Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Association between changes in salivary microbiota with glucose levels during pregnancy – findings from a pilot study

Background : Microbial shifts that correspond to host variations during pregnancy are vital in health maintenance. Significant changes have been reported in the oral microbiota of pregnant women when compared with nonpregnant women, but little is known about the dynamic shifts in oral microbiota during the pregnancy course. Methods : In this study, changes in salivary microbiota in 81 healthy pregnant women throughout the early stage (G1: 9-14 weeks), middle stage (G2: 21-28 weeks), and late stage (G3: 31-38 weeks) were investigated with 16S rRNA sequencing techniques. Correlations between salivary microbiota and maternal characteristics, including fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels, were evaluated. Results : Alpha diversity indexes were stable throughout pregnancy, but significant changes were found in beta diversity measured by weighted and unweighted UniFrac distances. Fourteen dominant trimester-specific taxa were identified using the LEfSe method, including Bacteroidetes in G1, Proteobacteria in G2 and Firmicutes in G3 at the phylum level. Tax4Fun prediction analysis revealed significant changes in Genetic Information Processing, Environmental Information Processing, Unclassified and Human Diseases in G2 and in Metabolism in G3 when compared to G1. Significant correlations were found between FBG levels and microbial composition, and these correlations were independent of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) status. Conclusion : Within the limitations of this study, the dynamic changes in salivary microbiota during pregnancy were characterized, and beyond pregnancy, FBG was also involved in shaping the salivary microbiota.
Estimating Tensile Force of Hangers in Suspension Bridges Using Frequency Based SI Technique: I. Theory

Hanger cables in suspension bridges have a particular form - two parallel hanger cables are tied by a horizontal clamp. Hence, it is difficult to estimate the accurate tension of a hanger using the existing frequency-based method based on the simple mathematical model of a single cable. To resolve this problem, in this paper, a frequency-based system identification thechnique is adopted. The complex behavior of the hanger cables has been identified by the aid of a three dimensional finite element analysis. In conjunction with the system identification algorithm and the finite element analysis, tension and other flexural rigidities of the hanger cable has been identified by a proposed approach. To verify the proposed technique, a set of various numerical verifications have been conducted. Finally, the results from the proposed approach have been compared with those from the exising technique.
Slat aerodynamics and aeroacoustics with flow control

This study primarily investigated the flow and aeroacoustics associated with the slat of a three-element aerofoil in approach conditions. The study assessed importance of several factors and examined their aerodynamic impacts. The factors investigated were aerofoil incidence, slat angle, slat cusp geometry, fixing transition and blowing in the slat cove. A combination of experimental and computational techniques investigated the factors selected. The experimental work employed PIV, pressure tap, a force balance, flush mounted microphones and an acoustic array. The computational work used DES along with the FW-H acoustic analogy to obtain the far-field directivity. Tonal features occurred at high incidence and originated at the slat trailing edge, due to the blunt trailing edge and gap, and at the reattachment point. Fixing transition removes the tone at the reattachment point and reduces the slat gap tone at the trailing edge but does not remove the tone generated by the blunt trailing edge. All of the tones found, only occurred at certain slat and wing settings. Broadband sound was present in all conditions but had a strong dependence on the incidence of the wing. The sound was loudest with the wing at ? = 5o with a reduction as the wing incidence was increased. The broadband sound also reduced as the slat angel decreased from ? S = 23o. The shear incidence angle was a good indicator of the impact of these two factors on the sound generated. Extending the slat cusp reduced the broadband sound at low aerofoil incidence. However, for ? 10o the extension led to increased broadband sound. Neither blowing nor fixing transition had a significant impact on the broadband sound generated by the slat system. The aerodynamic loads generated by the wing were mainly dependent on the aerofoil incidence. However, other factors did influence the forces generated. Reducing the slat angle increased the lift generated by the wing especially at low aerofoil incidence but the lift to drag ratio was unaltered. At high aerofoil incidence, extending the slat cusp reduced the lift generated. Blowing and fixing transition did not significantly alter the forces generated by the wing.
Study of the electromechanic aspects of RF MEM devices with particular emphasis on the dynamic behavior for the case ofRF MEM switches and tuneable capacitors

Research on MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical systems) has seen an amazing growth during the last 15 years, stimulated both by their interesting physical properties and their attractive application potential. One of those appealing MEMS applications are Radio Frequency (RF) switches. These devices have some outstanding advantages like low insertion loss, high isolation and linearity, but they suer from some drawbacks like low switching speed and lack of reliability. In the near future for many applications, like mobile phones and communication systems, reliable switches with higher commutation speed are expected. This thesis is focused on the study of the dynamic behavior of the RF switches with the aim to nd suitable ways to develop switch geometries with faster switching characteristic. The study considers process related aspects, theoretical calculations, numerical simulations and dynamic measurements. In addition other devices that are useful for the design of the complex RF circuits and that are characterized by a complex dynamic behavior like in plane forces are studied.
Application of 2-D Position Sensitive Detector in Spatial Straightness Measurement of Guide Rails

