Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Physical functioning and activities of daily living in adults with amyoplasia, the most common form of arthrogryposis. A cross-sectional study

Abstract Background: Amyoplasia, the most common form of arthrogryposis is characterized by typical deformities of the joints and replacement of skeletal muscles by fibrous tissue and fat. There is sparse literature on adaptation to adult life with amyoplasia. Purpose: To describe physical function and activity strategies in adults with amyoplasia, as this knowledge is important for relevant function-enhancing measures. Materials and methods: Twenty-two adults (20–91 years) with amyoplasia participated. Demographic factors and clinical history were registered. Body proportions were measured. Joint mobility and muscle strength in the upper limbs were examined. The Functional Independent Measure was used to assess performance of activities of daily living. Compensatory strategies were described. Results: The majority had undergone comprehensive conservative and surgical treatment. Mean height was below typical. Range of motion was below lower limit of normal in most joints, passive range of motion was mainly larger than active. Muscle strength was reduced for most movements. Seven were independent in all activities. Need of assistance was highest regarding bathing and dressing. A variety of compensatory strategies were used. Conclusions: Adults with amyoplasia are heterogeneous regarding function. Independence in everyday life requires a combination of muscle strength to move against gravity, ability to passive joint motion, and use of compensatory strategies. Implications for rehabilitation The ability to joint motion in the upper extremities is essential for independency in activities of daily living, especially when the muscle strength is impaired. Training of muscle strength is recommended, whenever possible, as muscle strength to move against gravity makes the performing of everyday tasks easier. The use of compensatory techniques, adaptions to the environment and relevant, often custom made, assistive devices is required to perform activities of daily living. Living an active life with physical challenges like in amyoplasia requires flexible and individually adapted solutions.
Prolonged electrical stimulation causes no damage to sacral nerve roots in rabbits

Previous studies have shown that, anode block electrical stimulation of the sacral nerve root can produce physiological urination and reconstruct urinary bladder function in rabbits. However, whether long-term anode block electrical stimulation causes damage to the sacral nerve root remains unclear, and needs further investigation. In this study, a complete spinal cord injury model was established in New Zealand white rabbits through T9–10 segment transection. Rabbits were given continuous electrical stimulation for a short period and then chronic stimulation for a longer period. Results showed that compared with normal rabbits, the structure of nerve cells in the anterior sacral nerve roots was unchanged in spinal cord injury rabbits after electrical stimulation. There was no significant difference in the expression of apoptosis-related proteins such as Bax, Caspase-3, and Bcl-2. Experimental findings indicate that neurons in the rabbit sacral nerve roots tolerate electrical stimulation, even after long-term anode block electrical stimulation.
Wetting and strenght issues at Al/alpha-alumina interfaces

Author(s): Saiz, Eduardo; Tomsia, Antoni P.; Suganuma, Katsuaki | Abstract: The wetting behavior and strength at aluminum/alumina interfaces has been an active subject of research. Al/alumina applications include ceramic-metal composites and several applications for electronic industries. In this paper the interface strength and microstructure of Al/alpha-alumina was investigated. We discovered that in a solid-state joining, the strength of the joint increases with increasing joining temperature. In a liquid-state joining, the strength of the joint gradually decreases due to the formation of unbonded areas. The strength, sigma sub b, is expressed by the following equation as a function of unbonded area, A: sigma sub b = 2.22 A + 143 (70% l_ A l_ 100%). The highest strength reached 400 MPa when the interface was formed at around the melting temperature of aluminum. An aluminum layer close to the interface became a single crystal when it was bonded to a sapphire. The following crystallographic orientation relationship is established: (1 bar 11) sub Al // (001) sub alpha-Al sub 2 O sub 3 , l110) sub Al // l100g sub alpha-Al sub 2 O sub 3. Amorphous alumina islands were formed at the interface. In the amorphous alumina, gamma-alumina nanocrystals grew from the sapphire, with the same orientation relationship to sapphire as above.
Dynamic jitter accumulation in clock repeaters considering power and ground noise correlations

This paper discusses the mechanism behind dynamic jitter accumulation in clock repeaters, considering the impact of power supply noise correlations. We show that differential and common mode noise have a different impact on jitter accumulation, depending on correlations between cascaded repeater stages. We also propose a simple accumulation model that can be used to replace time-consuming transient noise simulations. Besides providing an useful insight regarding the impact of noise correlations on jitter accumulation, the model's accuracy is shown to be within 10% of SPICE results.
A preliminary study of the low density particle boards quality using rice husks and oil palm empty fruit bunch with plastic waste adhesive

