Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Simulations to compare efficacies of tetravalent dengue vaccines and mosquito vector control

SUMMARY Infection with dengue, the most prevalent mosquito-borne virus, manifests as dengue fever (DF) or the more fatal dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF). DHF occurs mainly when an individual who has acquired antibodies to one serotype is inoculated with another serotype. It was reported that mosquito control may have increased the incidence of DF and DHF due to age-dependency in manifesting these illnesses or an immunological mechanism. Tetravalent dengue vaccine is currently being tested in clinical trials. However, seroconversions to all four serotypes were achieved only after three doses. Therefore, vaccines may predispose vaccinees to the risk of developing DHF in future infections. This study employed an individual-based computer simulation, to emulate mosquito control and vaccination, incorporating seroconversion rates reported from actual clinical trials. It was found that mosquito control alone would have increased incidence of DF and DHF in areas of high mosquito density. A vaccination programme with very high coverage, even with a vaccine of suboptimal seroconversion rates, attenuated possible surges in the incidence of DF and DHF which would have been caused by insufficient reduction in mosquito abundance. DHF cases attributable to vaccine-derived enhancement were fewer than DHF cases prevented by a vaccine with considerably high (although not perfect) seroconversion rates. These predictions may justify vaccination programmes, at least in areas of high mosquito abundance. In such areas, mosquito control programmes should be conducted only after the vaccination programme with a high coverage has been initiated.
Design Space exploration of FPGA-based accelerators with multi-level parallelism

Applications containing compute-intensive kernels with nested loops can effectively leverage FPGAs to exploit fine-and coarse-grained parallelism. HLS tools used to translate these kernels from high-level languages (e.g., C/C−−), however, are inefficient in exploiting multiple levels of parallelism automatically, thereby producing sub-optimal accelerators. Moreover, the large design space resulting from the various combinations of fineand coarse-grained parallelism options makes exhaustive design space exploration prohibitively time-consuming with HLS tools. Hence, we propose a rapid estimation framework, MPSeeker, to evaluate performance/area metrics of various accelerator options for an application at an early design phase. Experimental results show that MPSeeker can rapidly (in minutes) explore the complex design space and accurately estimate performance/area of various design points to identify the near-optimal (95.7% performance of the optimal on average) combination of parallelism options.
A Framework and Representation for Universal Product Design

Introduction Seventeen percent of the U.S. population has some form of a disability (Erickson & Lee, 2003). Numbers are similar worldwide. Disability can have a negative impact on the work environment of individuals as well as on their general participation in the workforce. The unemployment rate for people with disabilities is 2 to 3 times higher and their labor participation rate is approximately 3.5 times lower than for fully able persons (Erickson & Lee, 2003). As life expectancy rises, a greater percentage of the population will have some form of disability, as the probability of people developing a disability increases with age. As the population of people with disabilities grows, so does the ethical and economic pressure to provide that population with products that provide services and value. Nevertheless, many companies are unfamiliar with approaches to applying Universal Design (UD)-a term commonly used to describe goods and services that are usable both by persons with a disability and by typical users. One of the authors of this article had a recent conversation with a research engineer from a large consumer electronics manufacturing firm in which he asked: " What is your biggest design challenge? " The response was simple: " Universal design. How do you do it? " A study in the U.K. of 87 design, manufacturing, and retail sector companies revealed several barriers to developing UD, or inclusive design—the term typically used in the United Kingdom rather than UD (Goodman, Dong, & Langdon, 2006). When asked why a designer, or company, was not involved in inclusive design, being " not aware " was the most frequent response. Furthermore, for those " not aware, " the most popular reason given was a lack of knowledge and tools. For those participants who were " extremely aware " of the concept of inclusive design, their most common reason for not being involved in it was thinking that inclusive design is too hard to implement. In spite of the barriers to implementing UD, successful examples do exist. Two examples of successful companies that have implemented UD concepts are OXO and Toyota. Initially, OXO designed their Good Grip product-line as a line of kitchen tools with comfortable grips easily accessible to arthritic customers (Cagan & Vogel, 2002). In subsequent years, the market segment shifted to younger users interested in cooking with ergonomically friendly peelers, bottle openers and other cooking utensils. As a result, the …
The effect of uniaxial strain on the electrical properties of graphene nanoribbon

The effect of uniaxial strain on the band structure of armchair graphene nanoribbon (AGNR) based on the tight-binding method is explored. In addition, ribbon width effect on the band gap deviations of different classes of n-AGNRs under uniaxial strain is investigated. A tunable band gap in strained n-AGNRs is observed for all of n-AGNRs families with different ribbon widths and a V shape alteration in bandgap as a result of applied uniaxial strain is obtained. Moreover, the density of states for n-AGNRs is modeled analytically. Therefore, a metal-semiconductor transition for uniaxially strained (3m+2)-AGNRs is resulted. It is proved that the strain can modify the electrical properties of AGNRs.
The mechanics of reinforcement in polymer-based nanocomposites

