Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A comparison of the 80MHz, 200MHz and 500MHz nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of homoeopathic sulphur 30CH

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether frequency strength is a parameter requiring consideration when conducting NMR spectroscopy studies on hornoeopathic potencies. To this end, samples of Sulphur 30CH and a Lactose control were analysed using NMR spectrometers operating at three different frequency strengths of 80MHz, 200.MHz and 500.MHz. It was hypothesized that differences existed in the spectra of respective Sulphur samples, control samples, and between parallel samples of Sulphur and control. It was further hypothesized that differences between parallel samples of Sulphur and control would be more noticeable at the lower frequencies. This hypothesis was based on the assumption that a higher frequency strength would have more intense resonance effects on the structure of the homoeopathic potency, thereby disturbing the micro-structural changes induced during potentisation. The design of the investigation was that of a scientific experiment. Potencies of Sulphur and a lactose-based control were prepared to a 30CH potency each, in 87% ethanol. The final prepared volumes (10ml) of Sulphur and control were blinded by means of colour codes by a third party prior to analysis. The blinded samples were transported to the University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, where they were subjected to analysis using the following instruments: 1) A Varian FT80A 80.MHz instrument 2) A Varian Gemini 200MHz instrument 3) A Varian Inova 500.MHz instrument At each instrument NMR spectroscopy was conducted on ten (10) samples from each group (Sulphur and control). The samples were prepared in coaxial tubes using acetone as both an external lock and reference, and NMR spectra were recorded for each sample. All the samples were run at a thermostatically controlled temperature of 24\xB0C (\xB1 O,2\xB0C), and the laboratory was maintained at a constant temperature of 22\xB0C. The spectra and data of all the samples were recorded in terms of the chemical shift and integration values of their respective CH2, H20 and OH signals.
Effect of challenge feeding on body condition scores and calf birth weight of Sahiwal cattle

The present research was carried out with the objectives of investigating the effect of challenge feeding on body condition scores and calf birth weight of Sahiwal cattle. The present study was conducted on eighteen healthy, advance pregnant Sahiwal cattle from 60 days prepartum to 120 days postpartum. The animals were divided into two groups i.e. control and treatment on the basis of milk yield, parity and body weight. The animals in control group were given standard ration while in challenge fed (treatment) group, the animals were given additional amount of concentrate mixture. The mean body condition score of control and treatment group during prepartum period was 3.49 ±0.03 and 3.54 ±0.03, respectively with a non-significant difference. During post-partum period also there was no significant effect of challenge feeding on BCS of animals of the treatment group. The mean BCS of control and treatment group during postpartum period was 3.43 ±0.03 and 3.52 ±0.03, respectively. The mean birth weights of calves in control and experimental group were 21.67 ±1.56 and 25.78 ±1.56 kg, respectively. The calves born to cows of challenge fed group were about 4.11kg heavier than calves born to cows of control group but statistically the difference was not significant.
Effects of S. mutans gene-modification and antibacterial calcium phosphate nanocomposite on secondary caries and marginal enamel hardness

Secondary caries at the restoration-tooth margins is a main reason for dental restoration failures. Gene-modification for Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) and composites containing dimethylaminohexadecyl methacrylate (DMAHDMA) and nanoparticles of amorphous calcium phosphate (NACP) all have the potential to suppress bacterial acids and promote remineralization. However, there has been no report of their effects on marginal caries-inhibition and enamel hardness. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of gene-modification and DMAHDM–NACP composite restoration on enamel demineralization and hardness at the margins under biofilm acids for the first time. Parent S. mutans and rnc gene-deleted S. mutans were tested side by side. The bioactive composite contained 3% DMAHDM and 30% NACP. Mechanical properties and calcium (Ca) and phosphate (P) ion releases were measured. Colony-forming units (CFU), MTT, lactic acid and polysaccharide of biofilms were evaluated. Demineralization of bovine enamel with composite restorations was induced via biofilms, then enamel hardness was measured. The dual strategy of combining rnc-deletion with DMAHDM+30NACP: (1) achieved the strongest biofilm-inhibition, with the greatest reduction in biofilm CFU by 6 logs; (2) decreased biofilm lactic acid and polysaccharide production by more than 80%; (3) achieved enamel hardness that was 140% higher than that of a commercial fluoride-releasing composite under 30 days of biofilm acids. Therefore, the novel dual approach of rnc gene-deletion and DMAHDM+NACP nanocomposite is promising to inhibit secondary caries at the margins and increase the longevity of tooth restorations.
Adaptive distributed BLS-FONTSM formation control for uncertain networking heterogeneous omnidirectional mobile multirobots