The accumulation of rice husks (RH), oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB), and plastic waste (PW) can reduce the fertility of the soil. The objective of this study was to compare the quality of the low density particle boards using that waste. Experimental design was used by testing the quality of particle boards with a substitution of 50 % by weight of the total mixes for each waste (RH and OPEFB) and 50% of PW with 3 replications. The results revealed that the quality of the low density particle boards based on water content, density, and modulus of rupture (MOR) tests meet the requirements of SNI 03-2105-2006, whereas the modulus of elasticity (MOE), thickness swelling, water absorption, and the tension perpendicular to surface tests do not comply to the requirements. This preliminary study revealed that the quality of particle boards using OPEFB was better than the particle boards using RH for building materials such as ceilings.
Boundary mixing and nutrient fluxes in Mono Lake, California

Temperature‐gradient microstructure and nutrient profiling were undertaken at both an inshore and an offshore site on Mono Lake, California, to determine whether boundary mixing occurred and the effects on nutrient flux within the lake. Turbulence, as quantified by rates of dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy, was two to three orders of magnitude higher at the inshore site where the pycnocline intersected the bottom than at the same depths at an offshore station. The intense turbulence primarily occurred within 3.5 m of the sediment–water interface. In addition, temperature profiles were more incrementally stepped in the pycnocline inshore than offshore. The Turner angle indicated that double‐diffusive processes may have augmented turbulent transport in the upper 10 m, where temperatures were inversely stratified, but not in the main pycnocline. Within the pycnocline, ϵ exceeded the threshold value for buoyancy flux ( ϵthr = 15υN2) in 21% of the turbulent layers inshore but in only 1% of the layers offshore. The coefficient of vertical eddy diffusivity, Κz, was two to four orders of magnitude higher within 4 m of the bottom inshore than offshore at the same depths. Spatially averaged values of Κz, obtained from the heat‐flux method using data obtained from both conductivity–temperature–depth (CTD) profiles and moored thermistor chains, were two orders of magnitude less than those obtained nearshore with microstructure profiling. From the differences in Κz, we inferred that most heat flux occurred due to boundary mixing at the base of the pycnocline inshore with the heat redistributed laterally by advection. Boundary mixing was initiated after winds were strong enough for the Lake number to decrease to a value of 2; thermocline compression and steepening of internal waves at the base of the pycnocline occurred, followed by packets of high‐frequency internal waves critical for wave breaking. Calculated ammonium fluxes at the inshore site were sufficient to support daily rates of primary productivity in the deep chlorophyll maximum throughout the lake. These results indicate the vertical flux of nutrients across the nutricline in Mono Lake occurs over a limited area during intense mixing events initiated by high winds.
A direct-drive motor control system and its features

Although direct-drive motors (DD motors) have been available for some time, the appearance of the DD motors now being used in industrial equipment is a relatively recent phenomenon. As DD motors by their basic principle operate without a reduction gear and transmit their rotational force directly, they eliminate the problems that result from interposition of the reduction gear and have enabled faster, more accurate positioning than is obtained with conventional DC and AC servo motors. However, for a long time DD motors have been considered difficult to control and susceptible to external disturbances and load variations which hinders their wider use. The DYNASERV DD motor, developed and introduced by Yokogawa Electric Corp. in 1987 (and now manufactured and marketed by Yokogawa Precision Corp.), exploits a new control system to conquer these weaknesses of the DD motor, and is being put to use in large numbers in a variety of industrial equipment such as assembly robots, chip mounters, and label printing m.
Detecting relay attacks with timing-based protocols

Distance-bounding protocols have been proposed as a means of detecting relay attacks, also known as mafia fraud. In this paper we present the first symmetric key based distance-bounding protocol that is also resistant to so-called terrorist fraud, a variant of mafia fraud. Distance-bounding protocols require a communication channel that can exchange single bits with extremely low latency. This unconventional communication requirement has prompted Hancke and Kuhn to assert in a recent publication that ultra wide band (UWB) radio is necessary to achieve a useful distance-bounding resolution for RF security devices (contactless smart cards, RFID tags and the like). We analyse this assertion and present an alternative, novel communication approach that leverages the phenomena of side channel leakage to deliver a low latency channel. Our proposal is capable of detecting sophisticated relay attacks without resorting to the considerable expense and complexity of UWB radio. We present experimental results to support our arguments.
Host-specific toxins and chemical structures from alternaria species.

