Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adaptive Control Utilising Neural Swarming

Process changes, such as flow disturbances and sensor noise, are common in the chemical and metallurgical industries. To maintain optimal performance, the controlling system has to adapt continuously to these changes. This is a difficult problem because the controller also has to perform well while it is adapting. The Adaptive Neural Swarming (ANS) method introduced in this paper satisfies these goals. Using an existing neural network controller as a starting point, ANS modifies the network weights through Particle Swarm Optimisation. The ANS method was tested in a real-world task of controlling a simulated non-linear bioreactor. ANS was able to adapt to process changes while simultaneously avoiding hard operating constraints. This way, ANS balances the need to adapt with the need to preserve generalisation, and constitutes a general tool for adapting neural network controllers online.
The burden of musculoskeletal diseases in the general population of Spain: results from a national survey

OBJECTIVE The objective of the EPISER study was to estimate the prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), low back pain, hand and knee osteoarthritis (OA), and fibromyalgia in the adult Spanish population, and to assess the impact of these diseases on function and quality of life, and use of health and social resources. METHODS 2998 subjects aged 20 years or above were randomly selected by stratified multistage cluster sampling from the censuses of 20 municipalities. Trained rheumatologists carried out structured visits at which subjects were asked about rheumatic symptoms and sociodemographic characteristics, completed validated instruments for measuring function (HAQ) and quality of life (SF-12), and underwent a standardised physical examination. Cases were defined by previously validated criteria. RESULTS The estimated prevalences with 95% confidence intervals were as follows: RA lifetime cumulative: 0.5% (0.3 to 0.9); low back pain: 14.8% (12.2 to 17.4); symptomatic knee OA: 10.2% (8.5 to 11.9); hand OA: 6.2% (5.9 to 6.5); fibromyalgia: 2.4% (1.5 to 3.2). Most conditions significantly impaired function and quality of life. CONCLUSIONS The EPISER study has internal and external validity for application of the results to the adult Spanish population. The diseases studied affect a significant proportion of the population, with various degrees of impact on disability and quality of life resulting in a significant number of physician visits, work disability, and medication use.
A Smart Artificial Finger with Multisensations of Matter, Temperature, and Proximity

Smart robots interact with their environment or collaborators through acquiring information from their visual, acoustic, and tactile sensing systems, which are developed into a high sophisticated stage. However, expedient and fast sense perceptions for safety and intelligent control of collaborative robots still remain great challenges. Here, a smart artificial finger with multisensations of matter, temperature, and proximity, which enriches its sensory system for comprehensive learning of the object it touches is proposed. The finger sensor is composed of two thermosensitive platinum ribbons on a polyimide substrate, which detect thermal properties of surroundings, that is, temperature and thermal conductivity, from which surrounding matter is identified. The sensor has a large range of detectability for discriminating diverse matters from cotton to metal, perceiving temperature stimulus and approaching object. The applications of identifying matter type, sensing proximity distance, and monitoring moisture and temperature of human skin are demonstrated. The smart finger provides promising approaches to enhance intelligence and safety of smart robots.
LightSource: Ultra Lightweight Clone Detection of RFID Tags from Software Unclonable Responses

Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) tags have been widely used as a low-cost wireless method for detection of counterfeit product injection in supply chains. In order to adequately perform authentication, current RFID monitoring schemes need to either have a persistent online connection between supply chain partners and the back-end database or have a local database on each partner site. A persistent online connection is not guaranteed and local databases on each partner site impose extra cost and security issues. We introduce a new method in which we use 2-3kb Non-Volatile Memory (NVM) in RFID tags themselves to function as a very small “encoded local database”. Our method allows us to get rid of local databases and there is no need to have any connection between supply chain partners and the back-end database except when they want to verify products. We formally define black-box software unclonability and prove our scheme to satisfy this property. To this purpose, we introduce a simple “XOR-ADD” function and prove it is hard to predict its challenge-response behavior if given only one challenge response pair. The XORADD function with control logic can be implemented using at most 170 gates. This implies that our scheme is compatible with the strict power consumption constraints of cheap EPC Class 1 Gen 2 RFIDs.
Manufacturing and Characterization of NiTi Alloy with Functional Properties by Selective Laser Melting

