Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of solar radiation on cooking/drying process of grapes using solar oven

Solar ovens have become a very popular technology for cooking, specially, in underdeveloped countries where access to firewood is scarce, time consuming and expensive. The benefits of solar cooking are multiple, such as saving money, as this device requires no fuel, as well as having an important impact in the environment, decreasing carbon dioxide emissions and decreasing deforestation. One challenge for food industry is to get to know the behaviour of food cooked with solar technology. The aim of this study was to model the drying process of white and red grape in solar oven using thermodynamics and spectrophotometry measurements, controlling the irradiation effect blocking the Ultraviolet radiation using a polarized vinyl film Keywords: sun radiation; thermodynamics; solar oven; drying
Sea Surface Current–Wave–Wind Interactions Measured by Coastal Ground Wave HF Radars

The performance and operational feasibility of the high-frequency Wellen Radar Doppler radar have been demonstrated in a region dominated by strong tidal currents during the SURveillance LITtorale OPerationnelle experiment in Brittany (France). Local weather-oceanic phenomena (current-wave-wind interactions) were measured for the first time by temporal-spatial analyses of the sea surface current measurements, sea surface current spatial gradient, and significant wave heights under conditions of spring tides and current mainly in the wind direction. The results, showing a variation of wave height with the tidal cycle, are presented in this letter.
The development and pilot randomised controlled trial of a group education programme for promoting walking in people with intermittent claudication

The aim of this study was to develop and pilot a group education programme for promoting walking in people with intermittent claudication. Patient focus groups (n=24) and literature reviews were conducted to inform the development of the education programme, which involves a three-hour group-based education workshop and follow-up telephone support. A pilot study was subsequently conducted in which 23 new patients (Rutherford category 1–3) were randomly assigned to usual care (control) or usual care plus the education programme. Outcomes were assessed at baseline and six weeks including daily steps (tri-axial accelerometer), walking capacity (six-minute walk test and Gardner treadmill test), and quality of life (Intermittent Claudication Questionnaire [ICQ]). Exit interviews were conducted to assess the acceptability and usefulness of the programme. Compared with controls, the intervention group had superior walking capacity and quality of life at six weeks. Mean differences in six-minute walk distance, treadmill maximum walking distance and ICQ score were 44.9 m (95% confidence interval [CI], 6.9 to 82.9), 173 m (95% CI, 23 to 322), and −10.6 (95% CI, −18.9 to −2.3), respectively. The daily step count did not differ between groups. The exit interviews indicated that participants valued attending the programme, that it gave them a greater understanding of their condition, and that they had been walking more for exercise since attending. The results suggest that the education programme is feasible, acceptable, and potentially useful for improving walking capacity and quality of life. A fully-powered trial exploring clinical and cost effectiveness is needed. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN06733130 (http://www.controlled-trials.com).
Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Studies of Organic Dyes for Art Conservation and Ph Sensing Applications

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy is a powerful analytical technique with widespread applications. In this work, the application of SERS in the fields of art conservation and pH sensing are reviewed. First, the theory of this unambiguous and ultrasensitive technique is explained. Next, a review of the pedagogical journey in art conservation research through the lenses of undergraduates is offered in Chapter 2. Finally, an investigation in pH sensing SERS is explored pursuing developing a SERS pH sensitive probe while offering new insight into SERS capabilities and the relationship between analyte and nanoparticle.
The h’-Index, Effectively Improving the h-Index Based on the Citation Distribution

Background Although being a simple and effective index that has been widely used to evaluate academic output of scientists, the h-index suffers from drawbacks. One critical disadvantage is that only h-squared citations can be inferred from the h-index, which completely ignores excess and h-tail citations, leading to unfair and inaccurate evaluations in many cases. Methodology /Principal Findings To solve this problem, I propose the h’-index, in which h-squared, excess and h-tail citations are all considered. Based on the citation data of the 100 most prolific economists, comparing to h-index, the h’-index shows better correlation with indices of total-citation number and citations per publication, which, although relatively reliable and widely used, do not carry the information of the citation distribution. In contrast, the h’-index possesses the ability to discriminate the shapes of citation distributions, thus leading to more accurate evaluation. Conclusions /Significance The h’-index improves the h-index, as well as indices of total-citation number and citations per publication, by possessing the ability to discriminate shapes of citation distribution, thus making the h’-index a better single-number index for evaluating scientific output in a way that is fairer and more reasonable.
Activation of Human Dendritic Cells Is Modulated by Components of the Outer Membranes of Neisseria meningitidis