Th e long s earch f or a "t oxi n" produced by plant path og ens met with dis appoi nt­ ment unti l att enti on was cent ered on a h ost-s pecifi c t oxi n (HST). Th e dis­ appoi nt ment th at s panned almost h alf a cent ury res ult ed most ly f rom th e st udy of t oxi ns th at f uncti on i n vari ous t ypes of s ympt om development, but are not th e i niti al i nciti ng ag ents of dis eas e. "Mi cro org anis m X (but not oth ers) produces s ubst ance Y whi ch damag es plant or plant g roup A but not oth ers , and only A is parasiti zed. " This st at ement by Wood (174) at th e 1971 L ong Asht on Symposi um on F ung al P ath og eni city and th e P lant's Res pons e sh ows th e s eri ous need f or t oxi n st udy . Th e fi ndi ng of a g roup of high ly h ost -s electi ve HSTs , valua ble both as t ools f or academi c res earch on plant h ostparasit e i nt eracti ons and as markers f or epi demi ologi cal s urv ey of path og ens i n fi elds, confi rms th at th e s earch f or t oxi ns is an i mport ant part of modem plant path olog y . Th e pres ent knowledg e of HSTs h as come almost enti rely f rom th e s o-called "s aproph ytic path og ens. " This g roup i ncludes f ami li ar f ungi , s uch as Alternar­ ia and Helminthosporium, and oth ers less well known. It is just withi n th e last 15 years that we h ave really beg un t o work with HSTs i n Alternaria s peci es . Th eref ore, th e pres ent st at us of our kno wl edg e is sti ll pri miti ve and much work remai ns to be do ne. Unti l recent ly, o ur att entio n fo r th e to xi ns was bi as ed t oward th e ph ysi ologi cal or bi och emi cal mech anis ms of th ei r s electi vit y, and
Spiral-STC: an on-line coverage algorithm of grid environments by a mobile robot

We describe an on-line sensor based algorithm for covering planar areas by a square-shaped tool attached to a mobile robot. Let D be the tool size. The algorithm, called Spiral-STC, incrementally subdivides the planar work-area into disjoint D-size cells, while following a spanning tree of the resulting grid. The algorithm covers general grid environments using a path whose length is at most (n + m)D, where n is the number of D-size cells and m /spl les/ n is the number of boundary cells, defined as cells that share at least one point with the grid boundary. We also report that any on-line coverage algorithm generates a covering path whose length is at least (2 - /spl epsiv/)l/sub opt/ in the worst case, where l/sub opt/ is the length of the optimal covering path. Since (n + m)D /spl les/ 2l/sub opt/, Spiral-STC is worst-case optimal. Moreover, m << n in practical environments, and the algorithm generates close-to-optimal covering paths in such environments. Simulation results demonstrate the spiral-like covering patterns typical to the algorithm.
Perancangan Sistem Proteksi Katodik Anoda Tumbal Pada Pipa Baja API 5L GRADE B Dengan Variasi Jumlah Coating Yang Dipasang Di Dalam Tanah

Proteksi katodik anoda tumbal adalah salah satu jenis perlindungan logam dari serangan korosi. Tujuan dalam penelitian ini adalah untuk merancang proteksi katodik pada pipa dengan tipe API 5L dengan variabel coating. Variabel yang digunakan pada penelitian ini adalah perbedaan ketebalan coating yaitu 1 layer dan 2 layer. Dimensi panjang pipa API 5L yang digunakan adalah 1,5m, sedangkan jenis coating yang digunakan yaitu base coat dan top coat. Pengukuran yang dilakukan adalah pengukuran resistivitas tanah dan pH pada tanah tempat pipa digunakan. Pada penelitian terhasilkan bahwa Ketebalan Layer Coating mempengaruhi Angka Arus proteksi pada sistem katodik protek anoda korban dengan meningkatnya jumlah layer tingkat kebutuhan arus semakin rendah dimana layer Coating Sekunder dengan 2 lapis membutuhkan arus paling kecil yaitu 0.40 mA dengan nilai yang paling tinggi dengan Coating primer dengan 1.21 mA. ============================================================================================== The sacrificial anode cathodic protection is one type of metal protection from corrosion attack. The purpose of this research is to design cathodic protection on pipe with API type 5L with coating variable. Variable used in this research is difference of coating thickness that is 1 layer and 2 layer. The 5L API pipe length dimension used is 1.5m, while the type of coating used is base coat and top coat. Measurements taken are the measurement of soil resistivity and pH on the ground where the pipe is used. In the research result that the thickness of Layer Coating influences the number of protection current on cathodic system of victim anode protective with increasing number of layer level of current requirement is lower where Secondary Coating layer with 2 layers require the smallest current that is 0.40 mA with the highest value with primary coating With 1.21 mA
Modifications of optical properties in doped germanene nanosheet

Optical properties, like complex dielectric constant, absorption coefficient, refractive index and reflectivity have been analysed via density functional theory (DFT) of As and Ga doped free standing (FS) germanium (Ge) nanosheet. Position dependent (same or different sub-lattice positions) doping mechanism of foreign elements along with concentration variation up to 6.25%, in pristine germanene layer has been adopted for the whole work. Interesting modifications in optical anisotropy than pristine layer have been observed as a consequence of doping. Such modifications, like enhancement or reduction of peak intensity or shifting of peak positions may be useful to design smart germanene based opto-electronics devices in upcoming future.
Fish oils and cardiovascular disease