In this study, an optimal selective laser melting (SLM) process for manufacturing dense NiTi alloy with pseudoelasticity and shape-memory capability was proposed. The microstructure, phase-transformation temperature, shape memory capability, and pseudoelasticity were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, and bending and tensile tests. NiTi powder with a particle size > 45 μm was selected for the subsequent SLM process, because it exhibited a Ni/Ti ratio of ~1 and a lower oxygen content than powders with smaller particle sizes. A thin-walled disk (0.48 mm thick) and cuboid samples (5 mm thick) were prepared for investigating the variation in the homogeneity of the microstructure. The thin-walled SLM-NiTi sample exhibited a marginally inhomogeneous microstructure between layers, and defects existed in the previously formed side. The cuboid SLM-NiTi sample was fabricated without undesirable secondary phases, and it exhibited a 100% shape-recovery rate under 2% bending strain and completely pseudoelastic under 3% strain. Also, the SLM-NiTi exhibited lower phase-transformation temperatures and a broader phase-transformation range than the original NiTi. The phase-transformation range can be reduced by annealing.
Operational strategies for longer durability of HT-PEM fuel cells operating on reformed methanol

Fuel cells are expected to play a key role in meeting the energy goals of many countries including Denmark. However, to be a feasible option for the largescale adoption, the lifetime of fuel cell system needs to be improved and the cost of production needs to be brought down at the same time. To meet these requirements different paths need to be investigated. There is a lot of focus on reducing the cost of materials used in fuel cell systems and on improving the reliability and the durability. Another approach is to develop a proper operational strategy, which would ensure reduced production cost and better durability, thereby ensuring a large-scale availability of fuel cell systems. In this dissertation, different operational strategies are investigated to improve the durability as well as reduce the production cost by proposing easier activation of high temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (HTPEMFC). The study focuses on reformed methanol high temperature PEM fuel cell. Among many, one of the issues associated with the reformed methanol fuel cells are the residual or unconverted methanol vapour and partially converted carbon monoxide (CO) which might enter the fuel cell during operation and cause degradation of the fuel cell. The composition of these residuals are dependant on the reformer temperature, where lower temperature results in a higher methanol slip, while a higher temperature results in higher CO slip[1]. A lower temperature operation would ensure lower parasitic losses (reduced power consumption by the burner fan) [1]. Therefore, the effect of different compositions of methanol vapour in the anode compartment of a single HT-PEMFC fuel cell system are analyzed. The results suggest integration of methanol reformer operating at lower temperature ( 200 ◦C) with an HT-PEMFC stack has no or minimal effect on the performance with methanol percentages of less than 3 %. The water present as an output from the reformer also mitigates the methanol effect on the cell. In another work, the break-in was carried out with 2 % methanol in the
Acquired extracardiac causes of pulmonary ischemia.

Pulmonary vascular ischemia may be associated with acquired extracardiac lesions such as primary pulmonary hypertension, multiple peripheral and/or main pulmonary artery saddle emboli, pericarditis, pericardial effusion, diffuse replacement of the liver and obstruction of the inferior vena cava. Sixty-seven proved cases have been studied, and the occurrence of pulmonary vascular changes on plain roentgenograms of the chest reviewed. Typical roentgenographic examples are presented. The recognition of pulmonary vascular ischemia was found to be important as it frequently indicated a very serious complication to one of the above disease entities. Right ventricular angiography was often required to help differentiate these lesions and to help identify those patients who were candidates for surgery.
Making them behave

Making Them Behave Cognitive Models for Computer Animation John David Funge Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Department of Computer Science University of Toronto 1998 For applications in computer game development and character animation, recent work in behavioral animation has taken impressive steps toward autonomous, self-animating characters. It remains difficult, however, to direct autonomous characters to perform specific tasks. We propose a new approach to high-level control in which the user gives the character a behavior outline, or “sketch plan”. The behavior outline specification language has syntax deliberately chosen to resemble that of a conventional imperative programming language. In terms of functionality, however, it is a strictsuperset . In particular, a behavior outline need not be deterministic. This added freedom allows many behaviors to be specified more naturally, more simply, more succinctly and at a much higher-level than would otherwise be possible. The character has complete autonomy to decide on how to fill in the necessary missing details. The success of our approach rests heavily on our use of a rigorous logical language, known as the situation calculus . The situation calculus is well-known, simple and intuitive to understand. The basic idea is that a character views its world as a sequence of “snapshots” known as situations. An understanding of how the world can change from one situation to another can then be given to the character by describing what the effect of performing each given action would be. The character can use this knowledge to keep track of its world and to work out which actions to do next in order to attain its goals. The version of the situation calculus we use incorporates a new approach to representing epistemic fluents. The approach is based on interval arithmetic and addresses a number of difficulties in implementing previous approaches.
Evolutionary rescue: linking theory for conservation and medicine

Evolutionary responses that rescue populations from extinction when drastic environmental changes occur can be friend or foe. The field of conservation biology is concerned with the survival of species in deteriorating global habitats. In medicine, in contrast, infected patients are treated with chemotherapeutic interventions, but drug resistance can compromise eradication of pathogens. These contrasting biological systems and goals have created two quite separate research communities, despite addressing the same central question of whether populations will decline to extinction or be rescued through evolution. We argue that closer integration of the two fields, especially of theoretical understanding, would yield new insights and accelerate progress on these applied problems. Here, we overview and link mathematical modelling approaches in these fields, suggest specific areas with potential for fruitful exchange, and discuss common ideas and issues for empirical testing and prediction.
Excess Mutual Catalysis Is Required for Effective Evolvability

