Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
COPD_A_332505 2945..2951

1The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, General Hospital of Southern Theatre Command, Guangzhou, 510010, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Huizhou Municipal Central Hospital, Huizhou, 516001, People’s Republic of China Purpose: Persistent chronic inflammation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with poor outcomes and frequently results in acute exacerbation. Predicting the number of exacerbations is important. Because interleukin 6 (IL-6) plays an important role in inducing and maintaining chronic inflammation, we sought to observe whether IL-6 measurement can predict the frequency of acute exacerbation of COPD. Methods: We reviewed serum IL-6 concentrations of stable COPD patients from January 2016 to December 2017 and statistically analyzed them to determine the optimal threshold value to predict the frequency of COPD acute exacerbations. Outpatients with stable COPD were then recruited between January 2018 and December 2019 and grouped into a low IL-6 group and a high IL-6 group according to this threshold value. We then compared the number of exacerbations of COPD in 1 year between the two groups. Results: We reviewed data from 95 COPD patients, who had a median of 1.00 exacerbations in preceding year; 35 of these patients had no fewer than two. The median IL-6 concentration was 8.80 pg/mL. IL-6 and hs-CRP were positively correlated with frequency of acute exacerbation in the preceding year, COPD assessment test (CAT) score and British medical research council (mMRC) score, and negatively correlated with forced expiratory volume in one second as percentage of predicted value (FEV1%pred) and FEV1/FVC% (forced vital capacity). IL-6 was the risk factor of COPD patients with two or more exacerbations in 1 year. Finally, we enrolled 65 COPD patients and divided into low IL-6 group and high IL-6 group; the high IL-6 group experienced more frequent exacerbations than did the low IL-6 group. Conclusion: An IL-6 measurement of 14.030 pg/mL or more is a risk factor for ≥2 acute exacerbations of COPD in the following year.
Three-dimensional FDTD modeling of a ground-penetrating experiment

This paper deals with a numerical FDTD approach to solve a particular ground-penetrating problem. Classical Yee FDTD formulation is used to simulate layered media on a perfectly electrically conductive plate (PEC). It is shown that an alternative of the step 3-D PML formulated by Sullivan is well adaptated to surround the computational domain. In particular, the PEC can be easily extended to the PML medium without any extra reflection error.
A Platform with Six Degrees of Freedom

This paper describes a mechanism which has six degrees of freedom, controlled in any combination by six motors, each having a ground abutment. It is considered that by its particular arrangement, this mechanism may form an elegant design for simulating flight conditions in the training of pilots. Unlike most simulators, it has no fixed axes relative to the ground, and therefore within the limits of amplitude of the design it can truly simulate the conditions of banking by carrying the simulation of control surfaces into the axes of the new attitude. Variations in control arrangements are described and their respective design merits considered. Other possible uses for this mechanism are mentioned including automation of production.
Comparison Between the Nature and Activity of the Silver Nano Particles on Cervical Cancer Cells That Were Produced by the Active and Inactive Fungal Biomass Forms

Background Biologic nanoparticles can be produced by the active and passive mechanisms but their properties have not been compared to each other and recent research tries to uncover them.Methods Biomass of Fusarium oxysporum was divided into four groups and pretreated in: room temperature (RT) and refrigerator (for preparation the active biomass forms); autoclave and hot air oven instruments (for preparation the inactive biomass forms). Samples were floated in ddH2O and SNPs were produced after addition of 1mmol final concentration of silver nitrate solution. Production of SNPs was confirmed using visible spectrophotometer, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses. SNPs were washed and their concentration was determined using ICP measurement. Plate well diffusion method was used for antibacterial activity. MTT and Annexin V-FITC/ propidium iodide assays were used for cytotoxicity and apoptosis induction assays, respectively. Result Results showed that all the four tested samples produced SNPs and had maximum absorbance peaks about 400-450 nm. The produced SNPs had almost same shapes and sizes and XRD results confirmed the presence of SNPs in all the samples. ICP results showed that except the refrigerator incubated sample, the concentration of the SNPs in all the flasks was similar to each other. Due to the differences in the nature of the applied bacterial strains the produced SNPs had some differences in their antibacterial activities. MTT assay results showed that due to lower SNPs concentration of the refrigerator incubated sample they had less toxic effects than the others. Apoptosis induction results revealed that the biologically produced SNPs induced more apoptosis and less necrosis.Conclusion In conclusion, the active and inactive fungal biomass forms produced SNPs that their nature and activity were not altered.
The use of METACOR tool for integrated urban and interurban traffic control. Evaluation in corridor peripherique, Paris