A laser collimating system based on 2-D position sensitive detector (PSD) is presented in this paper. The working principle of PSD is depicted in detail. A calibration device was developed to check the nonlinearity errors of PSD and a multilayer feedforward neural network based on error back-propagation algorithm was used to compensate errors. With the aid of computer-based data acquisition system, an automatic dynamic measuring process was realized. A series of experiments, including comparison tests with laser interferometer, were done to evaluate the performance of the measuring system. The experimental results show that the spatial straightness errors of guide rails can be measured with high accuracy. The maximum differences between the device and laser interferometer are 0.027 mm in Y direction, and 0.053 mm in X direction in the measuring distance of 6 m.
Active Impedance Matching and Sensitivity Optimized Phased Array Feed Design For Radio Astronomy

Active Impedance Matching and Sensitivity Optimized Phased Array Feed Design For Radio Astronomy David E. Carter Department of Electrical Engineering, BYU Master of Science One of the many challenges in radio astronomy is the ability to make accurate measurements quickly. In recent years engineers and astronomers have begun implementing phased array feeds (PAFs) as a way to negate the long observation times required by single antenna feeds. Unfortunately, large mutual coupling and other loss terms result in low sensitivity, restricting PAF usefulness in on dish observation. This thesis addresses several ways to reduce mutual coupling and maximize sensitivity for PAFs in radio astronomy. Antenna design of this magnitude requires accurate modeling capabilities. To this end, electromagnetic software models and low loss component designs are verified and validated with measured data. This process required the construction of a 50 Ω matched dipole and measurements on a network analyzer at Brigham Young University. The design and optimization of several single and dual polarization hexagonal grid arrays of 19 and 38 elements respectively are also described. Model figures of merit are compared with measurements taken on the 20-Meter dish at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in Green Bank, WV and the 300 meter dish at the Arecibo Observatory in Arecibo, PR. Although some unexplained discrepancies exist between measured and model datasets, the dual pol cryocooled kite array described boasts the highest PAF sensitivity ever measured.
Mewujudkan Komitmen Organisasi

Suatu organisasi hanya dapat bekerja secara baik jika semua pihak (Pemimpin dan bawahan) bekerja secara harmonis dan berkomitmen mencapai tujuan yang telah dicanangkan. Teori Kepemimpinan Transformasional yang dipopulerkan oleh Bass dan Riggio serta Dessler dengan teori Roda Komitmen (The Commitment Wheel) menegaskan hal tesebut. Dua pendapat pakar yang diajukan di dalam tulisan ini sebagai bahan renungan, menegaskan hal tersebut. Komitmen organisasi hanya dapat terwujud jika pemimpin dan pihak yang dipimpin (pegawai) dapat bekerja secara harmonis pada sebuah iklim organisasi yang kondusif melalui nilai-nilai budaya organisasi yang berpihak pada semua elemen organisasi. Selanjutnya, dalam konteks ini, komunikasi dua arah dapat dibangun karena iklim organisasi memungkinkan hal itu terjadi. Muara dari semuanya adalah, pemimpin memuliakan bawahan dan bawahan memuliakan pemimpin dengan dipandu oleh nilai-nilai budaya yang berlaku di dalam organisasi itu
Dyspnea is associated with overall symptom burden in patients with chronic respiratory insufficiency

Objective Patients with chronic respiratory insufficiency suffer from many symptoms together with dyspnea. We evaluated the association of dyspnea with other symptoms in patients with chronic respiratory insufficiency due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or interstitial lung disease. Results This retrospective study included 101 patients. Dyspnea was assessed with modified Medical Research Council dyspnea questionnaire (mMRC) and other symptoms with Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) and Depression Scale (DEPS). Patients with mMRC 4 (most severe dyspnea) compared to those with mMRC 0–3 reported higher median (IQR) symptom scores on ESAS in e.g. dry mouth (7.0 (4.0–8.0) vs. 3.0 (1.0–6.0), P < 0.001), tiredness (6.0 (3.0–7.0) vs. 3.0 (1.0–5.0), P < 0.001) and anxiety (3.0 (0.0-5.5) vs. 1.0 (0.0–3.0), P = 0.007). Patients with mMRC 4 were more likely to reach the DEPS threshold for depression compared to those with mMRC 0–3 (42.1% vs. 20.8%, P = 0.028). In conclusion, patients with chronic respiratory insufficiency need comprehensive symptom screening with relevant treatment, as they suffer from many severe symptoms worsening with increased dyspnea.
Modification of Type B Inclusions by Calcium Treatment in High-Carbon Hard-Wire Steel