ABSTRACT In this paper, an adaptive distributed fractional-order nonsingular terminal sliding-mode (FONTSM) control method using broad learning system (BLS), is proposed for cooperative formation control of networking heterogeneous omnidirectional mobile multi-robots (HOMRs) with dynamic effects and uncertainties. The dynamic behavior of each uncertain HOMR is modeled by a reduced three-input-three-output second-order state equation with uncertainties, and the multi-robot system is modeled by directed graph theory. By using the Lyapunov-based sliding-mode theory and online learning of the system uncertainties via BLS, an adaptive-distributed BLS-FONTSM formation control approach is presented to carry out asymptotical formation control in the presence of uncertainties. The effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method are well exemplified by conducting three simulations. Experimental results are provided for illustration of the applicability of the proposed control method.
A six-month follow-up study to evaluate changes of pulmonary function test in Category I pulmonary tuberculosis treatment completed patient

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) is being a preventable and curable disease that it accounts the world-wide problem. India is one of the TB burden countries. Clinical manifestation of pulmonary TB leads pulmonary dysfunction with functional changes in the lung tissue. Treated patients are free from mycobacterium and considered cured, but the restoration of lungs function in these patients is also needed. Aims and Objectives: This study plans to evaluate and compare the pulmonary function test (PFT) parameters immediately, 3 months and 6 months after the completion of TB treatment and assess its severity. Materials and Methods: By convenient sampling, 118 voluntarily participated pulmonary TB-treated patients completing Category I regimen. PFT during three intervals after the completion of full course of antitubercular drugs was evaluated. Spirometry was done in sitting position according to the American Thoracic Society (ATS) recommendation and interpretation of the results was done. Results: Male-to-female proportion of the pulmonary TB patients was 56.8% versus 43.2%, respectively, within 22-65 years. Maximum patients, that is, 39% were within 31-40-year-age group. Immediate after completion of the treatment, 7.6% had symptoms of exertion dyspnea which were not on follow-up visits. The percent predictive values of the PFT were marginally above the impairment values. There was statistically significant difference mean forced vital capacity (FVC) (P < 0.001), forced expiratory volume at one second/FVC ratio percentage (P < 0.01), peak expiratory flow rate (P < 0.05), and maximal voluntary ventilation (P < 0.01) at the three intervals. Pulmonary function results were normal in 89.8% of patients immediately after the completion of TB treatment, in 91.5% at 3 months and 88.1% at 6 months. Impaired pulmonary function values were in 10.2% of patients at immediate, 8.5% at 3 months, and 11.9% patients at 6 months after completion of TB treatment. The 6-month PFT findings in 6.8% had obstructive changes, 3.4% had restrictive, and 1.7% with mixed PFT changes. Conclusion: There is the presence of pulmonary functional limitations in Category I TB-treated patients. Values for PFT were still lower in few patients even after completion of 6 months of treatment for Category I pulmonary TB.
A Vascular Access Port for Dialysis With a Polyurethane Foam Seal: A Pilot Study