The paper presents the macroscopic corridor model METACOR, as well as its calibration and validation. METACOR, which was developed through the extension and the integration of two macroscopic traffic flow models, has been applied to the corridor peripherique test site to be used for model validation. The model results (regarding the output trajectories of the 3 traffic variables namely volumes, occupancy rates and speed), indicate that METACOR follows the time evolution condition in the considered network. This implies that METACOR is able to cope with different traffic conditions (fluid, dense and congested) at an acceptable level of accuracy. METACOR is a generally applicable macroscopic simulation tool for corridor traffic. Compared to other available tools, its main advantage is its moderate computational effort. This advantage is the result of a systematic macroscopic approach with destination-specific subflows that avoids iterations for dynamic traffic assignment. <<ETX>>
A Compact Multiband and Wideband Bioinspired Antenna for Wireless Mobile Devices

A compact multiband and wideband biologically inspired antenna with a shape borrowed from the creatures with curved antennae is presented. The radiator is symmetric coplanar striplines modeled based on a stepped Chebyshev transformer. The designed steps are smoothed through curve fitting. The flare's opening rate is set using the software to achieve the required resonant frequency. Multi tapers are used in order to enhance the impedance bandwidth and the coverage of wireless bands. Depending on the flare's opening rates multiband or wideband designs are resulted. The validity of the method is verified through simulations and measurements of an experimental design example. The fabricated antenna's center frequency is 2.4 GHz and the substrate is FR‐4 with a dielectric constant 4.35 and thickness of 3.2 mm. The proposed design covers the WiBro, wireless local area network, and Bluetooth bands. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 55:3019–3022, 2013
Two-port circularly polarized microstrip antennas

A circularly polarized (CP) two-port microstrip antenna simultaneously operated at two CP states is investigated. The CP bandwidth of the antenna is increased from 0.35% to about 5%, almost 14 times wider than that of single port patch. The antenna directivity due to the loss in the load is reduced by about 3 dB. It is believed that such an advantageous trade-off for both will make this type of antenna much more useful, for example, in transmitting or receiving two CP waves of opposite senses simultaneously. The crosstalk between the two ports depends on the impurity of CP. It is about -19 dB for axial ratio (AR) equal to 2 dB, or -14 dB for AR equal to 3 dB. The method improving the isolation between two ports of an antenna is also discussed. >
BeReal: A Benefits Realisation Process: From Planning to Delivery: Effective Benefits Realisation

Delivering sustainable reform within an ever changing external environment, usually reliant on a range of stakeholders stakeholders, requires a different way of thinking, a better understanding of the drivers of benefits realisation and more effective methods and tools than have been generally available in the public sector so far. The BeReal approach helps bridge the gap between the aspiration of benefits realisation in the public sector and the current reality, by simplifying best practice and providing a framework for the active planning and tracking that is needed. We have developed a well‐researched methodology and toolkit to elicit, value, measure and realise stakeholder as well as corporate benefits. We also emphasise the need to address cultural, capacity and capability issues through collaboration and innovation. We strongly believe that this approach to benefit realisation is at the heart of securing integrated change as well as being able to evidence the value for money of individual projects. This Consultative Guide describes and sets out how to adopt this approach, which we have called BeReal
Development of a manufacturing flexibility hierarchy through factor and cluster analysis

Purpose – The ability of production organizations to respond quickly to changes in the market with new products requires flexibility. The relationship between manufacturing flexibility and the performance of organizations in new product development is not well characterized. The purpose of this paper is to develop and test a flexibility model focused on new product performance in manufacturing organizations empirically in one industrial sector.Design/methodology/approach – Hypothesized relationships between manufacturing flexibility, new product type, and new product performance are empirically tested using survey data from 273 companies, representing a range of US electronic manufacturers.Findings – Factor and cluster analysis identifies eight distinct flexibility dimensions and a hierarchy among these dimensions. The relationships between the identified flexibility dimensions and new product performance, as tested through correlation analyses, are found to be dependent on the type of new product develop.
Synthesis of Micro/Mesoporous ZSM-5 Zeolite Using Natural Aluminosilicate

An industrially promising method for the synthesis of highly crystalline powdered ZSM-5 zeolite has been developed. The method is based on the use of natural aluminosilicate metakaolin as the main source of silicon and aluminum, and butanol as the template. The pore structure of the synthesized zeolite was shown to contain both micro- and mesopores.
The Effect of Opening on Eddy Current Probe Response for an Idealized through Crack

