorption peak is only 21 nm. We use the optical constants obtained from experimental data, including the mobility and surface conductivity of graphene, so the results are more applicable. In addition, the relatively simple structure of the dielectric microcavity graphene structure has a high tolerance for manufacturing defects.
Assessment of Glutathione Peroxidase-1 (GPX1) Gene Expression as a Specific Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarker in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a malignant tumor of the mesothelial lining of the thorax. It has been related to frequent exposure to asbestos. Diagnosis of malignant pleural mesothelioma is considered a criticizing problem for clinicians. Early diagnosis and sufficient surgical excision of MPM are considered the cornerstone success factors for the management of early MPM. Glutathione peroxidase-1 (GPX1) is an intracellular protein found to be extensively distributed in all cells, and it belongs to the GPX group. In the current study, we included ninety-eight patients with MPM that underwent surgery at the Zagazig University Hospital in Egypt. We assessed GPX1 gene expression level as it was thought to be related to pathogenicity of cancer in a variety of malignant tumors. We observed a significant elevation in GPX1-mRNA levels in MPM relative to the nearby normal pleural tissues. It was found to be of important diagnostic specificity in the differentiation of MPM from normal tissues. Moreover, we studied the survival of patients in correlation to the GPX1 expression levels and we reported that median overall survival was about 16 months in patients with high GPX1 expression levels, while it was found to be about 40 months in low GPX1 levels.
Application of computational fluid dynamics to evaluate hydraulic performance of spillways in australia

Abstract In recent years, the design fl ood estimates of a number of dams in Australia have been revised, requiring their spillways to be upgraded to cope with increased fl ood discharges. Traditionally, reduced scale physical models were used in hydraulic laboratories to study spillway hydraulic performance. However, these are prone to problems associated with scaling effects, and cannot readily capture behaviours such as cavitation and air-entrainment effects, which can occur in reality. Nowadays, with the advancement in computing technology, the hydraulic performance of spillways can be investigated numerically. Since 2001, a number of spillway upgrade projects in Australia have been performed using computational fl uid dynamics. This paper provides an overview of how this technology was applied to these projects. The validation process to ensure the numerical model is reliable, and various analysis capabilities allowing better understanding of the fl ow behaviour will be described. Current limitations are also highlighted in order that future research and development can resolve them, thus making this numerical modelling technique more robust for fl ow simulation of not just spillways, but also other hydraulic structures in the future.
Accurate distributed inductance of spiral resonators

A simple procedure for calculation of the distributed inductance of spiral resonators and micro-inductors is derived, including all possible mutual inductances. It is applicable for spiral configurations from rectangular to smooth circular. Using this procedure and an accurate formula for distributed capacitance of a spiral resonator, the resonant frequency was accurately predicted. If the surface resistance of the conductors is known, the unloaded quality factor of any spiral resonator can also be calculated.