Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adaptive mesh refinements for analyses of 2D linear elasticity problems using the Kriging-based finite element method

Finite element analyses of irregular structures require adaptive mesh refinement to achieve more accurate results in an efficient manner. This is also true for a non-conventional finite element method with Kriging interpolation, called the Kriging-based finite element method (K-FEM). This paper presents a study of automatic adaptive meshing procedures for analyses of two-dimensional linear elasticity problems using the K-FEM. The Matlab Partial Differential Equation Toolbox was utilized for generating meshes with Delaunay triangulation. Three error indicators, namely, the strain energy error, the gradient of effective stresses, and the element-free Galerkin strain energy error, were employed for estimating the element errors. To find the most effective error indicator, the resulting total number of elements and configurations of the final meshes were compared. The results show that the resulting final meshes were affected by the initial mesh configurations, the refinement criteria, and the termination criteria. The gradient of effective stresses indicator was found to be the most effective error indicator for the K-FEM, as it can accurately estimate the element errors.
Effect of three different maxillary expansion appliances on root resorption

Aim: The study was to examine rapid maxillary expansion (RME), semi-rapid maxillary expansion (SRME), and slow maxillary expansion (SME) compare the root resorptions occurring in the supporting upper first premolar teeth during treatment by using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT). Methodology: Thirty individuals that required maxillary expansion and upper first premolar tooth extraction were divided into three groups consisting of 10 individuals for RME, SRME, and SME. RME group, first premolar and first molar teeth with hyrax screw were activated ¼ tour twice daily with the banded hyrax appliances. SRME group, acrylic-bonded hyrax appliances were activated ¼ tour per morning and night until the opening of the suture. Upon the opening of the suture, it was activated ¼ tour per every two days until sufficient maxillary expansion was gained. SEM group, quad helix appliances were activated every 20 days. After 12 weeks of the retention period, the upper first premolar teeth were extracted. The teeth were scanned with Micro-CT (SkyScan 1172, Kontich, Belgium), and images were analyzed with a Dell Precision T5500 to determine the resorption crater volumes. Results: In all samples, the resorption craters were concentrated on the buccal surfaces of the tooth roots. The highest resorption craters volume, the total resorption volume, was observed in the RME group, followed by the SRME group, and the least resorption crater volume was detected in the SME group. Conclusion: Since the supporting teeth were exposed to more force on the root surfaces, the most resorption was seen in the RME group. How to cite this article: Topal R, Gündüz Arslan S. Effect of three different maxillary expansion appliances on root resorption. Int Dent Res 2023; 13(1):19-26. https://doi.org/10.5577/idr.2023. vol13.no1. 4 Linguistic Revision: The English in this manuscript has been checked by at least two professional editors, both native speakers of English.
Implementation and Assessment of a Hybrid Training Course on Point-of-Care Pediatric Ultrasound in Vietnam During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background As point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has gained popularity, some educational guidelines have been developed. However, in Vietnam, no training course in pediatric POCUS has yet been developed. This was challenging, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Objectives This study aimed to implement a three-month hybrid training course for pediatric POCUS training in Vietnam using both online and face-to-face hands-on sessions and to assess participants’ self-efficacy level and change in their attitudes towards pediatric POCUS. Methods A hybrid training course in pediatric POCUS was implemented at a children’s hospital in Vietnam. This study developed a standardized training course, including online learning, live lectures, hands-on sessions, and skill assessment based on the POCUS consensus educational guidelines. Physicians interested in pediatric POCUS were recruited for participation. They completed a self-evaluation survey before and after the course using a Likert score to assess their background, self-efficacy in performing POCUS, overall satisfaction with the course, and change in their attitudes towards POCUS three months after the course. Results A total of 19 physicians participated in the course. The mean post-training self-efficacy score was significantly higher than the pre-course assessment score: 73.1 (standard deviation (SD): 7.2) vs. 48.9 (SD: 12.5) (p <0.05). The efficacy level was retained three months after the course. Furthermore, overall satisfaction with the course was high at 9.5 (SD: 0.6). After the course, almost all participants strongly agreed to increase the use of POCUS in their clinical practice. Conclusion A hybrid training course in pediatric POCUS was successfully implemented in Vietnam and found the participants’ self-efficacy level to be significantly higher after the course and the effect to be retained after the course. The training course could positively affect the participants’ attitudes towards POCUS, encouraging them to use POCUS more frequently in their clinical practice.
Visual Function and Neuropsychological Profiling of Idiopathic Infantile Nystagmus