Oily fish contains large quantities of the long chain n-3 ((omega)-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5) and docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6)). Low rates of coronary heart disease in various populations with high intakes of fish suggested health preserving effects of these fatty acids. For example, mortality from coronary heart disease was found to be low among Greenland Inuits who ate large amounts of fish and whale meat (400-500 g/day, 14 g n-3 fatty acids/day)1 and in Japanese fish eaters.2 In the Netherlands 30 g of fish daily was associated with 50% fewer deaths from coronary heart disease.3 In the multiple risk factor intervention trial cardiovascular mortality was inversely proportional to the intake of n-3 fatty acids over the 10.5 years of follow up.4 Not all investigators, however, have confirmed these findings.5 6 Suggested mechanisms for this cardioprotective effect focused first on serum lipids.7 In healthy subjects increased consumption of long chain n-3 fatty acids is associated with falls in serum concentrations of triglycerides and very low density lipoprotein8 9; cholesterol concentration …
Analysis the effect of thermal load on the insertion loss of the optical couplers

This article focuses on the analysis of the selected optical coupler parameter which have been thermal stressed for 30 weeks at temperature 95 °C ± 5 °C. Optical couplers with 10:90, 1:99 and 50:50 dividing ratio were tested. A total of 6 optical couplers were tested. Measurements were made for two wavelengths 1310 nm and 1550 nm. The observed parameter was the insertion loss. The insertion loss is very important parameter because the fiber-optic passive components (such as optical couplers) disrupt signal transmissions as the continuous core of the optical fiber carrying the signal mates with the component in a manner that causes some amount of scattering and reflection of light waves. The degree to which the signal has been depleted is described as insertion loss, which is the undesired attenuation of the signal measured in decibels (dB).
Music, health, and well-being

Music and health as a field of research has flourished in the recent years, although the belief in a link between music and health is not new. In fact, the idea about music as salutary dates all the way back to the ancient Greeks and Pythagoras (Ruud, this volume; West, 2000). Ansdell (2013) comments: But of course this link between people, music, and health/wellbeing is hardly new. It is a perennial knowledge that has been understood and practised in very varied ways across history - and varies still across contemporary social and cultural sites and traditions (Horden, 2000; Gouk, 2000; Gioia, 2006). The appreciation that music helps has been - and still is - either too obvious to mention, or else something forgotten and strange; is either central to normal cultural practice, or else marginal; is either mostly a professional expertise, or else an everyday lay practice. (p. 4) (Published: 7 August 2013) Citation: Int J Qualitative Stud Health Well-being 2013, 8 : 21780 - http://dx.doi. org/10.3402/qhw.v8i0. 21780
Endocrine treatment of breast cancer in women.

I. Introduction Hormonal therapy for breast carcinoma began with the observation by George Beatson (1) in 1898 that bilateral oophorectomy caused tumor regression in selected premenopausal patients. Huggins and Bergenstal (2) later introduced surgical adrenalectomy as a form of hormone ablative treatment for postmenopausal women. To these methods were added surgical hypophysectomy and hormonal additive therapies such as the use of androgens, estrogens, progestins, and glucocorticoids (3). Since only one-third of patients experienced objective tumor regression with any of these hormonal therapies, clinicians began to favor use of cytotoxic chemotherapies in the 1960s and 1970s. During this time multiple chemotherapeutic regimens were developed which gained wide acceptance and enthusiastic support (3). However, when hormone receptor measurements were introduced in the mid-1970s, better selection of patients with hormonally responsive tumors became possible, and new impetus was provided for optimizing hormon.
Impact of aging brain circuits on cognition

Brain networks that engage the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex are central for enabling effective interactions with our environment. Some of the cognitive processes that these structures mediate, such as encoding and retrieving episodic experience, wayfinding, working memory and attention are known to be altered across the lifespan. As illustrated by examples given below, there is remarkable consistency across species in the pattern of age‐related neural and cognitive change observed in healthy humans and other animals. These include changes in cognitive operations that are known to be dependent on the hippocampus, as well as those requiring intact prefrontal cortical circuits. Certain cognitive constructs that reflect the function of these areas lend themselves to investigation across species, allowing brain mechanisms at different levels of analysis to be studied in greater depth.
Moving shadow representation based on a level curves decomposition

This paper proposes a new model to represent the moving shadow areas in video sequences. Classical models assume that the ambient light received in a shadow area is constant, but in practice it is not always the case. In order to define a more precise model, the variations of the ambient light are here taken into account thanks to a level curves decomposition of the shadow area. A B-spline approximation of these level curves is introduced in order to get a smooth and compact representation. Experimental results show that this model can efficiently represents shadow areas. Results have been applied to the problem of shadow removal for video editing applications.