A detailed analysis has been undertaken of the mech anisms of reinforcement of polypropylene (PP) by the addition of graphene nanoplatelets (GNP). Th e PP/GNP nanocomposites were processed by melt mixing followed by injection moulding and micr ostructure was fully characterized. The mechanical properties of the nanocomposites were ev aluated using both tensile testing and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis. The addition of GNPs l ed to a significant increase in the Young’s modulus of the PP, coupled with a decrease in the y ield stress and a reduction in the elongation to failure. Stress transfer from the PP matrix to the GNP reinforcement was followed from stress-induced shifts of the 2D Raman band and the effective Young ’s modulus of the GNPs in the nanocomposites was found to be of the order of 100 GPa, shown to b e consistent with the expected value.
Temperature Structure of the Quiet Corona: An SXT-SUMER Discrepancy

The Soft X-ray Telescope (SXT) on Yohkoh and the Solar Ultraviolet Measurements of Emitted Radiation (SUMER) spectrometer on the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) are both capable of providing measures of temperature in the solar corona. A recent SUMER-based study of a quiet coronal region suggests an isothermal plasma in the range from 1.03 to 1.5 solar radii. In this work, we have analyzed part of the same region using SXT data and find a temperature that increases with height. This is consistent with earlier SXT-based coronal temperature studies but obviously disagrees with SUMER results for the same region. The SUMER study reveals a lower scale height for emission in the Fe X, Fe XI, and Fe XII lines than for the lines of lighter elements, an effect that may be attributable to gravitational stratification. Because iron lines contribute heavily to the X-ray emission detected with SXT, it is reasonable to suspect that the more rapid decrease in iron abundance at higher altitudes might be responsible for the SXT-SUMER discrepancy. We have therefore explored the effect on SXT temperatures of altering individually the abundances of all 14 elements used in standard SXT temperature calculations. We find that only iron and carbon have any significant effect but that this effect is not nearly sufficient to account for the SXT-SUMER discrepancy.
Thin Film Deposition by Langmuir Blodgett Technique for Gas Sensing Applications

There are various technologies like CVD. Radio Frequency sputtering, spin coating etc. present for thin film deposition for various applications and for gas sensors. In this review, special attention is focused on the thin film deposition for gas sensing applications by using Langmuir Blodgett method. Langmuir Blodgett method also discussed briefly. Modified technique of Langmuir-Blodgett like Langmuir Schaefer method is discussed and various examples of Langmuir Blodgett techniques for gas sensing for space applications are included. Future prospects of gas sensing thin film deposition by Langmuir Blodgett technique are explained.
Variation potential influence on photosynthetic cyclic electron flow in pea

Cyclic electron flow is an important component of the total photosynthetic electron flow and participates in adaptation to the action of stressors. Local leaf stimulation induces electrical signals, including variation potential (VP), which inactivate photosynthesis; however, their influence on cyclic electron flow has not been investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate VP's influence on cyclic electron flow in pea (Pisum sativum L.). VP was induced in pea seedling leaves by local heating and measured in an adjacent, undamaged leaf by extracellular electrodes. CO2 assimilation was measured using a portable gas exchange measuring system. Photosystem I and II parameters were investigated using a measuring system for simultaneous assessment of P700 oxidation and chlorophyll fluorescence. Heating-induced VP reduced CO2 assimilation and electron flow through photosystem II. In response, cyclic electron flow rapidly decreased and subsequently slowly increased. Slow increases in cyclic flow were caused by decreased electron flow through photosystem II, which was mainly connected with VP-induced photosynthetic dark stage inactivation. However, direct influence by VP on photosystem I also participated in activation of cyclic electron flow. Thus, VP, induced by local leaf-heating, activated cyclic electron flow in undamaged leaves. This response was similar to photosynthetic changes observed under the direct action of stressors. Possible mechanisms of VP's influence on cyclic flow were discussed.
Excitation and propagation of flexural plate wave

Flexural plate wave (FPW) can be used to detect the crack on the plate, so investigating the excitation and propagation characteristics of FPW becomes particularly important and urgent. Effective methods to generate FPW are researched by transducers arrangement. The experimental dispersion curves of FPW were measured by incremental distance measurements using laser vibrometer, and is compared with the theoretical curves. The experiment shows that the FPW can be excited more effectively by using two transducers with the distance of one wavelength. The experimental dispersion curves of the phase and group velocity of FPW are in agreement with the theoretical curves.
Towards a strategic alignment of public health and primary care practices at local levels – the case of severe and enduring mental illness