Though considered a benign condition, idiopathic infantile nystagmus (IIN) may be associated with decreased visual acuity and oculo-motor abnormalities, resulting in developmental delays and poor academic performance. Nevertheless, the specific visual function profile of IIN and its possible impact on neuropsychological development have been poorly investigated. To fill this gap, we retrospectively collected the clinical data of 60 children presenting with IIN over a 10-year period (43 male; mean age of 7 years, range of 2 months-17 years, 9 months). The majority of the subjects in our cohort presented with reduced visual acuity for far distances and normal visual acuity for near distances, associated with oculo-motor abnormalities. The overall scores of cognitive and visual–cognitive tests were in the normal range, but revealed peculiar cognitive and visual–cognitive profiles, defined by specific frailties in processing speed and visual–motor integration. The same neuropsychological profiles characterize many neurodevelopmental disorders and may express a transnosographic vulnerability of the dorsal stream. As the first study to explore the neuropsychologic competencies in children with IIN, our study unveils the presence of subclinical frailties that need to be addressed to sustain academic and social inclusion.
An Automatic Assessment Model of Adenoid Hypertrophy in MRI Images Based on Deep Convolutional Neural Networks

Adenoid hypertrophy is a pathological condition characterized by the enlargement of the adenoids in children, which may lead to various problems. The conventional manual measurement is time-consuming and subject to subjective errors. Previous automated methods based on landmark detection in X-ray images have shown reliability. However, these methods neglect global features, making it difficult to locate landmarks accurately and thus affecting adenoid-to-nasopharyngeal (AN) ratio estimation when migrating to MRI images. In this paper, we first apply a deep-learning method to automatically assess adenoid hypertrophy in MRI images. We propose an adenoid network (ADNet) to capture local and global features near landmarks to achieve accurate landmark localization. Specifically, ADNet uses an encoder-decoder architecture where we employ a depthwise separable convolution-based encoder to extract local features and then employ an adaptive convolution-based decoder to capture global features. We collected a dataset of 500 cephalometric MRI images to train and evaluate the performance of the proposed model. Our experimental results demonstrate that our network achieves state-of-the-art performance with an average radial error of 4.85 pixels for landmark detection, an average successful detection rate of 96% within 15 pixels, and an error of 0.026 for the calculated AN ratio.
Water Accounting: International Approaches to Policy and Decision-making

Contents: Foreword Introduction Keryn Chalmers and Jayne M. Godfrey 1. Beyond the Hydrographers' Legacy: Water Accounting in Australia Maryanne Slattery, Keryn Chalmers and Jayne M Godfrey 2. The System of Environmental-Economic Accounting for Water: Development, Implementation and Use Michael Vardon, Ricardo Martinez-Lagunes, Hong Gan and Michael Nagy 3. Water Footprint Accounting Arjen Y. Hoekstra 4. Water Accounting to Assess Use and Productivity of Water: Evolution of a Concept and New Frontiers Poolad Karimi, David Molden, Wim Bastiaanssen and Xueliang Cai 5. Water Accounting in Mining and Minerals Processing Claire M. Cote, Jason Cummings, Chris J. Moran and Kristina Ringwood 6. Potential for the application of General Purpose Water Accounting in South Africa Denis A. Hughes, Esther Corral and Nikite W.J. Muller 7. Potential Role of Standardized Water Accounting in Spanish Basins Joaquin Andreu, Andrea Momblanch, Javier Paredes, Miguel Angel Perez and Abel Solera 8. Development and Application of the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting for Water in China Hong Gan, Yu Wang, Qiong Lu, Michael Vardon and Qin Changhai 9. Two Perspectives of Water Resource Accounting: Comparing the Australian and the United Nations Approaches Eric Mungatana and Rashid Hassan 10. The Impossible Planetary Trust: Intergenerational Equity, Long-term Investment and Water Governance and Regulation Gordon L. Clark and Claire Woods 11. Water Accounting, Corporate Sustainability and the Public Interest Mike Muller 12. Water Accounting and Conflict Mitigation Lise Pretorius and Anthony Turton 13. The Role of Water Accounting System in the Avoidance and Resolution of International Water Disputes Andrew Allan 14. Water Accounting Issues in California Jay R. Lund 15. Accounting for Water Rights in the Western United States Mark Squillace Conclusion Keryn Chalmers and Jayne M. Godfrey
Electrically-driven ultrafast out-of-equilibrium light emission from hot electrons in suspended graphene/hBN heterostructures