ABSTRACT Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B is a major cause of life-threatening meningitis and septicemia worldwide, and no effective vaccine is available. Initiation of innate and acquired immune responses to N. meningitidis is likely to be dependent on cellular responses of dendritic cells (DC) to antigens present in the outer membrane (OM) of the meningococcus. In this study, the responses of human monocyte-derived DC (mo-DC) to OM isolated from parent (lipopolysaccharide [LPS]-replete) meningococci and from a mutant deficient in LPS were investigated. Parent OM selectively up-regulated Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) mRNA expression and induced mo-DC maturation, as reflected by increased production of chemokines, proinflammatory cytokines, and CD83, CD80, CD86, CD40, and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules. In contrast, LPS-deficient OM selectively up-regulated TLR2 mRNA expression and induced moderate increases in both cytokine production and expression of CD86 and MHC class II molecules. Preexposure to OM, with or without LPS, augmented the allostimulatory properties of mo-DC, which induced proliferation of naive CD4+ CD45RA+ T cells. In addition, LPS-replete OM induced a greater gamma interferon/interleukin-13 ratio in naive T cells, whereas LPS-deficient OM induced the reverse profile. These data demonstrate that components of the OM, other than LPS, are also likely to be involved in determining the levels of DC activation and the nature of the T-helper immune response.
Insight into the molecular genetics of myopia

Myopia is the most common cause of visual impairment worldwide. Genetic and environmental factors contribute to the development of myopia. Studies on the molecular genetics of myopia are well established and have implicated the important role of genetic factors. With linkage analysis, association studies, sequencing analysis, and experimental myopia studies, many of the loci and genes associated with myopia have been identified. Thus far, there has been no systemic review of the loci and genes related to non-syndromic and syndromic myopia based on the different approaches. Such a systemic review of the molecular genetics of myopia will provide clues to identify additional plausible genes for myopia and help us to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying myopia. This paper reviews recent genetic studies on myopia, summarizes all possible reported genes and loci related to myopia, and suggests implications for future studies on the molecular genetics of myopia.
Distributed task allocation in social networks

This paper proposes a new variant of the task allocation problem, where the agents are connected in a social network and tasks arrive at the agents distributed over the network. We show that the complexity of this problem remains NP-hard. Moreover, it is not approximable within some factor. We develop an algorithm based on the contract-net protocol. Our algorithm is completely distributed, and it assumes that agents have only local knowledge about tasks and resources. We conduct a set of experiments to evaluate the performance and scalability of the proposed algorithm in terms of solution quality and computation time. Three different types of networks, namely small-world, random and scale-free networks, are used to represent various social relationships among agents in realistic applications. The results demonstrate that our algorithm works well and that it scales well to large-scale applications.
Application of fluorescence technique in studying dental caries

th , 2015) ABSTRACT: The aim of the present study was to investigate the ﬂuorescence properties of sound teeth and teeth with different types of lesions. Using light-emitting diodes operating in the near ultraviolet (UVA) spectral regions for excitation, the obtained fluorescence images and spectra of carious teeth were different from sound teeth spectra due to the presence of bacteria Streptococcus mutans producing metabolites called porphyrins. The sound teeth showed the blue fluorescence with broad emission spectra from 410 nm to 650 nm (maxima at 450 nm, 500 nm and 520 nm), while the carious regions illuminated the red light with three new peaks at 625 nm, 650 nm and 690 nm. The intensity of the red fluorescent signal depends on the density of the bacteria. Based on the red fluorescence emitted by porphyrins, not only the surface lesions but also the caries hiding under the enamel layer can be detected by UVA exciting. These results provide the ability to apply fluorescence technique in the development of an early dental diagnostic tool with a number of advantages such as safety, mobility, low cost and
Why do Children with Down Syndrome Have Subnormal Vision?

Purpose Explore characteristics of Down syndrome to find causes of subnormal vision. Explore vision studies to find patterns of decreased vision. Results Some obvious potential causes are nystagmus and high refractive error; however, nystagmus and high refractive errors are not a guarantee of poor vision. Accommodative insufficiency is often present, compromising near vision. Vision studies are difficult to compare mainly because of differences in determining and correcting refractive errors. Sweep visually evoked potentials (sVEP) require little effort from the patient and have shown near normal vision in infancy, with improvement leveling off at age 12 to 24 months without further improvement. Conclusions People with Down syndrome have a wide variation in visual acuity, but generally 20/40 or worse. Both the eye and brain tend to be different in these patients compared to age matched normal subjects. Also, accommodative insufficiency (determined by dynamic retinoscopy) is often present in children Down syndrome, making bifocals a necessary consideration.
Effect of bracket bevel design and oral environmental factors on frictional resistance.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effects of bracket bevel design and oral environmental factors (saliva, temperature) on frictional resistance. MATERIALS AND METHODS Five types of brackets, namely a conventional bracket (Omni-arch), an active self-ligating bracket (Clippy), and three passive self-ligating brackets (Carriere, Damon, and Tenbrook T1) coupled with a 0.014-inch austenitic nickel-titanium archwire were tested. In the experimental model, which used a group of five identical brackets, the center bracket was displaced 3 mm to mimic the binding effects. The friction experiments were performed at three temperatures (20°C, 37°C, 55°C) in a dry or a wet (artificial saliva) state. Finally, the surfaces of the bracket slots were observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) before and after the friction tests. RESULTS The sliding frictional force was significantly influenced by the bracket slot bevel and saliva whether in the active or passive configuration (P < .05). The frictional force significantly increased as the temperature increased in the active configuration (P < .01). Based on the SEM observations, a correlation was found among the level of frictional force, the bevel angle, and the depth of scratches on bracket bevels. CONCLUSION Frictional force can be reduced by increasing the bevel angle and by lowering the oral temperature, whereas the presence of saliva increases frictional resistance.
Epidemiology, risk factors, symptomatology, TNM classification of Non Small Cell Lung Cancer. An overview while waiting the 8th TNM classification

