Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Among Children Placed in Kinship Care: Exit to Reunification, Adoption, or Foster Care

Abstract This study examined factors related to children’s exit from kinship care to reunification, adoption, and foster care. Data describing 498 parents of children placed in kinship care were extracted from a national survey. Results showed that the likelihood of reunification was increased with other maltreatment type, parent receipt of mental health services, number of alcoholic drinks consumed, having other health insurance, and family income; such likelihood was reduced by parent nonmedical use of medication, receipt of health-care services, and education. Number of alcoholic drinks consumed, number of IPV episodes reported, receipt of domestic-violence services, caseworker turnover, and family income increased the likelihood of exit to adoption; receipt of legal services, having other health insurance, parent of other minority race/ethnicity, and being employed diminished such likelihood. Likelihood of exit to foster care was reduced by other maltreatment, nonmedical use of medication, mental health, receipt of employment services, receipt of health-care services, having other health insurance, parent–caseworker shared race/ethnicity, Hispanic parent, other non-Black minority parent, and education. Such likelihood was increased with physical maltreatment, receipt of financial assistance, difficulty in accessing services, perceived caseworker engagement, and caseworker turnover. Implications and future research for facilitating unification, case plans, and working alliance are discussed.
On independence of iterated Whitehead doubles in the knot concordance group

Let D(K) be the positively clasped untwisted Whitehead double of a knot K, and Tp,q be the (p,q) torus knot. We show that D(T2,2m+1) and D2(T 2,2m+1) are linearly independent in the smooth knot concordance group 𝒞 for each m ≥ 2. Further, D(T2,5) and D2(T 2,5) generate a ℤ ⊕ ℤ summand in the subgroup of 𝒞 generated by topologically slice knots. We use the concordance invariant δ of Manolescu and Owens, using Heegaard Floer correction term. Interestingly, these results are not easily shown using other concordance invariants such as the τ-invariant of knot Floer theory and the s-invariant of Khovanov homology. We also determine the infinity version of the knot Floer complex of D(T2,2m+1) for any m ≥ 1 generalizing a result for T2,3 of Hedden, Kim and Livingston.
Medical Image Segmentation Based on Fractional-Order Derivative

Objective: In the traditional edge detection differential operators, the first-order derivative masks are easy to loss image details information, and the second-order derivative masks are more sensitive to noise. As for these problems, this paper proposes a fractional-order mask for medical image segmentation. Methods: Combining the frequency characteristic and the memorability of fractional differential, the classical first-order Sobel operator is generalized to fractional-order mode; A fractional-order differential mask is constructed for extracting the edge feature of medical images. Results: The experiment results show that compared with the integer order differential mask, the fractional-order differential mask can detect more edge details feature of the medical images, and is more robust to noise. Conclusion: Based on the global characteristic of the fractional differential, the proposed fractional-order Sobel mask can extract more image edge feature details. Experiment results show that the proposed fractional-order mask yields good visual effects for brain MRI image segmentation. Keywordsmedical image; image segmentation; fractional-order; frequency characteristic; Sobel operator
Quantifying Health State Utilities for Permanent Dentition: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction Health utility represents individual preference strengths regarding health-related outcomes as a numerical value, with higher utility values of a health state achieved by a service or treatment strategy suggesting that it is more worthwhile to implement and allocate resources to this service. This study aimed to find and compare the utilities of permanent teeth-related health state outcomes. Materials and Methods Two groups, one of the dentists (50) and another of dental patients (50), responded to a standard gamble questionnaire to determine the utilities of four hypothetical alternatives of dental health state as follows: (1) carious posterior tooth with pain, (2) carious posterior tooth without pain, (3) filled posterior tooth with a temporary restoration, and (4) filled posterior tooth with a permanent restoration. Values were calculated and compared between the two groups using the unpaired Student's t-test, and another comparison between gender groups was performed using a one-way analysis of variance. Results There were significant differences between dentists and patients regarding health states 2, 3, and 4 (p = 0.011, 0.026, and 0.008, respectively). However, there were no significant differences between men and women regarding all health statuses. Nonetheless, there were significant differences between male dentists and male patients for health statuses 1 and 3 (p = 0.047 and p = 0.036), respectively. Conclusion The oral health-related quality of life and its relation to economic dentistry is essential aspects of our modern practice. In the present study, there was a statistically significant difference in the utility value reported by dentists and patients. However, more research is needed in this area.
Spacecraft Coupled Tracking Maneuver Using Sliding Mode Control with Input Saturation