Nanoscale light sources with high speed of electrical modulation and low energy consumption are key components for nanophotonics and optoelectronics. The record-high carrier mobility and ultrafast carrier dynamics of graphene make it promising as an atomically thin light emitter, which can be further integrated into arbitrary platforms by van der Waals forces. However, due to the zero bandgap, graphene is difficult to emit light through the interband recombination of carriers like conventional semiconductors. Here, we demonstrate ultrafast thermal light emitters based on suspended graphene/hexagonal boron nitride (Gr/hBN) heterostructures. Electrons in biased graphene are significantly heated up to 2800 K at modest electric fields, emitting bright photons from the near-infrared to the visible spectral range. By eliminating the heat dissipation channel of the substrate, the radiation efficiency of the suspended Gr/hBN device is about two orders of magnitude greater than that of graphene devices supported on SiO2 or hBN. We further demonstrate that hot electrons and low-energy acoustic phonons in graphene are weakly coupled to each other and are not in full thermal equilibrium. Direct cooling of high-temperature hot electrons to low-temperature acoustic phonons is enabled by the significant near-field heat transfer at the highly localized Gr/hBN interface, resulting in ultrafast thermal emission with up to 1 GHz bandwidth under electrical excitation. It is found that suspending the Gr/hBN heterostructures on the SiO2 trenches significantly modifies the light emission due to the formation of the optical cavity and showed a ∼440% enhancement in intensity at the peak wavelength of 940 nm compared to the black-body thermal radiation. The demonstration of electrically driven ultrafast light emission from suspended Gr/hBN heterostructures sheds the light on applications of graphene heterostructures in photonic integrated circuits, such as broadband light sources and ultrafast thermo-optic phase modulators.
Investigating children’s mathematical learning during block play: a video observation research

ABSTRACT This article describes and analyzes the findings of children's observation records of block play with a focus on the wide range of mathematical outcomes resulting from children’s block play. To this end, children’s mathematical learning was analyzed in five areas: set and classification; pattern and symmetry; number and arithmetic; comparison and measurement; and geometry and space. It is found that symmetry accounts for the biggest proportion of mathematical concepts articulated, followed by attribute features and comparison, and graphic feature recognition. In comparison, children performed poorly in the categories of arithmetic, pattern expansion and creation, and measurement. Based on the performed analyses, it is found that investigating the types and frequency of mathematical knowledge that children acquire through block play is helpful to clarify the value and significance of block play in facilitating children’s mathematical learning.
Transmit Power Control for Secure Wireless-Powered Sensor Networks With Malicious Energy Harvester

We consider a wireless-powered sensor network (WPSN) in which multiple transmitting and receiving node pairs communicate with each other, and the nodes not involved in the communication process harvest energy from the transmitted radio signals. These transmitted signals are a source of energy to the harvesting nodes but are exposed to the risk of eavesdropping from them. To prevent this potential eavesdropping from the malicious harvesting nodes while supplying sufficient energy to the legitimate harvesting nodes, this study investigates the transmit power control (TPC) by considering that the transmit power affects the data rates of legitimate and eavesdropping links as well as the amount of harvesting energy. Specifically, we formulate an optimization problem to determine the optimal transmit powers that maximize the sum secrecy rate while ensuring that the minimum required amount of energy is harvested at the harvesting nodes. To solve this problem, we first propose a centralized TPC algorithm based on a dual method considering its nonconvexity. Subsequently, we present a distributed TPC algorithm based on dual decomposition considering limited channel information. Extensive simulations show that both the TPC algorithms achieve a higher sum secrecy rate while ensuring the minimum required harvesting energy compared to conventional schemes that do not adaptively control transmit powers.
Multi-Scale Feature Enhancement for Saliency Object Detection Algorithm