Abstract The rapidly increasing number of people who have long-term conditions requires a system of coordinated support for self-care throughout the NHS. A system to support self-care needs to be aligned to systems that support shared-care and community development, making it easier for the multidisciplinary teams who provide care to also help patients and populations to help themselves. Public health practitioners need to work closely with clinicians to achieve this. The best place to coordinate this partnership is a community-based coordinating hub, or local health community – a geographic area of about 50,000 population where different contributions to self-care can be aligned. A shared vision for both health and disease management is needed to ensure consistent messaging by all. A three tier system of shared care can help to combine vertical and horizontal integration. This paper uses severe and enduring mental illness as an exemplar to anticipate the design of such a system.
Very low resolution face recognition using fused visual and texture features

The recognition of very low-resolution face images are still challenging due to the absence of sufficient features. To solve this problem in this paper, a novel hybrid visual and texture feature extraction method is proposed. Here, the multiple size discrete cosine transform (mDCT) is used to extract the visual features and gray-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) is used to extract texture features. These visual features and texture features are fused to form the hybrid feature leading to improved the feature space. Moreover, feed forward neural network is incorporated along with selective Gaussian mixture models (sGMM) for matching the features. The public Georgia Tech face database was used to perform the experiment. The experimental results have shown that the proposed method achieve better performance than the existing methods.
The accuracy of thyroid nodule ultrasound to predict thyroid cancer: systematic review and meta-analysis.

CONTEXT Significant uncertainty remains surrounding the diagnostic accuracy of sonographic features used to predict the malignant potential of thyroid nodules. OBJECTIVE The objective of the study was to summarize the available literature related to the accuracy of thyroid nodule ultrasound (US) in the prediction of thyroid cancer. METHODS We searched multiple databases and reference lists for cohort studies that enrolled adults with thyroid nodules with reported diagnostic measures of sonography. A total of 14 relevant US features were analyzed. RESULTS We included 31 studies between 1985 and 2012 (number of nodules studied 18,288; average size 15 mm). The frequency of thyroid cancer was 20%. The most common type of cancer was papillary thyroid cancer (84%). The US nodule features with the highest diagnostic odds ratio for malignancy was being taller than wider [11.14 (95% confidence interval 6.6-18.9)]. Conversely, the US nodule features with the highest diagnostic odds ratio for benign nodules was spongiform appearance [12 (95% confidence interval 0.61-234.3)]. Heterogeneity across studies was substantial. Estimates of accuracy depended on the experience of the physician interpreting the US, the type of cancer and nodule (indeterminate), and type of reference standard. In a threshold model, spongiform appearance and cystic nodules were the only two features that, if present, could have avoided the use of fine-needle aspiration biopsy. CONCLUSIONS Low- to moderate-quality evidence suggests that individual ultrasound features are not accurate predictors of thyroid cancer. Two features, cystic content and spongiform appearance, however, might predict benign nodules, but this has limited applicability to clinical practice due to their infrequent occurrence.
Protoplast-Esculin Assay as a New Method to Assay Plant Sucrose Transporters: Characterization of AtSUC6 and AtSUC7 Sucrose Uptake Activity in Arabidopsis Col-0 Ecotype

The best characterized function of sucrose transporters of the SUC family in plants is the uptake of sucrose into the phloem for long-distance transport of photoassimilates. This important step is usually performed by one specific SUC in every species. However, plants possess small families of several different SUCs which are less well understood. Here, we report on the characterization of AtSUC6 and AtSUC7, two members of the SUC family in Arabidopsis thaliana. Heterologous expression in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) revealed that AtSUC6Col-0 is a high-affinity H+-symporter that mediates the uptake of sucrose and maltose across the plasma membrane at exceptionally low pH values. Reporter gene analyses revealed a strong expression of AtSUC6Col-0 in reproductive tissues, where the protein product might contribute to sugar uptake into pollen tubes and synergid cells. A knockout of AtSUC6 did not interfere with vegetative development or reproduction, which points toward physiological redundancy of AtSUC6Col-0 with other sugar transporters. Reporter gene analyses showed that AtSUC7Col-0 is expressed in roots and pollen tubes and that this sink specific expression of AtSUC7Col-0 is regulated by intragenic regions. Transport activity of AtSUC7Col-0 could not be analyzed in baker’s yeast or Xenopus oocytes because the protein was not correctly targeted to the plasma membrane in both heterologous expression systems. Therefore, a novel approach to analyze sucrose transporters in planta was developed. Plasma membrane localized SUCs including AtSUC6Col-0 and also sucrose specific SWEETs were able to mediate transport of the fluorescent sucrose analog esculin in transformed mesophyll protoplasts. In contrast, AtSUC7Col-0 is not able to mediate esculin transport across the plasma membrane which implicates that AtSUC7Col-0 might be a non-functional pseudogene. The novel protoplast assay provides a useful tool for the quick and quantitative analysis of sucrose transporters in an in planta expression system.
Facial emotion recognition: A comparative analysis using 22 LBP variants