To investigate the modification of type B inclusions in high-carbon hard-wire steel with Ca treatment, Si-Ca alloy was added to high-carbon hard-steel, and the composition, morphology, size, quantity, and distribution of inclusions were observed. The samples were investigated by scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). The experimental thermal results showed that the modification effect of inclusion was better in high-carbon hard-wire steel with Al of 0.0053% and Ca of 0.0029% than that in steel with Al of 0.011% and Ca of 0.0052%, in which the inclusions were mainly spherical semi-liquid and liquid CA2, CA, and C12A7. The inclusion size decreased from 3.2 μm to 2.1 μm. The degree of inclusions segregation was reduced in high-carbon hard-wire steels after calcium treatment. The results indicate that the modification of inclusions is conducive to obtaining dispersed inclusions with fine size. The ratio of length to width decreased and tended to be 1 with the increase in CaO content in the inclusion. When the content of CaO was higher than 30%, the aspect ratio was in the range of 1 to 1.2. The relationship between the activity of aluminum and calcium and the inclusions type at equilibrium in high-carbon hard-wire steel was estimated using classical thermodynamics. The calculated results were consistent with the experimental results. The thermodynamic software Factsage was used to analyze the effect of aluminum and calcium additions on the type and quality of inclusions in high-carbon hard-wire steels. The modification law and mechanism of type B inclusions in high-carbon hard-wire steels are discussed.
Electromechanical system-in-package carbon nanotube VCO

Encapsulated tunable electromechanical oscillators are a milestone on the road to smart dust sensor nodes. To foster the advent of ultrahigh system sensitivity thanks to novel technologies, a computationally light analytical and semi-empirical model for carbon nanotube resonator dynamics, electromechanical and piezoresistive properties is presented. This model is the breeding ground for the subsequent design and integration of a phase locked loop and feedback circuitry, which form an adaptive closed-loop oscillator for actuation, detection and sustainment of the nanotube’s motion. Closed-loop operation and tube stretching make the system widely universal and invariant to spreads in nanotube characteristics.
Leçons biochimiques et statistiques de l’évolution du virus SARS-CoV-2 : nouveaux chemins pour combattre les virus

In the fight against the spread of COVID-19 the emphasis is on vaccination or on reactivating existing drugs used for other purposes. The tight links that necessarily exist between the virus as it multiplies and the metabolism of its host are systematically ignored. Here we show that the metabolism of all cells is coordinated by the availability of a core building block of the cell’s genome, cytidine triphosphate (CTP). This metabolite is also the key to the synthesis of the viral envelope and to the translation of its genome into proteins. This unique role explains why evolution has led to the early emergence in animals of an antiviral immunity enzyme, viperin, that synthesizes a toxic analogue of CTP. The constraints arising from this dependency guide the evolution of the virus. With this in mind, we explored the real-time experiment taking place before our eyes using probabilistic modelling approaches to the molecular evolution of the virus. We have thus followed, almost on a daily basis, the evolution of the composition of the viral genome to link it to the progeny produced over time, particularly in the form of blooms that sparked a firework of viral mutations. Some of those certainly increase the propagation of the virus. This led us to make out the critical role in this evolution of several proteins of the virus, such as its nucleocapsid N, and more generally to begin to understand how the virus ties up the host metabolism to its own benefit. A way for the virus to escape CTP-dependent control in cells would be to infect cells that are not expected to grow, such as neurons. This may account for unexpected body sites of viral development in the present epidemic. Mots-clés. ddhCTP, D614G, F1757L, L37F, TN93, tRNA nucléotidyltransférase, Croissance non-
Effects of web reinforcement discontinuities on the seismic response of structural walls

Wang, Ying, Ph.D., Purdue University, December 2014. Effects of Web Reinforcement Discontinuities on the Seismic Response of Structural Walls. Major Professor: Santiago Pujol. Field evidence was interpreted to suggest that discontinuities in the longitudinal web reinforcement caused severe damage in structural walls during strong ground motion. To test this hypothesis, six small-scale reinforced concrete structural walls were tested under lateral displacement reversals. Test variables included the presence of web longitudinal reinforcement discontinuities and number of loading cycles. The test results indicated that unit tensile strains in longitudinal reinforcing bars in boundary elements were approximately 50% higher in structural walls with web longitudinal reinforcement cutoffs relative to walls without reinforcement cutoffs. Higher unit tensile strains caused an increase in permanent strain accumulation, increasing the likelihood of bar buckling. Additional loading cycles after yielding also accelerated permanent strain accumulation. A method is proposed for estimating the drift capacity of slender structural walls with and without reinforcement discontinuities.
Upstream Swirl Effects on the Flow Inside a Labyrinth Seal