End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) is a condition wherein the kidneys are incapable of removing toxins from the body. Over 660,000 Americans suffer from ESRD, with millions more in the early stages, known as chronic kidney disease [1]. The only cure for ESRD is a kidney transplant, but the majority of patients receive dialysis every 2-3 days to filter their blood while on the transplant waitlist. Efficient dialysis requires approximately 600 mL/min of flow, which is commonly achieved by directly connecting an artery to a vein in the arm. Such a shunt may be created with an intervening prosthetic graft or by suturing the vein to the artery directly (termed an arteriovenous fistula, or AVF). Though accepted as the gold standard, AVF’s may take >6 weeks to heal and become useable, and 35-50% will never become accessible [1]. Needle trauma to the AVF can weaken the vessel wall and produce aneurysms or hematomas, which leak blood, potentially causing infection or clotting off the AVF [2]. These complications are costly: hemodialysis patients on average cost Medicare over $84,000 per year, and Medicare is the primary payer for more than 80% of nearly 500,000 dialysis patients in the U.S. [1]. An improved dialysis access method is needed to address the clinical shortcomings and high costs associated with AVF’s. A device has been developed to improve clinical outcomes and to reduce the failure rates associated with AVF’s. This device is a type of vascular access port which integrates with the external wall of the venous portion of the AVF, providing structural support to the vessel and preventing the types of trauma which lead to aneurysmal dilation or hematoma formation. The top and bottom sections are implanted independently within the patient’s soft tissue, allowing them to separate gradually as the AVF dilates during maturation. The result is a palpable and easy-to-access port which should improve AVF longevity (Figure 1). Two unique design features were identified as key to the success of this vascular access port: 1. Type of membrane or seal 2. Proper tissue integration into the implant This technical brief examines the selection of the proper membrane or seal on the port. Figure 1: Explanted stainless steel port with polyurethane foam seal demonstrating subcutaneous tissue attachment
Toward Prediction of Driver Awareness of Automotive Hazards: Driving-Video-Based Simulation Approach

Automated vehicles need to monitor not only the dynamic driving environment but also the human driver’s behavior for appropriate assistance or intervention. One such challenge in observing the driver is the ability for vehicles to recognize whether the driver is aware of specific road hazards or not. As a first step toward data-driven predictive models of driver awareness, we propose a driving-video-based simulation method for empirical data collection in an ecologically valid and safe environment. A human-subject experiment conducted in a driving simulator demonstrated the potential of the proposed method. Furthermore, this work investigated the relationship between driver awareness and eye movement. Our preliminary results support that human gaze behavior may be a promising but insufficient indicator of situation awareness, and, in particular, human perception of road hazards. The proposed approach can be further used for larger-scale data collections to inform machine learning algorithms for prediction of driver awareness based on observable driver behavior and the characteristics of road hazards.
Anomalous Radiocarbon Dates from the Early Medieval Cremation Graves from Broechem (Flanders, Belgium): Reservoir or Old Wood Effects?

ABSTRACT As part of the study of the early medieval cemetery at Broechem (Belgium), human bones from 32 cremation graves have been dated through radiocarbon (14C) analysis. It was noted that many of the dates were not in accordance with the chronological ranges provided by the characteristics of the cultural artifacts deposited in the graves. In fact, the human bones were “older” than the artifacts. Subsequently, a number of animal bones (in all cases from domestic pigs) was radiocarbon dated, yielding dates that were more consistent with the information from the cultural artifacts than the human bones. The dates obtained on human and pig bones from the same grave often differed around 100 radiocarbon years. This paper tries to find an explanation for the pattern observed, concentrating on two hypotheses: aquatic reservoir versus old wood effects. The evaluation takes into account additional radiocarbon dates derived from charcoal fragments of the funeral pyre, from both short-lived and long-lived taxa. A conclusive explanation for the anomalous radiocarbon dates could not be reached but clear suggestions can be put forward for future experimental work that will without doubt shed more light upon the interpretational problems raised.
Consent as a Free Pass: Platform Power and the Limits of the Informational Turn

