Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Advancing ecological validity and clinical utility in virtual reality-based continuous performance test: exploring the effects of task difficulty and environmental distractors

Introduction Researchers have highlighted concerns regarding the limited diagnostic utility and ecological validity of the Continuous Performance Test (CPT). Recent advancements in VR-based CPTs have attempted to address these concerns by simulating real-life scenarios and enhancing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnosis; however, certain areas require improvement for obtaining reliable data from both healthy individuals and those with ADHD. To tackle these issues, we developed an enhanced VR-based CPT program featuring four distinct difficulty levels, advancing toward home-based assessment. Method Our feasibility study involved subjects without ADHD to establish a normative profile for VR-based CPT before extending it to ADHD assessment. Our sample included 20 Korean adults. They received a VR device with the VR-based CPT program installed and were asked to perform 1-2 blocks per day at home. Participants were instructed to complete 12 blocks over the subsequent 2 weeks. Psychological assessments and electroencephalograms (EEGs) were administered before and after the program. Post-study usability measures were also collected. Result Higher commission errors were notably evident in the “very high” difficulty level which featured complex stimuli and increased distraction. A notable correlation emerged between the overall distraction level and CPT accuracy, along with a significant link between intensity scores and commission errors. No significant differences were found in psychological assessment and there were no significant changes in the Theta-Beta Ratio (TBR) index before and after the program. The usability of our program was fair. Discussion The study reveals that the newly designed VR-CPT program, simulating diverse real-life environments and offering varying task difficulty levels, proved acceptable and feasible. The key point of our study was that the adjustment and segmentation of difficulty levels in the VR-based CPT were achieved, and that this effort was validated by examining the impact of different levels of difficulty on CPT measures. Implementing this experimental setup in a home-based environment increased ecological validity, as well as clinical utility. Limitations and suggested directions for further investigation are described in detail.
Evaluation of Machinability Indicators in Milling of Thin-Walled Composite Structures

Composite materials are alternative materials to aluminum and titanium alloys. The wide-spread use of this materials makes it necessary to gain insight into the phenomena occurring in machining processes for thin-walled structures. This paper shows the investigation of the machinability of thin-walled composite materials. The study involved milling glass and carbon reinforced plastics using tools dedicated to the processing of this type of material. Their machinability was determined based on the measured feed force, deformation and surface roughness. In addition, surface analysis was performed by SEM. The results showed that the feed had the greatest impact on the feed force, deformation and surface roughness, followed by cutting speed. Lower values of the measured machinability indicators such as the maximum feed force and roughness were obtained for composites with glass fibers. Lower deformations were induced in the machining of composites with carbon fibers. The study also in - volved conducting a recurrence analysis in order to select the most appropriate quantifications depending on the technological parameters of milling. It was found that the most appropriate indicators related with the technological parameters for both materials were laminarity and averaged diagonal length.
Targeted therapeutic hypothermia protects against noise induced hearing loss

Introduction Exposure to occupational or recreational loud noise activates multiple biological regulatory circuits and damages the cochlea, causing permanent changes in hearing sensitivity. Currently, no effective clinical therapy is available for the treatment or mitigation of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). Here, we describe an application of localized and non-invasive therapeutic hypothermia and targeted temperature management of the inner ear to prevent NIHL. Methods We developed a custom-designed cooling neck collar to reduce the temperature of the inner ear by 3–4°C post-injury to deliver mild therapeutic hypothermia. Results This localized and non-invasive therapeutic hypothermia successfully mitigated NIHL in rats. Our results show that mild hypothermia can be applied quickly and safely to the inner ear following noise exposure. We show that localized hypothermia after NIHL preserves residual hearing and rescues noise-induced synaptopathy over a period of months. Discussion This study establishes a minimally-invasive therapeutic paradigm with a high potential for rapid translation to the clinic for long-term preservation of hearing health.
Integrating Career Readiness Competencies into Vocational Curriculum for Enhanced Graduate Employability: A Case Study of Selected Trade Areas in Namibia

This study explored the integration of career readiness competencies into vocational curriculum in Namibia to improve graduates' employability in key trade areas such as welding, joinery, clothing, bricklaying, hospitality, and information technology sectors. The research uses a quantitative descriptive case study method to gather data from vocational students and literature reviews. The study aims to identify the most valued career readiness competencies and assess the extent to which vocational education institutions are addressing them. The findings have implications for vocational education policy and practice, enhancing graduates' employability and economic development. It also contributes to the discussion on soft skills and career readiness in vocational education.
Enhancing nutritional value and health benefits of gluten-free confectionery products: innovative pastilles and marshmallows