The flow field inside a seven cavity tooth on rotor labyrinth seal was measured using a 3D laser Doppler anemometer system. The seal was operated at a Reynolds number of 24,000 and a Taylor number of 6,600 using water as the working fluid. Swirl vanes were placed upstream of the seal to produce positive, negative, and no preswirl. It was found that the axial and radial velocities were minimally effected. The tangential velocity, both in the clearance region and the seal cavities on the rotor, were greatly altered by the preswirl. By applying negative preswirl, the tangential velocity was suppressed, even in the seventh cavity. The turbulence levels decreased as the preswirl varied from negative to positive.
Mobile Technology Use and Developmental/Intellectual Disabilities

The purpose of this research project was to gain insight into the impact of mobile technology use among individuals with developmental/intellectual disabilities (DD/ID). Individuals with DD/ID are engaging in their communities and society more now than ever before and are using mobile technology as a mode to make it possible. The study’s research revolved around the experiences of professionals who work closest with individuals with DD/ID, which provided valuable, firsthand insight into the impact of mobile technology. This study also helps provide information on a topic that has relatively limited available research. One of the strongest themes in this study was how the use of mobile technology among individuals with DD/ID helps increase their connectedness to the communities and societies in which they participate. Increased connectedness ultimately leads to a reduction of stigma and increases awareness about what it means to live with a DD/ID. Increased was also described as a method for individuals with DD/ID to advocate on their own behalf, and urge for better disability programs, policies, and services. Overall, information gathered through this study indicated that mobile technology appears to positively impact the quality of life of individuals with DD/ID, by increasing independence, self-determination, and community connectedness. The limitations of this research, along with recommendations for future researchers are also included in this study. Mobile Technology Use and Developmental/Intellectual Disabilities iii Acknowledgements I would like to thank my committee chair, committee members, and research participants for all of their support, responses, and feedback throughout this process. I would also like to thank all of the clients with whom I have worked and participants have worked, as they are the inspiration for this research. Finally, I would like to express gratitude to my friends and family who reassured me that I would indeed successfully finish this project.
Position and Force Control of Cooperating Robots Using Inverse Dynamics

Multiple robot manipulators cooperating in a common manipulation task can accomplish complex tasks that a single manipulator would be unable to complete. To achieve physical cooperation with multiple manipulators working on a common object, interaction forces need to be controlled throughout the motion. The aim of this research is to develop an inverse dynamics model-based cooperative force and position control scheme for multiple robot manipulators. An extended definition of motion is proposed to include force demands based on a constrained Lagrangian dynamics and Lagrangian multipliers formulation. This allows the direct calculation of the inverse dynamics with both motion and force demands. A feedforward controller based on the proposed method is built to realise the cooperative control of two robots sharing a common load, with both motion and force demands. Furthermore, this thesis develops a method to design an optimal excitation trajectory for robot dynamic parameter estimation utilising the Schroeder Phased Harmonic Sequence. This method yields more precise and accurate inverse dynamics models, which result in better control. The proposed controller is then tested in an experimental set-up consisting of two robot manipulators and a common load. Results show that in general the proposed controller performs noticeably better position and force tracking, especially for higher speed motions, when compared to traditional hybrid position/force controllers.
Screen Content Quality Assessment: Overview, Benchmark, and Beyond

Screen content, which is often computer-generated, has many characteristics distinctly different from conventional camera-captured natural scene content. Such characteristic differences impose major challenges to the corresponding content quality assessment, which plays a critical role to ensure and improve the final user-perceived quality of experience (QoE) in various screen content communication and networking systems. Quality assessment of such screen content has attracted much attention recently, primarily because the screen content grows explosively due to the prevalence of cloud and remote computing applications in recent years, and due to the fact that conventional quality assessment methods can not handle such content effectively. As the most technology-oriented part of QoE modeling, image/video content/media quality assessment has drawn wide attention from researchers, and a large amount of work has been carried out to tackle the problem of screen content quality assessment. This article is intended to provide a systematic and timely review on this emerging research field, including (1) background of natural scene vs. screen content quality assessment; (2) characteristics of natural scene vs. screen content; (3) overview of screen content quality assessment methodologies and measures; (4) relevant benchmarks and comprehensive evaluation of the state-of-the-art; (5) discussions on generalizations from screen content quality assessment to QoE assessment, and other techniques beyond QoE assessment; and (6) unresolved challenges and promising future research directions. Throughout this article, we focus on the differences and similarities between screen content and conventional natural scene content. We expect that this review article shall provide readers with an overview of the background, history, recent progress, and future of the emerging screen content quality assessment research.