Aimed at existing saliency object detection models with problems of front and back view misclassification and edge blur, this study proposes an algorithm with multi-scale feature enhancement. In this algorithm, the feature maps of salient objects are extracted using VGG16. Multi-scale Feature Fusion Module is added to enhance the detailed information of the second feature layer and the semantic information of the fifth feature layer, which effectively improves the characterization ability of the second feature layer on the edges of salient objects and the fifth feature layer on salient objects. Simultaneously, Feature Enhancement Fusion Module is added to achieve the full fusion of local detail information and global semantic information through layer-by-layer fusion from deep to shallow, which is used to obtain a feature map with complete feature information. Finally, a complete prediction map with clear edges is obtained by training the network model. The performance of the proposed algorithm is compared with six algorithms, Amulet, R3Net, PoolNet, MINet, PurNet, and NSAL, on the HKU-IS, ECSSD, DUT-OMRON, and DUTS-TE datasets. MAE (Mean Absolute Error) values were decreased by 0.011, 0.009, 0, −0.001, 0.001, 0.003. F-measure were improved by 0.037, 0.019, 0.013, 0.017, 0.015, 0.09. E-measure were improved by: null, −0.008, 0.003, 0.005, −0.014, 0.047. S-measure were improved by: 0.073, 0.041, 0.016, 0.021, 0.016, 0.101. Compared with existing algorithms, the proposed algorithm can obtain better detection results and accurately identify all regions of significant objects.
Nonintubated Anesthesia in Video-assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery

The standard anesthesia method in intubated patients during thoracoscopic surgery is one-lung ventilation (OLV). Accumulated experience in video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) has remarkably advanced minimally invasive techniques in thoracic surgeries, a progress that has prompted anesthesiologists to pursue different and alternative methods. The desire to avoid possible general anesthesia side effects, such as intubation-related airway trauma, mechanical ventilation-induced lung damage, residual neuromuscular blockade
An accurate novel circular hole inspection method for sheet metal parts using edge-guided robust multi-view stereo

Sheet metal parts are frequently used in the industrial field, and the circular holes on these parts are commonly employed as assembly references. Therefore, precise measurement of these circular holes is essential. Because of the scratches, rust, and complex reflection around the edges, the measurement of circular holes on sheet metal parts is a challenging task. In this research, an accurate circular hole inspection method for sheet metal parts is proposed to realize online inspection using a multi-camera system. After capturing images in a single shot, edge detection is adopted to obtain sub-pixel circular hole contours. A new adaptive matching cost based on the descriptor of binary robust independent elementary features and bilinear normalized cross-correlation is introduced to the PatchMatch-based multi-view stereo method to obtain dense and accurate point clouds. To improve the accuracy and integrity of circular hole measurement, a new edge-guided multi-scale geometric consistency matching strategy is proposed accompanied by depth detail restoration. Finally, the points around the circular hole in a spherical range are sampled using the trinocular constraint principle and fitted with the circular equation. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm performs well, with an error of approximately 0.04 mm, and improves the measurement accuracy compared with the state-of-the-art algorithms.
A cross-sectional study to test equivalence of low- versus intermediate-flip angle dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI measures of relative cerebral blood volume in patients with high-grade gliomas at 1.5 Tesla field strength