Introduction The research focuses on enhancing the nutritional value and potential health benefits of gluten-free confectionery products, developing innovative pastilles and marshmallows enriched with medicinal herb extracts, probiotics, and bioactive compounds from natural sources. Methods Physicochemical properties, including water activity, texture, and color, are assessed to evaluate the quality of the final products. Moreover, in vitro digestibility of the confectionery products is also investigated, with a focus on the release of bioactive compounds such as total phenolic compounds (TPC) and total anthocyanin (TAC) during simulated gastrointestinal digestion. Results and discussion Results indicate that the addition of specific ingredients to pastille samples does not lead to variations in water activity (~0.44), preserving the original properties, quality, and stability of the food. In contrast, the incorporation of additives in marshmallow products significantly increases water activity (p ≤ 0.05), attributed to their moisture-retaining effect. In general, our findings reveal that texture properties and color parameters are significantly affected by different formulations (p ≤ 0.05) for both confectionery products. Notably, the use of fruit and berries puree, along with the incorporation of additives, improves the functionality of confectionary products in terms of consumer acceptance (harder pastilles and softer marshmallow) and product quality. Furthermore, the study reveals that bioactive compounds are released and become more bioaccessible during digestion, particularly in the intestinal phase, with a maximum release exceeding 97% of TPC and TAC for both pastille and marshmallow samples. These findings pave the way for the development of a new category of gluten-free confectionery products, enriched with functional ingredients that offer potential health benefits, aligning with consumer preferences for natural, functional, and health-conscious treats. This research contributes to the evolving the landscape of functional confectionery products and underscores their potential as immune-boosting and naturally based food options.
Genetic Signal Processing for Categorizing Genomic Data using Convolutional Neural Networks

Breakthroughs in high-throughput sequencing technology have resulted in exponential growth in acquired genetic data. Classic machine learning systems have difficulties in dealing with complex genetic data, leading to investigation of deep learning methods. A unique technique for categorizing genomic data using convolutional neural networks (CNNs) is described. The genetic signal processing approach can extract unique characteristics from genomic data. CNNs' ability to comprehend subtle patterns and correlations in cleaned-up data results in improved classification accuracy. A publicly accessible dataset is used to compare the proposed technique across various criteria. The study of genetic information using digital noise processing technology is known as genetic signal processing (GSP). GSP are used to turn the nucleotide sequence into a line graph, allowing for appropriate pattern classification. From the results, it clearly shows that proposed CNN achieves better results in terms of accuracy (0.96), precision (0.96), sensitivity (0.95), specificity (0.97) and f1-score (0.95).
REAL-TIME MONITORING BASED LANDSLIDE MONITORING SYSTEM AT HEKOU SUGAR REFINERY FACTORY

This paper presents our investigation on landslide monitoring over last many years.Based on the results of other studies,the paper introduces the system of landslide monitoring.It can monitor geological environments,induced factors and process factor.The induced and process factor are more important in landslide monitoring.The techniques of rain-infiltration-displacement is applied to the landslide monitoring engineering at Hekou sugar refinery factory.The automatic monitoring system can make remote data collection,data transfer,data warehousing.According to the real-time monitoring data,it is concluded that the depth of infiltration was 7 m when the daily rainfall was 67 mm.The depth was more than 7 m and less than 12 m when the 10 daily rainfall was 110 mm.The speed of infiltration was found to 0.53 m·d-1 from 0 m to 7 m and was 0.29 m·d-1 from 7 m to 12 m in depth.
Complex rupture evolution of the 2007 Martinique earthquake: a non-double-couple event in the Caribbean Sea

A large non-double-couple component of a tectonic earthquake indicates that its rupture likely was complex and likely involved multiple faults. Detailed source models of such earthquakes can add to our understanding of earthquake source complexity. The 2007 Martinique earthquake in the Caribbean Sea is one of the largest recent earthquakes with a known large non-double-couple component. It was an intermediate depth intraslab earthquake within the South American plate where it is subducting beneath the Caribbean plate. We applied potency density tensor inversion (PDTI) to teleseismic P waves generated by the 2007 Martinique earthquake to model its source processes and focal mechanism distribution. We identified two focal mechanisms: a strike-slip mechanism with a north–south tension axis (T axis), and a down-dip extension (DDE) mechanism with an east–west T axis. Rupture by the DDE mechanism was predominant in the northern part of the source region and strike-slip rupture in the southern part. These two focal mechanisms had approximately parallel pressure axes (P axes) and approximately orthogonal T axes. The seismic moments released by both types of rupture were almost equal. These results indicate that the 2007 Martinique earthquake had a large non-double-couple component. We identified five sub-events with two predominant directions of rupture propagation: two strike-slip sub-events propagated to the southeast and three DDE sub-events propagated to the east. Although the directions of propagation were consistent for each focal mechanism, each sub-event appears to have occurred in isolation. For example, the rupture of one DDE sub-event propagated from the edge of the source region back towards the hypocentre. Complex ruptures that include multiple sub-events may be influenced by high pore fluid pressure associated with slab dehydration. Our results show that PDTI can produce stable estimates of complex seismic source processes and provide useful information about the sources of complex intermediate depth intraslab earthquakes for which fault geometry assumptions are difficult.
Study on the Behavior and State of Viscous Fractured Leakage Bridging and Plugging Slurry during the Pump-In and Pressurization Process