Across the United States and Europe, notice and consent, the act of clicking that “I have read and agree” to a platform’s terms of service, is the central device for legitimating and enabling platforms’ data processing, acting as a free pass for a variety of intrusive activities which include profiling and behavioral advertising. Notwithstanding literature and findings that lay significant doubts on notice and consent’s adequacy as a regulatory device in the platform ecosystem, courts, regulators and other public authorities across these regions keep adopting and legitimating these practices. While consent seems a good proxy for ensuring justice in the platform economy, it is an empty construct. This paper explains how notice and consent practices in the platform economy are not only normatively futile but also positively harmful. Narrow understandings that focus on voluntariness and disclosure such as the ones generally adopted by regulators and courts fail to account for the systemically unjust background conditions within which voluntary individual acts of consent take place. Through such narrow approaches, regulators are failing to acknowledge that consent cannot be reasonably taken to morally transform the rights, obligations and relationships that it purports to reshape. Further, it positively harms consumers in at least three ways: burdening them with decisions they cannot meaningfully make, subordinating their core inalienable rights to respect and dignity to the economic interests of platforms, and creating widespread ideological resistance against alternatives. Notice and consent as a discourse is hardly contestable and is currently part of the rigid background of assumed facts about our digital environment. As new legislation is devised in the US and new opportunities to reinterpret the GDPR present themselves in the EU, we must be more courageous in looking beyond the facade of individual control and instead must grapple with the core structure of corporate surveillance markets. The longer we fail to acknowledge consent’s irrelevance to data governance, the longer we will deny ourselves respect and protection from the ever-growing expansion of digital markets into our lives.
The Acute Effects of Energy Deficit on Postprandial Lipemia: 1645 Board #4 May 29, 1

COCUMELLI, CHRISTA L. , M.S., May 2014, Physiology of Exercise, Research The Acute Effects of Energy Deficit on Postprandial Lipemia Director of Thesis: Michael R. Kushnick The purpose of this investigation was to determine the acute effects of graded energy deficits with exercise on fasting lipids and the postprandial lipemic response. Ten apparently healthy men (22.8 ± 2.7yrs) participated in three experimental trials, each trial consisting of two sessions. The first session included controlled feeding for 24 hours and an exercise bout, controlling participants’ energy availability at 45 (balance), 35 (mild deficit), and 25 (moderate deficit) kcal/kg FFM. The exercise consisted of treadmill running at 60% of the participants’ VO2max until 10kcal/kg FFM was expended and these calories were added back into their caloric intake. The next morning, participants returned to the lab for a baseline blood sample, consumption of a mixed meal, and subsequent blood draws over 3 hours. Results indicated that acute energy deficits improve postprandial lipemia compared to energy balance following 24 hours of controlled feeding and exercise. No graded response was observed with increasing energy deficits.
Metoda oceny pozaekonomicznych determinantów stymulujących innowacje procesowo-produktowe w gospodarce 4.0 i 5.0

W artykule została zaprezentowana metoda oceny pozaekonomicznych determinantów stymulujących innowacje procesowo-produktowe. Opracowanie ma charakter koncepcyjny. Przyjęto w nim założenie, że innowacje tworzone w ramach Przemysłu 4.0 wpływają na zmiany cywilizacyjne, co tworzy Gospodarkę 4.0. Stosowane rozwiązania technologiczne będą umożliwiały znaczne ograniczenie prywatności ludzi, co może być charakterystyczne dla nowego konstruktu - Gospodarki 5.0. W artykule przedstawiono ideę i uwarunkowania holistycznej metody oceny pozaekonomicznych determinantów stymulujących innowacje procesowo-produktowe. Wskazano, że ocena musi odbywać się na wielu płaszczyznach, w tym psychologicznej, socjologicznej, społecznej, kulturowej i środowiskowej.
Role of nano-biochar in attenuating the allelopathic effect from Imperata cylindrica on rice seedlings