Facial expression is a significant form of non-verbal communication for human being. It includes much important information about the feeling, the mental and the emotional state of a person which can be useful in several real-world applications and fields like image processing and computer vision. Face can be seen as a composition of micro-patterns of textures. Over the last decades, LBP operator, which shown its robustness in extracting useful features characteristics from an image, has been successfully applied in diverse range of problems including facial expression recognition. Nowadays, many LBP variants have been proposed in the literature. This paper reviews 22 LBP-like descriptors and provides a comparative analysis on facial expression recognition problem using two benchmark databases. the Japanese female facial expression (JAFFE) and Cohn-Kanade (CK) databases. The experiments show that several of the evaluated methods achieve performances that are better than those recorded by the state-of-the-art systems. Recognition rates of 97.14% and 100% have been reached on JAFFE and Cohn-Kanade databases respectively.
Determining wetland spatial extent and seasonal variations of the inundated area using multispectral remote sensing

Wetlands can only be well managed if their spatial location and extent are accurately documented, which presents a problem as wetland type and morphology are highly variable. Current efforts to delineate wetland extent are varied, resulting in a host of inconsistent and incomparable inventories. This study, done in the Witbank Dam Catchment in Mpumalanga Province of South Africa, explores a remote-sensing technique to delineate wetland extent and assesses the seasonal variations of the inundated area. The objective was to monitor the spatio-temporal changes of wetlands over time through remote sensing and GIS for effective wetland management. Multispectral satellite images, together with a digital elevation model (DEM), were used to delineate wetland extent. The seasonal variations of the inundated area were assessed through an analysis of monthly water indices derived from the normalised difference water index (NDWI). Landsat images and DEM were used to delineate wetland extent and MODIS images were used to assess seasonal variation of the inundated area. A time-series trend analysis on the delineated wetlands shows a declining tendency from 2000 to 2015, which could worsen in the coming few years if no remedial action is taken. Wetland area declined by 19% in the study area over the period under review. An analysis of NDWI indices on the wetland area showed that wetland inundated area is highly variable, exhibiting an increasing variability over time. An overlay of wetland area on cultivated land showed that 21% of the wetland area is subjected to cultivation which is a major contributing factor to wetland degradation. Keywords : Wetland extent, remote sensing, ecosystems, change detection, Sustainable Development Goals
Frequency-Hopping Microwave Generation With a Large Time-Bandwidth Product

We propose and demonstrate an approach to generating large time-bandwidth product (TBWP) frequency-hopping (FH) microwave waveforms by using an ultra-high-quality factor (Q) silicon microring resonator (MRR) with thermal tuning. An ultra-high-Q MRR (Q ∼ 106) is used to filter out an expected frequency component from an optical frequency comb. Heterodyne beating between the filtered frequency and another seed frequency light detected by a photodetector will generate an FH microwave waveform. In addition, the FH microwave signal can be flexibly and independently tuned in terms of the central frequency, bandwidth, frequency order, and time sequence length, just altering the driving voltage on the MRR. The proof-of-concept experiments show that the TBWP of the stepped linear, stepped arbitrary, and Costas sequence microwave signal can be over 4.5 × 107. Our paper offers an integrated FH microwave generation approach to support the optics communications and the next-generation photonic radar systems.
Can Merchant Demand Response Affect Investments in Merchant Energy Storage?

Demand response (DR) and energy storage (ES) technologies are seen as almost perfect substitutes for providing spatiotemporal energy arbitrage in power systems with high penetrations of renewable generation. Using both technologies simultaneously is favorable from the system perspective, but may cause profit scarcity for merchant DR aggregators and ES investors. This paper presents an equilibrium problem with equilibrium constraints (EPEC) that models interactions between the merchant DR aggregator and the merchant ES investor in a competitive electricity market. The proposed EPEC is solved using the diagonalization method on an ISO New England testbed with a prospective renewable generation portfolio and different techno-economic parameters of prospective DR and ES technologies. The case study reveals that the optimal ES investments are sensitive to the availability of DR resources, as well as to the ES capital cost and cycling efficiency.