Clarifying the process of bridging and plugging slurry during pumping and squeezing can effectively improve the efficiency and accuracy of fractured leakage treatment while minimizing impacts on safety and the environment. In this paper, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) numerical simulation and experimentation (hydrostatic settling method) are combined to evaluate the dynamic settlement process of different types of plugging slurry through sedimentation changes, sedimentation volume, sedimentation velocity and sedimentation height for factors such as viscosity, particle size, density and concentration of plugging slurry. The formula of particle sedimentation velocity is combined to obtain the following: When the viscosity of plugging slurry is more than 30 mPa·s, the particle diameter is 1.5 mm (particle size is half the fracture width), and the particle density is 2.0–2.6 g/cm3; it shows good dispersion and plugging performance under pumping pressure and while holding and squeezing after lifting the bit. The simulation results show that the particle density should not exceed two times the plugging slurry density, and the particle concentration has little influence on the particle settling volume.
Multivariate Multiscale Higuchi Fractal Dimension and Its Application to Mechanical Signals

Fractal dimension, as a common nonlinear dynamics metric, is extensively applied in biomedicine, fault diagnosis, underwater acoustics, etc. However, traditional fractal dimension can only analyze the complexity of the time series given a single channel at a particular scale. To characterize the complexity of multichannel time series, multichannel information processing was introduced, and multivariate Higuchi fractal dimension (MvHFD) was proposed. To further analyze the complexity at multiple scales, multivariate multiscale Higuchi fractal dimension (MvmHFD) was proposed by introducing multiscale processing algorithms as a technology that not only improved the use of fractal dimension in the analysis of multichannel information, but also characterized the complexity of the time series at multiple scales in the studied time series data. The effectiveness and feasibility of MvHFD and MvmHFD were verified by simulated signal experiments and real signal experiments, in which the simulation experiments tested the stability, computational efficiency, and signal separation performance of MvHFD and MvmHFD, and the real signal experiments tested the effect of MvmHFD on the recognition of multi-channel mechanical signals. The experimental results show that compared to other indicators, A achieves a recognition rate of 100% for signals in three features, which is at least 17.2% higher than for other metrics.
Domination of growing-season evapotranspiration over runoff makes ditch network maintenance in mature peatland forests questionable.

In Finland, ditch network maintenance (DNM) is carried out annually on 60–70,000 ha of drained peatland to promote tree growth for forestry purposes. However, it is important to avoid ditching that contributes little to the stand growth and productivity, both to improve the economical profitability of forestry and to mitigate DNM-induced nutrient release to watercourses. We hypothesised that mature forest stands with substantial evapotranspiration potential do not necessarily need DNM, even if the ditch networks are in poor condition. We estimated evapotranspiration (EVT) of forest vegetation during the growing seasons (June– September) of 2007–2011 in four forested artificial peatland catchments dominated by Scots pine stands (Pinus sylvestris L.) (stand volume 93–151 m ha) located in southern, western, central and northern Finland. Precipitation (P), runoff (R) and water table level (WTL) were monitored continuously in the field. The water storage change (∆S) was estimated on the basis of WTL measurements and peat pF curves determined from in situ peat samples. In addition, tree stand transpiration (T) was estimated in two of the catchments using the sap flow method. EVT was estimated as the residual term of the water balance equation. During the growing season, EVT (153–295 mm) was 49–161 % of the total accumulated P (155–368 mm), and decreased from south to north. Within each growing season, EVT was always largest in July or August. Tree transpiration was about 50 % of the total forest EVT in the two sites where it was measured directly. The mean WTL was at depth 36–63 cm during the growing seasons. Clear-cutting of a 100m ha stand on one site resulted in an average rise of WTL by 18 cm. The results suggested that, in the southernmost site in particular, no drainage network management would be necessary to sustain satisfactory drainage conditions for tree growth because growing-season precipitation is transferred back to the atmosphere by forest EVT. In the northernmost site, ditch networks were considered important in controlling drainage conditions because of the low EVT potential of <100 m ha tree stands. Further research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms behind forest EVT potential, as one site with high tree stand volume had surprisingly low EVT potential.
Probiotics as a Sustainable Approach in Health Enrichment