AbstractThis paper presents a sliding mode control scheme on for autonomous spacecraft formation flying via a virtual leader state trajectory. The configuration space for a spacecraft is the Lie group SE(3), which is the set of positions and orientations of the rigid spacecraft in three-dimensional (3D) Euclidean space. A virtual leader trajectory, in the form of natural attitude and translational (orbital) motion of a satellite, is generated offline. Each spacecraft tracks a desired relative configuration with respect to the virtual leader in a decentralized and autonomous manner to achieve the desired formation. The relative configuration between each spacecraft and the virtual leader is described in terms of exponential coordinates on SE(3). A new feedback control scheme is proposed for coupled translational and rotational maneuver using a new sliding surface, which is defined as the exponential coordinates and velocity tracking errors such that the sliding surface converges to zero without explicit re.
MOSAIC: a multi-object spectrograph with adaptive image correction

We have proposed a new Nasmyth instrument for the William Herschel Telescope which exploits the potential of wide field-of-view correction of atmospheric turbulence to produce a versatile, high spatial resolution, high efficiency, multi-object spectrograph and imager optimized for the 0.7-1.6 micron region. Using a low-altitude Rayleigh beacon guide star to correct the boundary layer turbulence which dominates the atmospheric seeing at La Palma on more than 25 percent of nights, MOSAIC combines the angular resolution gains of adaptive optics with the observing efficiency gains of multiple-object spectroscopy. Additional operating modes could include a narrow-band tunable filter and a fiber feed to a bench-mou8nted high resolution echelle spectrography. The instruments would provide a unique capability on 4-meter telescopes, opening up a wide variety of new scientific capabilities ranging from spectroscopic studies of crowded star fields to resolved studies of the kinematics of distant galaxies.
A real-time nonlinear decentralized control of multimachine power systems

This paper proposes the application of a new nonlinear decentralized control to the multi-input multi-output model of multimachine power systems. The goal is to control the terminal voltage as well as the rotor angle to obtain high-performance transient stability and good post-fault voltage regulation. The proposed stabilizing feedback laws for the power system are shown to be globally asymptotically stable in the context of Lyapunov theory. The effectiveness of the proposed control action is demonstrated through some computer simulations on a two-area benchmark power system under a large sudden fault and a wide range of operating conditions. The results are compared with those of the traditional automatic voltage regulator (IEEE type I AVR) plus the power system stabilizer control structure and speed governor.
A Comprehensive Survey of Security Issues of Smart Home System: “Spear” and “Shields,” Theory and Practice

The rapid development and wide application of the Internet of Things (IoT) and sensor technologies have produced good opportunities for the development of IoT-based smart home systems (SHSs). However, during the rapid market expansion of SHSs, security challenges associated with SHSs have become a primary concern of people because they are so closely related to people’s daily lives. These security problems may damage information assets and pose a serious threat to people’s health and life. This study investigates security issues in SHSs and provides a comprehensive overview of research to date. In this review, after analyzing the existing definition and concept of SHSs proposed by authoritative encyclopedias and academic literature, we propose a more accurate, elaborated definition of SHSs, analyze their architecture, extract six natural and contextual features, and summarize spears (cyber-attack means) vs. shields (countermeasures) in detail in the context of SHSs. Then, the security frameworks and evaluation technologies in SHSs are discussed. Different scenarios for technology integration and the practical research results in SHSs, such as blockchain, cloud computing, Internet of Vehicles, and AI are presented meticulously. After that, two special issues related to security are discussed. We believe that future research on SHS security should focus on four aspects: the unification of architecture, resource limitation, fragmentation, and code and firmware security. In addition, research on SHS security should be given priority over its commercialization process.
A New Test for Heteroskedasticity

Abstract The quite general test for heteroskedasticity presented here regresses the absolute values of the residuals obtained by ordinary least-squares on some variable(s). Denoting the O.L. S. residuals by , one obtains, for instance, a regression like where z is a variable, a and b regression coefficients and the residuals of the new regression. We call the acceptance of a non-zero value for both a and b a case of “mixed heteroskedasticity”, which we deem frequent in practice though neglected in handbooks. The paper also summarizes another test due to S. M. Goldfeld and R. E. Quandt and examines the powers of the two by using Monte-Carlo simulations: the new test seems to compare favourably, except perhaps in the case of large samples.
Nanofiber/hydrogel composite scaffold incorporated by silicon nanoparticles for sustained delivery of osteogenic factor: in vitro study

Abstract Utilizing bone scaffolds for osteogenic factors delivery has the vital advantage of faster and more efficient tissue regeneration. In this study, rosuvastatin calcium is loaded into the silicon nanoparticles and then incorporated into PLLA nanofibers followed by immersion into the gelatin hydrogel. The fabricated composites are characterized, and a drug release study shows that the nanofibers are the main barrier to drug release and provide sustained release for 21 days. Double encapsulation in the genipin-crosslinked gelatin hydrogel prolonged release to 32 days. The scaffold material shows great potential to provide a sustainable osteogenic factor delivery system. Graphical Abstract
Pathogenicity of Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Enteritidis phage type 1 in one-day-old specific pathogen-free chicks