Lung cancer is a primary health issue which preoccupies the health professional community worldwide. Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of death in both men and women in the developed countries. It is mainly divided into two types. The non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and the small cell lung cancer (SCLC). The NSCLC is the most common type and consists the 87% of lung cancer overall. The staging and the therapeutic approach of NSCLC is based on TNM classification system. Currently the 7th revision is being used for the appropriate classification of the cancer stadium. By the end of 2016 a new 8th TNM classification is awaited.
Evaluating Race/Ethnicity in Moderating Baseline Cardiometabolic Risk and Body Composition Changes in North Carolina First-Year College Women

The roles of race/ethnicity and geographical region in the context of first-year college weight gain remain largely under-examined. The present study evaluated whether race/ethnicity: (1) at baseline was associated with greater representation in cardiometabolic health risk categories for body mass index, percent body fat, waist circumference, and waist-to-hip ratio in the full sample of 54 Black/African American and 80 White/European American first-year female undergraduates attending a North Carolina state university; and (2) moderated body composition changes between the beginning of the fall and spring semesters among the 83 participants who completed baseline and follow-up visits (N = 39 Black/African Americans). More Black/African Americans than White/European Americans had percent body fat values ≥32% at baseline; a greater proportion of White/European Americans than Black/African Americans had a waist-to-hip ratio >0.80. Among those who completed baseline and follow-up visits, White/European Americans had higher waist-to-hip ratios (unadjusted: p <0.01, adjusted for family income: p < 0.01) and waist circumferences (adjusted for family income: p < 0.05) at both time points. No strong moderating effects of race/ethnicity were detected. Preliminary results suggested that greater consideration of racial/ethnic indicators and potential regional variation in these biometric attributes among first-year college students is warranted.
Active RFID Reader clustering and neural networks for indoor positioning

Active RFID systems can be used as the foundations to deploy Indoor Real Time Location Systems (RTLS) and value-added context-aware and ambient intelligence services. In this work the feasibility of applying Clustering techniques and neural networks within an Active RFID system to develop an indoor location service is explained and evaluated. In previous works, a fingerprint technique and radiomap (collection of Received Signal Strength (RSS) measurements from the tags’s beacons at the network of Readers) have been used to train a neural network and after that, to infer the tag position. In this research work we improve the accuracy of the location engine by means of the Cluster concept where the total area is divided in several zones which are associated to different set of Readers called Reader Cluster. Each Reader Cluster has associated a trained Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) which is specialized in estimating the target locations within that space region. By simulation, it is shown that the clustering approach improves the system accuracy, specializing several MLP in estimating target locations in bounded regions, while keeping the number of Readers and the size of the Radiomap (number of RSS training samples).
Cytotoxicity of dietary flavonoids on different human cancer types

Flavonoids are ubiquitous in nature. They are also in food, providing an essential link between diet and prevention of chronic diseases including cancer. Anticancer effects of these polyphenols depend on several factors: Their chemical structure and concentration, and also on the type of cancer. Malignant cells from different tissues reveal somewhat different sensitivity toward flavonoids and, therefore, the preferences of the most common dietary flavonoids to various human cancer types are analyzed in this review. While luteolin and kaempferol can be considered as promising candidate agents for treatment of gastric and ovarian cancers, respectively, apigenin, chrysin, and luteolin have good perspectives as potent antitumor agents for cervical cancer; cells from main sites of flavonoid metabolism (colon and liver) reveal rather large fluctuations in anticancer activity probably due to exposure to various metabolites with different activities. Anticancer effect of flavonoids toward blood cancer cells depend on their myeloid, lymphoid, or erythroid origin; cytotoxic effects of flavonoids on breast and prostate cancer cells are highly related to the expression of hormone receptors. Different flavonoids are often preferentially present in certain food items, and knowledge about the malignant tissue-specific anticancer effects of flavonoids could be purposely applied both in chemoprevention as well as in cancer treatment.
Ankylosing spondylitis: patterns of radiographic involvement--a re-examination of accepted principles in a cohort of 769 patients.