In recent years, the scientific community has paid closer attention to the dynamics involved in metabolic and inflammatory diseases. Clinicians and researchers are confronting new challenges as a result of these rapidly spreading diseases with epidemic dimensions. A unique strategy that might shift the gut microbiota’s composition, improve food absorption, and modify the immune system in a way that would alleviate the disease was required to avert these dysbiotic conditions. The therapeutic effects of conventional probiotics were enhanced by the concurrent administration of prebiotics, synbiotics, and postbiotics. The sustainability characteristics of probiotic formulations lead to their use in a wide range of human health conditions, from digestive problems to cognitive impairment. Probiotics were created as a long-term approach to healthcare to increase individual well-being.
Conceiving a Fast and Practical Multispectral-Stereo System

Multispectral and 3D imagings are two complimentary imaging technologies with many advantages and great potential for their widespread use in the future, if we can make them faster and more practical. This thesis aims at conceiving such a fast and practical two-in-one stereo-multispectral system. Multispectral imaging systems remedy the problems of conventional three channel (RGB) color imaging like metamerism and dependency on acquisition conditions, and can at the same time present high spatial and spectral resolution. A multispectral image is composed of several monochannel images of the same object, each image holds data about a specific wavelength, or wavelength interval depending typically on the filter used. The major problems of existing multispectral imaging systems are that they are slow as they require multiple takes and/or they are quite expensive, contributing to the current lack of widespread use in the consumer segment. This thesis has explored creating a fast, practicable and affordable multispectral system with the use of two commercially available digital cameras. Each camera is equipped with an optical filter. These two filters are chosen so that they spread the sensitivities of the cameras in such a way that they become well spaced throughout the visible spectrum covering complementary wave-bands, thus giving rise to a six channel multispectral system. Like multispectral imaging, 3D imaging systems are also gaining popularity and are of much use in imaging fields. It would be a great advantage if we could have an integrated system capable of both multispectral and at the same time 3D imaging. This thesis, therefore, aims at this in conceiving such a stereo-multispectral system. The two cameras modified with appropriate filters that form a six channel multispectral system are used in a stereoscopic configurations to acquire depth information, making it capable of 3D imaging as well. This leads to a faster and practicable and at the same time affordable multispectral-stereo system. Both simulation and experimental results have shown that the proposed multispectral system results better estimation of the reflectances both spectrally and colorimetrically and that it is feasible. The 3D images are not much affected by the introduction of the filter(s) as is proved by comparable disparity maps computed out of them. Such a system could be used for many applications, for example for 3D artwork object acquisition. Knowing the spectral reflectance allows us to simulate the appearance of a 3D object under any virtual illuminant. Moreover, it lets us store this valuable information for future restoration.
New Measurement Techniques Used for the Electrical Quality Assurance of HL-LHC Superconducting Magnets

In preparation of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) upgrade to High Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC), a number of new Nb3Sn magnets, including short model and prototype magnets, had to be electrically qualified. The process included a number of well-established Electrical Quality Assurance (ELQA) tests, such as electrical continuity checks of the magnet instrumentation, High-Voltage (HV) insulation tests of the magnet and quench heater circuits, and impedance measurements. In certain cases, in order to fully understand the observed effects, we needed to introduce new measurement techniques, in particular both an impedance measurement at specific frequency and a HV insulation test of the quench heaters during high-current quenches of the magnet. Furthermore, in order to localize possible insulation faults, we performed HV insulation tests using an additional multichannel acquisition system with high sampling rate. In this contribution we present in detail the used measurement techniques, explain the safety aspects, and discuss the results and possible further work.
Object Knowledge Distillation for Joint Detection and Tracking in Satellite Videos

Existing mainstream multiobject tracking (MOT) methods can be categorized into two frameworks, including two- and one-stage ones. Two-stage ones divide MOT task into object detection and association tasks, which usually achieve high accuracy. One-stage ones train a joint model to achieve both detection and tracking. Therefore, their advantage usually lies in the high tracking efficiency. In this article, we inherit the advantages of the two types of frameworks and propose the object knowledge distilled joint detection and tracking framework (OKD-JDT) to achieve accurate as well as efficient tracking. First, the performance of two-stage methods largely depends on the highly performed detection network. Therefore, we treat the detection network as the teacher network to guide the discriminative object feature learning in one-stage methods by using knowledge distillation (KD). Then, in distillation learning, we design adaptive attention learning to learn the discriminative features from the teacher network to student network. In addition, with the similar appearance and uniform moving behavior of objects in satellite videos, we propose to use a joint center point distance and intersection over onion (IOU) to generate tracklets. Experiments on JiLin-1 satellite videos with different objects demonstrate the effectiveness and the state-of-the-art performance of the proposed method.