It is widely accepted that autocatalysis constitutes a crucial facet of effective replication and evolution (e.g., in Eigen's hypercycle model). Other models for early evolution (e.g., by Dyson, Gánti, Varela, and Kauffman) invoke catalytic networks, where cross-catalysis is more apparent. A key question is how the balance between auto- (self-) and cross- (mutual) catalysis shapes the behavior of model evolving systems. This is investigated using the graded autocatalysis replication domain (GARD) model, previously shown to capture essential features of reproduction, mutation, and evolution in compositional molecular assemblies. We have performed numerical simulations of an ensemble of GARD networks, each with a different set of lognormally distributed catalytic values. We asked what is the influence of the catalytic content of such networks on beneficial evolution. Importantly, a clear trend was observed, wherein only networks with high mutual catalysis propensity (pmc) allowed for an augmented diversity of composomes, quasi-stationary compositions that exhibit high replication fidelity. We have reexamined a recent analysis that showed meager selection in a single GARD instance and for a few nonstationary target compositions. In contrast, when we focused here on compotypes (clusters of composomes) as targets for selection in populations of compositional assemblies, appreciable selection response was observed for a large portion of the networks simulated. Further, stronger selection response was seen for high pmc values. Our simulations thus demonstrate that GARD can help analyze important facets of evolving systems, and indicate that excess mutual catalysis over self-catalysis is likely to be important for the emergence of molecular systems capable of evolutionlike behavior.
Constitutive Endocytosis of GABAA Receptors by an Association with the Adaptin AP2 Complex Modulates Inhibitory Synaptic Currents in Hippocampal Neurons

Type A GABA receptors (GABAA) mediate the majority of fast synaptic inhibition in the brain and are believed to be predominantly composed of α, β, and γ subunits. Although changes in cell surface GABAA receptor number have been postulated to be of importance in modulating inhibitory synaptic transmission, little is currently known on the mechanism used by neurons to modify surface receptor levels at inhibitory synapses. To address this issue, we have studied the cell surface expression and maintenance of GABAA receptors. Here we show that constitutive internalization of GABAA receptors in hippocampal neurons and recombinant receptors expressed in A293 cells is mediated by clathrin-dependent endocytosis. Furthermore, we identify an interaction between the GABAA receptor β and γ subunits with the adaptin complex AP2, which is critical for the recruitment of integral membrane proteins into clathrin-coated pits. GABAA receptors also colocalize with AP2 in cultured hippocampal neurons. Finally, blocking clathrin-dependant endocytosis with a peptide that disrupts the association between amphiphysin and dynamin causes a large sustained increase in the amplitude of miniature IPSCs in cultured hippocampal neurons. These results suggest that GABAA receptors cycle between the synaptic membrane and intracellular sites, and their association with AP2 followed by recruitment into clathrin-coated pits represents an important mechanism in the postsynaptic modulation of inhibitory synaptic transmission.
The effects of nicotine and cigarette smoke on the monoamine transporters

Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable illness worldwide; however, smoking addiction remains poorly understood and cessation therapies based on nicotine replacement have limited success. The monoamine transporters are the primary mechanism for regulating the levels of dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine in the synapse, and have been implicated in addiction and associated behaviors. Furthermore, the non‐nicotinic smoking cessation therapy bupropion acts at least in part by blocking the dopamine and norepinephrine transporters. Despite this, little work has been conducted into the effects of nicotine and cigarette smoke on the monoamine transporters. This review will outline research that has been conducted to date on cigarette smoke, nicotine and the monoamine transporters. This will include monoamine transporter regulation by nicotine and cigarette smoke, genetic associations of the transporters with smoking behavior, and the potential for monoamine transporters to be targets in the development of smoking cessation pharmacotherapies. Synapse , 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Antiulcer Activity of Hydroalchol Extract of Momordica dioica roxb. Fruit

The present study was carried out to evaluate antiulcer activity of hydroalcohol extract of Momordica dioica Roxb. fruit. Momordica dioica Roxb. fruit extract (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight) was administered orally, twice daily for 5 days for prevention from ethanol, cold-restraint stress and pylorus ligation-induced ulcers. Estimation of H+-K+ ATPase activity and gastric wall mucous were performed in ethanol-induced ulcer model, antioxidant enzyme activities was carried out in cold-restraint stress-induced ulcer model, and various gastric secretion parameters like volume of gastric juice, acid output, and pH value were estimated in pylorus ligation-induced ulcer model. A significant reduction in lesion index was observed in ulcer-induced animals pre treated with extract at different doses when compared with ulcerated rats in all models. A significant decrease occurred in the level of H+-K+ ATPase, volume of gastric juice, and acid output. Gastric wall mucus and pH were increased significantly. These showed dose-dependent action of extract. LPO and antioxidant enzyme levels of SOD were decreased, but CAT enzyme showed significant increase. Thus the results indicate that the Momordica dioica extract possess antiulcerogenic effect, that attributable to augmentation of gastric defense mechanisms.
Using simulation learning through academic-practice partnership to promote transition to clinical practice: a qualitative evaluation.