PURPOSE To re-examine the patterns of radiographic involvement in ankylosing spondylitis (AS). MATERIALS AND METHODS This prospective study had institutional review board approval, and 769 patients with AS (556 men, 213 women; mean age, 47.1 years; age range, 18-87 years) provided written informed consent. Radiographs of the cervical spine, lumbar spine, pelvis, and hips were scored by using the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Radiology Index (BASRI) by an experienced radiologist. Differences in sacroiliitis grade between right and left sacroiliac joints, frequency of cervical- and lumbar-predominant involvement by sex, frequency of progression to complete spinal fusion, and association between hip arthritis and spinal involvement were computed for the cohort overall and for subgroups defined according to duration of AS in 10-year increments. RESULTS Symmetric sacroiliitis was seen in 86.1% of patients. Lumbar predominance was more common during the first 20 years of the disease, after which the cervical spine and lumbar spine were equally involved. Men and women were equally likely to have cervical-predominant involvement. Complete spinal fusion was observed in 27.9% of patients with AS for more than 30 years and in 42.6% of patients with AS for more than 40 years. Patients with BASRI hip scores of 2 or greater had significantly higher BASRI spine scores. CONCLUSION There were no sex differences in cervical-predominant involvement in AS. Hip arthritis was strongly associated with worse spinal involvement.
1 × 8 green light intensity splitter based on gallium-nitride slot waveguide in MMI structure

The advance progress of the visible light networking systems requires powerful and new devices that enable high data rate light transmission with low losses. Therefore, we introduce a new design for a 1×8 green light intensity splitter based on the multimode interference coupler (MMI) in a gallium-nitride (GaN) - silicon-oxide (SiO2) slot waveguide structure. Simulation results show that after a propagation length of 16. 55μm the power of the green light signal (536 nm) is split into eight output beams with equal power and low transmission losses of 0.11dB. In addition, the splitter operates in the visible light spectrum from 460-670nm. Therefore, this device can increase performance in network communication systems that work in the visible light range.
Molecular Evolution of Hepatitis Viruses

Five hepatitis viruses (HV) are known to date. Infection by enterically-transmitted viruses (HAV and HEV) causes acute hepatitis and is generally benign compared to the disease caused by parenterally-transmitted viruses (HBV, HCV and HDV), for which chronic infection may lead to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Some types of HDV have also been associated to a high frequency of fulminant hepatitis (Table 1). In addition to these viruses, other viruses have been discovered and initially proposed as causative agents of hepatitis, like GBV-C, TTV and SenV. The association with hepatitis was later discarded.
Synthesis and Recognition of Face Profiles

Research on biometrical systems and especially on face recognition systems has become of high interest. Nowadays several approaches exist to recognize frontal views of faces. Under certain constraints the recognition accuracy even for huge databases seems to be acceptable. However, it has shown, that the recognition performance of nearly all state-of-the-art systems dramatically drops down, when faces rotated in-depth or even profile views are presented. In this work we present our actual experiments and results of neural network based approaches for face profile recognition systems. One of the main challenges is to implement a self learning approach that does not need any direct 3D information. The key idea of our approaches is to derive the correspondences between head profiles and frontal views by examples automatically. With this approach we are able to synthesize profile views of heads by presenting frontal views. The quality of the resulting systems can be measured with Hidden Markov Models (HMM) and an extension to the well-known Eigenfaces approach. The performances are evaluated on the MUGSHOT and the FERET database.
Cooperative peer groups in NICE

A distributed scheme for trust inference in peer-to-peer networks is presented. Our work is in context of the NICE system, which is a platform for implementing cooperative applications over the Internet. We describe a technique for efficiently storing user reputation information in a completely decentralized manner, and show how this information can be used to efficiently identify noncooperative users in NICE. We present a simulation based study of our algorithms, in which we show our scheme scales to thousands of users using modest amounts of storage, processing, and bandwidth at any individual node. Lastly, we show that our scheme is robust and can form cooperative groups in systems where the vast majority of users are malicious.
Continuous-Wave Molecular Modulation Using a High-Finesse Cavity

We demonstrate an optical modulator at a frequency of 90 THz that has the capability to modulate any laser beam in the optical region of the spectrum. The modulator is constructed by placing deuterium molecules inside a high-finesse cavity and driving a vibrational transition with two continuous-wave laser beams. The two beams, the pump and the Stokes, are resonant with the cavity. The high intra-cavity intensities that build up drive the molecules to a coherent state. This molecular coherence can then be used to modulate an independent laser beam, to produce frequency up-shifted and down-shifted sidebands. The beam to be modulated is not resonant with the cavity and thus the sidebands are produced in a single pass.