Background: The studies about Salmonella infection in newly hatched chicks were not extensive. Aim: The objective of this study was to determine the pathogenicity of Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Enteritidis (SE) phage type (PT) 1 in one-day-old specific pathogen-free (SPF) chicks. Methods: Seventy, one-day-old SPF chicks, were divided into SE group (30 chicks), mortality group (10 chicks), both orally inoculated (1.0 ml) with SE PT1 (1 × 108 colony-forming unit per 1.0 ml), and one control group (30 chicks). The chicks were sacrificed at 6 and 12 hours, and days 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 14, and 21 post-inoculation (pi). Samples were collected for bacterial isolation, histological examination, and ultrastructural examination. Results: Starting from day 2 pi, the body weight in the SE group significantly (p < 0.05) decreased. The SE isolation percentages from the liver, spleen, mid-intestinal content, cecal content, cecal tonsil, blood, and cloacal swab were 0.73, 0.77, 0.33, 0.33, 0.36, 0.40, and 0.30, respectively. The isolation percentage in the liver was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than the blood and cloacal swab. The villi heights and crypt depths in the SE group were significantly (p < 0.05) greater and smaller, respectively. Ultrastructurally, erosion and necrosis were observed in the microvilli of the cecal tonsil. The bacteria were engulfed by macrophages at the interepithelial clefts of the M-like M cells. Conclusion: It was concluded that the inoculation of SE PT 1 in one-day-old chicks caused a systemic infection with diarrhea, a decrease in the body weight and villi height in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum, and high bacterial loading in the liver with mild gross and histological lesions of organs, erosion, and necrosis of microvilli and low mortality. The bacteria entered the body system from the intestinal tract through the interepithelial clefts of the M-like M cells of the cecal tonsil.
Navier-Stokes solutions for chemical laser flows

A third generation of supersonic diffusion chemical laser analysis is introduced, namely, the complete solution of the Navier-Stokes equations for the supersonic mixing flowfield, fully coupled with chemical kinetics for both the hot and cold reactions for HF. Results are obtained for laminar-flow conditions and show that such Navier-Stokes solutions are feasible for studying specific cases of interest. A comparison is made between cold flows (chemical kinetics switched off) and hot flows (with fully coupled chemical kinetics). The results show that temperature distributions are affected the most and velocity distributions the least by chemical energy heat release. The results have impact on the interpretation of cold-flow aerodynamic experiments in the laboratory, and their proper extrapolation to the real chemical-laser flows. Also, comparisons between the present Navier-Stokes results and other, more approximate, existing calculations, are made. Advantages of the Navier-Stokes solutions are delineated.
On sofic approximations of Property (T) groups

We prove Bowen's conjecture that every sequence of finite graphs that locally converges to the Cayley graph of a countably infinite group with Kazhdan Property (T) is essentially a vertex-disjoint union of expander graphs. We characterize graph sequences that are essentially a vertex-disjoint union of expander graphs in terms of the Markov operator.
Vehicle to Pedestrian Systems: Survey, Challenges and Recent Trends

The accelerated rise of new technologies has reshaped the manufacturing industry of contemporary vehicles. Numerous technologies and applications have completely revolutionized the driving experience in terms of both safety and convenience. Although vehicles are now connected and equipped with a multitude of sensors and radars for collision avoidance, millions of people suffer serious accidents on the road, and unfortunately, the death rate is still on the rise. Collisions are still a dire reality for vehicles and pedestrians alike, which is why the improvement of collision prevention mechanisms is an ongoing necessity. Collision prevention mechanisms have evolved from vision-based systems like radars to systems that transcend the driver’s line of sight. These latter systems depend on vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) to employ bidirectional communication between vehicles and other vehicles (V2V) as well as between vehicles and road infrastructure (V2I). Recently, research has expanded to include a new communication system between vehicles and pedestrians (V2P) through the latter’s smartphones. In this paper, we provide an extensive survey of existing V2P projects, categorize different parameters that influence V2P system design, compare different communication technologies used in V2P systems and present an overview of recent trends that solve problems in V2P systems like network congestion, pedestrian localization, and context information exchange. The main contribution of our work is to pave the road for future research by providing a comprehensive view of projects, challenges and recent trends in the emerging and rapidly growing field of V2P system design.
A new reconstruction method in integral geometry

There are numerous applications of integral geometry to various problem of image reconstruction, in particular to X-ray, emission, magnetic resonance, wave, acoustic, thermo and photoacoustic, scattering, Doppler tomographies as well as to radar technique and texture analysis. We propose here a general method of analytic inversion formulas for various transformations in integral geometry. Several examples for the case of integral transforms in a plane domain are given.
Urban energy system impact analysis: integration of household solar panels and electric vehicles into smart cities via storage and smart charging