AIM To explore the effect of an innovative simulation education programme on nursing students' transition-to-practice experiences. BACKGROUND Academic-practice partnership is emerging as an important vehicle for improving nursing students' transition-to-practice. Using existing university resources, academic educators and alumni developed an innovative simulation educational programme known as the Simulated Professional Learning Environment (SIMPLE) to align the educational process with the realities of nursing practice. Educators and alumni collaborated to create and facilitate 15 hours of simulation sessions that comprised the learning platform for the SIMPLE programme. DESIGN This was a descriptive qualitative study. METHOD Focus groups were conducted in 2012 with 22 final-year nursing students completing their transition-to-practice clinical practicum. The interview transcripts were analysed using content analysis. RESULTS Three themes were identified from the analysis: 'experiencing the role of staff nurse'; 'knowing how to'; and 'learning from the 'seniors'. Experiencing the role of staff nurse in the programme showed the nursing students what to expect and how to prepare for their roles. Knowing how to focus on holistic patient care, manage 'difficult' clients and communicate with other healthcare professionals were the learning outcomes gained from the programme. Learning from the 'seniors' about hospital work processes positively influenced the nurses' transition-to-practice experiences. CONCLUSION This study provides support for introducing the simulation education programme as an enhancement during nursing students' final year to improve their transition-to-practice experiences. A stronger collaborative relationship between academic educators and practising nurses could be further fostered by expanding this learning platform.
Radium-223 dichloride for the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer with symptomatic bone metastases

ABSTRACT Introduction: Castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is associated with the development of bone metastases, increased mortality, and a reduction in the patient’s quality of life (QOL). The management of metastatic CRPC (mCRPC) has rapidly evolved over the past decade, with a number of available therapeutic agents improving overall survival. Radium-223 dichloride (radium-223), the first targeted alpha therapy, improves survival accompanied by QOL benefits with a favorable safety profile. It is approved in over 40 countries for the treatment of patients with CRPC with symptomatic bone metastases and no known visceral metastatic disease. Areas covered: The current management of CRPC in men with bone metastases, and in particular the role of radium-223 in this setting, is reviewed and discussed. A search of bibliographic databases for peer-reviewed literature and major meetings was conducted. Expert commentary: In treating patients with mCRPC, the best sequencing and/or combination of radium-223 with other agents has yet to be fully elucidated. The role of radium-223 in treating patients with hormone-sensitive metastatic prostate cancer who are candidates for chemotherapy should also be investigated in well-designed trials. The ability to tailor radium-223 therapy to both the clinical and genetic profiles of CRPC patients would be a promising development.
ceRNAs in plants: computational approaches and associated challenges for target mimic research

The competing endogenous RNA hypothesis has gained increasing attention as a potential global regulatory mechanism of microRNAs (miRNAs), and as a powerful tool to predict the function of many noncoding RNAs, including miRNAs themselves. Most studies have been focused on animals, although target mimic (TMs) discovery as well as important computational and experimental advances has been developed in plants over the past decade. Thus, our contribution summarizes recent progresses in computational approaches for research of miRNA:TM interactions. We divided this article in three main contributions. First, a general overview of research on TMs in plants is presented with practical descriptions of the available literature, tools, data, databases and computational reports. Second, we describe a common protocol for the computational and experimental analyses of TM. Third, we provide a bioinformatics approach for the prediction of TM motifs potentially cross-targeting both members within the same or from different miRNA families, based on the identification of consensus miRNA-binding sites from known TMs across sequenced genomes, transcriptomes and known miRNAs. This computational approach is promising because, in contrast to animals, miRNA families in plants are large with identical or similar members, several of which are also highly conserved. From the three consensus TM motifs found with our approach: MIM166, MIM171 and MIM159/319, the last one has found strong support on the recent experimental work by Reichel and Millar [Specificity of plant microRNA TMs: cross-targeting of mir159 and mir319. J Plant Physiol 2015;180:45-8]. Finally, we stress the discussion on the major computational and associated experimental challenges that have to be faced in future ceRNA studies.