Introduction 1.5 Tesla (1.5T) remain a significant field strength for brain imaging worldwide. Recent computer simulations and clinical studies at 3T MRI have suggested that dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) MRI using a 30° flip angle (“low-FA”) with model-based leakage correction and no gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA) preload provides equivalent relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) measurements to the reference-standard acquisition using a single-dose GBCA preload with a 60° flip angle (“intermediate-FA”) and model-based leakage correction. However, it remains unclear whether this holds true at 1.5T. The purpose of this study was to test this at 1.5T in human high-grade glioma (HGG) patients. Methods This was a single-institution cross-sectional study of patients who had undergone 1.5T MRI for HGG. DSC-MRI consisted of gradient-echo echo-planar imaging (GRE-EPI) with a low-FA without preload (30°/P-); this then subsequently served as a preload for the standard intermediate-FA acquisition (60°/P+). Both normalized (nrCBV) and standardized relative cerebral blood volumes (srCBV) were calculated using model-based leakage correction (C+) with IBNeuro™ software. Whole-enhancing lesion mean and median nrCBV and srCBV from the low- and intermediate-FA methods were compared using the Pearson’s, Spearman’s and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Results Twenty-three HGG patients composing a total of 31 scans were analyzed. The Pearson and Spearman correlations and ICCs between the 30°/P-/C+ and 60°/P+/C+ acquisitions demonstrated high correlations for both mean and median nrCBV and srCBV. Conclusion Our study provides preliminary evidence that for HGG patients at 1.5T MRI, a low FA, no preload DSC-MRI acquisition can be an appealing alternative to the reference standard higher FA acquisition that utilizes a preload.
Potential of Sappan Wood, Purple Cabbage and Beetroot Extract in Sperm Staining

Examination of sperm morphology is an essential criterion for evaluating male fertility. This examination can be done by staining sperm cells with various techniques to facilitate the visualization of sperm cells. Several other methods that can be used to evaluate sperm morphology are Eosin-nigrosin, AgNO3 staining, Papanicolaou, Diff Quick and Giemsa. However, using these synthetic dyes can harm the environment and water sources because they prefer to decompose. The natural dye derived from environmentally friendly plants expected to minimize hazardous waste. This study aimed to identify and compare the potency of several natural dyes derived from purple cabbage, sappan wood and beetroot, which have not been studied in sperm studies. Sperm obtained from 30 men in the campus area and underwent 3-5 days of abstinence from intercourse in preparation for sampling. The sperm stained with natural dye, and their quality compared with WHO standard Papanicolaou. Extracts of sappan wood, purple cabbage and beetroot are made with various mordant alum, ethanol and acetic acid compositions. The study's results showed that the presence of mordant increased the staining quality of sperm with sappan wood and purple cabbage extracts. The use of acid improves the quality of sperm staining with beet extract. There was no different between dyeing with beetroot extract in various solvent compositions and dyeing with Papanicolaou to color all sperm components (p> 0.05). The results showed that beetroot extract has a high potential to evaluate sperm morphology.
Metacognitive Differences in Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment and Healthy Cognition: A Cross-Sectional Study Employing Online Measures

This study aimed to examine metacognitive abilities in individuals diagnosed with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) by using online metacognitive measures during cognitive tasks. A total of 100 participants were enrolled, all aged 50 or older (mean age = 61.98; SD = 6.27), and with a minimum of six years of education (mean = 14.95; SD = 2.94). The sample included 50 individuals with aMCI (34 females) and 50 healthy controls (HC) (33 females). Both groups underwent metacognitive versions of memory tasks (Doors and People) and executive functions tasks (Wisconsin Card Sorting Test). Metacognition was assessed through confidence ratings given after each answer (referred to as metacognitive monitoring) and the accuracy of the participants’ decisions to include or exclude answers from their final scores (known as metacognitive control). The results showed that although individuals with aMCI were aware of their cognitive limitations—evidenced by their lower confidence ratings across all tasks—they still exhibited overconfidence relative to their actual performance. Moreover, they included a greater number of incorrect answers in their final scores compared to the healthy control group. These findings suggest that while individuals with aMCI retain some level of awareness, their self-evaluations appear to lack precision. This observation was consistent across both types of cognitive tasks. The results underscore the need for additional research to better understand metacognition in MCI as well as the interplay between metacognitive monitoring and control.