It is reported that Imperata cylindrica, a successful invasive plant in North America, has covered many parts of the United States, especially the southeastern region which is the main rice growing region. The invasion of I. cylindrica could threaten rice production. In this study, we hypothesize that biochar nanoparticles (nano-BC) can reduce the stress from the root exudates of I. cylindrica. Ferulic acid (FA) is a major chemical of I. cylindrica root exudates, and we selected its analog, salicylic acid, as an experimental control. We found that nano-BC has detoxification effects for rice seedlings under FA treatments. Rice seedlings grow better and the phenotype of rice seedlings recovers after nano-BC application under FA treatments. In comparison to the seedlings treated with FA, the biomass of the seedlings increases 344% and 435% after adding 200 mg kg−1 and 400 mg kg−1 of nano-BC to the FA treatment in the pot experiment, respectively. Superoxide dismutase activities (antioxidant system index) and malondialdehyde concentration (lipid peroxidation marker) decline after the addition of nano-BC. Additionally, the rice growth is better after the addition of nano-BC in the FA treatment. The total chlorophyll concentration displays a recovery trend, and the recovery rates are 55% and 96% after 400 mg L−1 and 400 mg kg−1 of nano-BC are added to the FA treatments in the hydroponic and pot experiments, respectively. The expression of three salicylic acid-related genes also demonstrates recovery in the treatment with nano-BC and FA. Therefore, nano-BC is a potential material that can be used to protect rice production from the stress of I. cylindrica invasion.
Towards enhanced information transfer rate: a comparative study based on classification techniques

ABSTRACT One of the most important performance parameters for Assistive Devices (AD’s) based on Brain Computer Interfaces (BCIs) is the Information Transfer Rate (ITR). This study compares a hybrid BCI to a Steady State Visually Evoked Potential (SSVEP) based BCI, along with a comparison of classification techniques used for translation of user intentions. The hybrid BCI paradigm combined SSVEP & P300, where SSVEP decodes user intentions and P300 is used for Time Division Multiplexing (TDM). The classification protocols were categorised as single-step supervised classifiers and two-step unsupervised classifier. It was observed that the classification accuracy for translation of human intentions for the traditional SSVEP paradigm (93.78%) was higher than the hybrid BCI (90.76%) proposed, but still the hybrid BCI is paradigm option for development of ADs (high ITR of 81.10 bits/minute). The study compared the two classification protocols using the statistical t-value test, which concluded that (99.9% confidence level) the mean classification accuracy and mean ITR were greater for the single-step supervised classification and also that the mean FAR was lower for the single-step supervised classification. The proposed hybrid BCI with single-step supervised learning classification protocol emerged as best BCI option for the development of AD’s.
Uncertainty quantification from raw measurements to post-processed data: A general methodology and its application to a homogeneous-charge compression–ignition engine

Internal combustion engines have been improved for many decades. Yet, complex phenomena are now resorted to, for which any optimum might be unstable: noise, low-temperature heat release timing, stratification, pollutant sweet spots, and so on. In order to make reliable statements on an improvement, one must specify the uncertainty related to it. Still, uncertainty quantification is generally missing in the piston engine experimental literature. Therefore, we detailed a mathematical methodology to obtain any engine parameter uncertainty and then used it to derive the uncertainty expressions of the physical quantities of the most generic homogeneous-charge compression–ignition research engine (mass-flow-induced mixture with C u H y O x N z S w fuel). We then applied those expressions on an existing hydrogen homogeneous-charge compression–ignition test bench. This includes the uncertainty propagation chain from sensor specifications, user calibrations, intake control, in-cylinder processes, and post-processing techniques. Directly measured physical quantities have uncertainties of around 1%, depending on the sensor quality (e.g. pressure, volume), but indirectly measured quantities relying on modelled parameters have uncertainties higher than 5% (e.g. wall heat losses, in-cylinder temperature, gross heat release, pressure rise rate). Other findings that such an analysis can bring relate, for example, to the physical quantities driving the uncertainty and to the ones that can be neglected. In the case of the homogeneous-charge compression–ignition engine considered, the effects of blow-by, bottle purity and air moisture content were found negligible; the post-processing for effective compression ratio, effective in-cylinder temperature, and top dead centre offset were found essential; and the pressure and volume uncertainties were found to be the main drivers to a large extent. The obtained numeric values serve the general purpose of alerting the experimenter on uncertainty order of magnitudes. The developed methodology shall be used and adapted by the experimenter willing to study the uncertainty propagation in their setup or willing to assess the adequacy of a sensor performance.