Smart charging and battery storage can improve the integration of electric vehicles (EV's) and photovoltaic solar panels (PV's) into the residential buildings of a smart city. The impact of those two solutions can vary across households with an EV, PV, both, or no technologies. Therefore, it is unclear how smart charging and storage impact the energy, economic, and environmental benefits of each technology adoption group. To address this problem, an urban energy system dynamics model compares two smart charging scenarios that optimize PV energy consumption and carbon emissions as well as one scenario that optimizes storage. The results show that in general storage reduces carbon emissions and increases solar energy use more effectively than smart charging. Specifically, it reduces emissions at a rate of 17% and smart charging at 7%; it also increases PV self-consumption at a rate of 45% and smart charging at 28%. The main reason for this difference is that storage is able to shift a larger electricity load than smart charging without compromising user convenience. However, expenditures decline at a faster rate in the smart charging scenario (–91%) than the storage scenario (–52%), due to the ratio of Value of Solar to residential tariffs. Therefore, this article recommends storage as a solution to all technology adoption groups; furthermore, cities are encouraged to invest in energy storage solutions in the short term as well as smart devices in the long term, so that eventually smart charging could shift a larger share of the loads as well. The contribution of this study is that it compares several experimental groups across the energy, emission, and economic benefits derived from their respective clean energy technologies; it also provides specific guidelines for parties interested in optimizing the benefits of their technologies.
Microcavity-enhanced surface-emitted second-harmonic generation from 200 fs pulses at 1.5 μm

We present theoretical results for short-pulse surface-emitted second-harmonic generation and show that significant cavity enhancement is possible in the femtosecond regime. Experimentally, we demonstrate enhanced surface-emitted second-harmonic generation using 200 fs fundamental pulses near 1.5 μm by use of a 5λSH/2n vertical microcavity in [211]-oriented AlGaAs waveguides. The microcavity height is minimized by allowing the distributed Bragg reflectors that define the vertical cavity to also serve as cladding layers for the fundamental waveguide, thereby increasing the resonance width and hence the overlap with the second-harmonic spectrum.
Identification of Six Diagnostic Biomarkers for Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Based on Machine Learning Algorithms

Background Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the most common type of leukemia in adults. Thus, novel reliable biomarkers need to be further explored to increase diagnostic, therapeutic, and prognostic effectiveness. Methods Six datasets containing CLL and control samples were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Differential gene expression analysis, weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA), and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression were applied to identify potential diagnostic biomarkers for CLL using R software. The diagnostic performance of the hub genes was then measured by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Functional analysis was implemented to uncover the underlying mechanisms. Additionally, correlation analysis was performed to assess the relationship between the hub genes and immunity characteristics. Results A total number of 47 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 25 candidate hub genes were extracted through differential gene expression analysis and WGCNA, respectively. Based on the 14 overlapped genes between the DEGs and the candidate hub genes, LASSO regression analysis was used, which identified a final number of six hub genes as potential biomarkers for CLL: ABCA6, CCDC88A, PMEPA1, EBF1, FILIP1L, and TEAD2. The ROC curves of the six genes showed reliable predictive ability in the training and validation cohorts, with all area under the curve (AUC) values over 0.80. Functional analysis revealed an abnormal immune status in the CLL patients. A significant correlation was found between the hub genes and the immune-related pathways, indicating a possible tight connection between the hub genes and tumor immunity in CLL. Conclusion This study was based on machine learning algorithms, and we identified six genes that could be possible CLL markers, which may be involved in CLL pathogenesis and progression through immune-related signal pathways.
Fractional quantum Hall effect and quantum symmetry

Laughlin's quantum Hall wave function is obtained as an exact ground state of an N-particle Hamiltonian, in which the electrons themselves are coupled to the Chern-Simons field. The proof requires quantum field-theoretic methods in the Schr\"odinger picture, and clearly exhibits the relation to conformal field theory since the Knizhnik-Zamolodchikov connection shows up and the Laughlin ground state is recognized as a conformal block. A refined version of this approach can be applied for toroidal boundary conditions, i.e., the electrons are confined to the physical interior of the Hall sample. The result turns out to be a nontrivial modification of the p-fold degenerate Haldane-Rezayi wave function. Furthermore, it is shown that the degeneracy of the ground state is accounted for by the quantum group ${U}_{q}{(su}_{2})$ with deformation parameter $q=\mathrm{exp}(2\ensuremath{\pi}i/p)$ and p odd; put differently, the possible quantum numbers p of the quantum Hall effect, determining the filling fractions $\ensuremath{\nu}=1/p,$ can be explained by an underlying quantum symmetry.