A structure representing an idealized through crack was formed by placing two coplanar aluminum rectangular plates next to one another with their edges separated by a small distance. The coil impedance variation with position was measured as a coil was moved over the adjacent plate edges. An analytical theory is used to evaluate the coil impedance change due to the gap between the plates. This theory is based on the truncated region eigenfunction expansion method. The difference between the eddy current probe signal due to a notch compared with that of a crack can be partly accounted for by the difference in the opening. We have investigated the effect of varying the opening of the simulated crack and shown theoretically and experimentally how the coil impedance changes with position, opening and frequency.
Analysis, Design and Implementation of a Networking Proof-of-Concept Prototype to Support Maritime Visit, Board, Search and Seizure Teams

Abstract : The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is composed of 42,000 men and women, spread over nine districts and 35 different sectors, who are tasked with the security and stewardship of our nations waters. The Coast Guard operates 244 cutters, 1776 small boats and 198 aircraft to meet the needs of its mission. The men and women operating these platforms are tasked with a variety of different mission sets that include maritime security operations, law enforcement, prevention, response, defense operations and marine transportation system management. In 2012, the USCG conducted over 1,700 security boarding s on high interest vessels that were bound for the United States. One of the most crucial factors for success during these high-risk evolutions is communications between the host USCG cutter and the men and women who comprise the boarding team.
Printable, Transparent Force Sensing Resistive Materials for Touchscreen Applications

A transparent, force sensing resistive ink suitable for touchscreen technology is presented, which is capable of detecting both touch location and the applied force. The force sensing behavior is realized by a screen-printed ink layer which consists of pre-formed semi-conductive granules dispersed in an insulating polymer. The granule size is of a comparable dimension to the thickness of the printed layer. Conduction is via the creation of pressure-induced conductive pathways through the layer at the contact point. With increasing force the number of pathways increases and the resistance of the pathways decreases, reducing the resistance through the layer. The electrical behavior was tested with finger-press forces up to 5 N using a load cell and stylus attachment. Optical properties of the touchscreen were assessed using a spectrophotometer to measure the transmitted light over the range of visible wavelengths. Both the force-resistance profiles and the optical properties of the layer are dependent on the granule loading and composition. The structural, optical and force-resistance performance of test devices are discussed.
Autonomous-System Interfaces

The current Internet is characterized by a growing tension between the "core" (the Internet service providers) and the "edge" (the operators of edge networks and distributed applications). Much of this tension concerns path visibility and control -- where traffic goes (route control), where traffic comes from (path identification and filtering), and what happened in between (monitoring and accountability). We argue that this conflict harms both the core and the edge and that, to resolve it, we have to expose the Autonomous System (AS) as a first-class Internet object. This would map the functional structure of the Internet (the granularity at which edge systems can observe and control their traffic) to the organizational one (a graph of ASes). We argue that providing a well-defined interface between core and edge ASes offers significant benefits to both of them.
Congruence Matters: Volunteer Motivation, Value Internalization, and Retention

Volunteer research suggests that both altruistic and non-altruistic motivations may improve retention. We challenge the assumption that this is true for all volunteer work. Drawing on congruity theory of attitude change, we argue that volunteer motivation may lead to high (or low) retention when the volunteer experience is perceived as congruent (or incongruent) with their motivation. Specifically, altruistic motivation can lead to a low retention during a non-altruistic event, while non-altruistic motivation can increase the retention. Using data from a mega sports event, our findings demonstrate a negative effect of altruistic motivation on retention in a non-altruistic event. We discuss implications of the role of motivation-experience congruence in volunteer retention.
Telling tales : pictograms as a visual voice

In this critically reflective self-study I have illustrated how my research in the field of Graphic design has been purposeful in creating a visual voice to express myself, improve my practice as an artist, teacher, and visual activist and in turn create an alternate voice for others. My study includes the conceptualization of the pictographic cards that I have named PicTopics, their value as an educational tool and their pertinence as visual prompts. My research questions have included exploring the role of the PicTopics in communicating a story or message, and how they could be pertinent to my practice as an artist, researcher, teacher and social being. My methodology, under the umbrella of self-study, has explored the living social, educational, and artistic values associated with fun, playing, creativity and wellbeing as a way to improve my practice. I used the PicTopic in a variety of settings - with the public at an art gallery to record their stories, in the classroom as creative prompts and as a way to inspire and conceptualize the practical artistic component of this study. I believe that the PicTopics when used as prompts can trigger and cultivate storytelling, enable engagement between people and open communication channels between the educator, and students. The PicTopics have become a thread between my living theories which are linked with my values and beliefs, my practice as an artist and my role as an educator and social transformer.
The challenges of implementing a virtual learning environment in a secondary school : an Irish case study

This case study evaluates the challenges encountered in the implementation of a Virtual Learning Environment in a secondary school in Ireland. The VLE had been in use at the school for four years yet the take up by teachers had been modest. This study examines a variety of determinants that influence technology acceptance and successful implementation outcomes in respect of the VLE at the school. A questionnaire survey of staff was carried out and semi-structured interviews with six teachers at the school. The VLE logs and statistics were examined along with documentation relating to the VLE. Data was analysed from the perspective of Innovation Diffusion Theory and Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). The study begins with an examination of technological factors influencing technology adoption including issues surrounding acquisition, management and support of a VLE in an Irish school. It also explores teacher level factors of VLE acceptance and how teacher attitudes to a VLE are developed. School level factors, the implementation process and teachers‟ experience and views of these are also examined. It then goes beyond these factors to look at the significance of the curriculum and assessment to teacher attitudes to a VLE. The findings show that there are specific technological, teacher level and school level factors influencing VLE acceptance. They also show that teacher attitudes to the implementation of the VLE in the school are tied to their attitudes and responses to national objectives in education and national strategies for reshaping learning. This study suggests that despite national strategies for effective investment in ICT in schools and the NCCA ICT Framework , it is likely that change in the curriculum and assessment will be the more significant drivers of technology integration and VLE adoption.
THE FEMALE TENNIS SERVE: AN ANALAGOUS VERSION OF THE MALE SERVE?

The mechanics of the high-performance male tennis serve have received considerable research attention; however, the relevance of this knowledge to the female serve is largely unknown. To address this research void, 3D body, racquet and ball kinematics were recorded from eight professional female players hitting a ‘first-power’ serve, using a 22-camera VICON MX system operating at 500 Hz. The kinematic data were then compared with the corresponding male data in the literature that have been garnered from high-performance players. The female mean resultant racquet velocity was 0.86 of the value reported for male players, which mirrored the ratio of the highest velocity serve recorded on the respective professional circuits. While the majority of kinematic variables were similar between these two groups, the lesser shoulder internal rotation by the females (0.83) compared with the males helps to define the above velocity difference.
Evaluating the Impact of ITS on Personalized Public Transit

The focus of this project is to study alternative system architectures and ITS technologies that can improve the efficiency of personalized public transit and demand responsive systems such as paratransit. This report reviews available and emerging ITS technologies that have been deployed or are being considered for this industry. We also conducted a survey of commercially available computer aided dispatching software. We list the numerous features offered by these software packages. Also, included in this report is a statistical analysis of travel patterns of a paratransit provider in Los Angeles County. This data analysis forms the basis for our testbed in the second phase of the project. The second phase compares the performance of a strictly curb-to-curb system with a hybrid system that is a mixture of curb-to-curb and fixed route. On nine days worth of data, the analysis showed that shifting some of the demand to a hybrid service route (18.6% of the requests) reduces the on-demand vehicle distance by 16.6% and the overall customer trip time by 8.7% over their current approach.
Aviation Environmental Design Tool (AEDT): User Guide, Version 2a

The Federal Aviation Administration, Office of Environment and Energy (FAA-AEE) has developed the Aviation Environmental Design Tool (AEDT) version 2a software system with the support of the following development team: FAA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), United States Department of Transportation Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center), ATAC Corporation, Metron Aviation, Wyle Laboratories, CSSI, Inc., Foliage, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Georgia Tech. AEDT 2a is designed to dynamically model aircraft performance in space and time to compute aircraft noise, emissions, and fuel burn. AEDT 2a software runs on PCs using a minimum hardware configuration of a Microsoft Windows XP or 7 operating systems, Dual-core w/ 1.6 GHz FSB and 512KB L2 Cache processor, 4 GB RAM, and 500 GB hard disk storage. In the U.S., the model is used to evaluate aircraft noise, emissions, and fuel burn of proposed air traffic airspace actions under the current version of FAA Order 1050.1E. This document is the User Guide to setup and run analyses with AEDT 2a.
Power Quality Improvement of an Electric Arc Furnace Using a New Universal Compensating System

This paper presents a new compensating system, consisting of series and shunt active filters, for mitigating voltage and current disturbances. The shunt filter is used to compensate for unbalanced and distorted load currents. The series filter comprises two inverters, used to suppress voltage disturbances and handle source currents independently. This configuration is devised to reduce the overall cost of active compensators by using low-frequency high-current switches for the latter inverter. The filters are controlled separately using a novel control strategy. Since voltages at the point of common coupling contain interharmonics, conventional methods cannot be used for extracting voltage references. Therefore, voltage references are obtained from generated sinusoidal waveforms by a phase-locked loop. Current references are detected based on rotating frame vector mapping. Simulation results are presented to verify the system.