Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Potential of Urine Biomarkers CHI3L1, NGAL, TIMP-2, IGFBP7, and Combinations as Complementary Diagnostic Tools for Acute Kidney Injury after Pediatric Cardiac Surgery: A Prospective Cohort Study

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common after pediatric cardiac surgery (CS). Several urine biomarkers have been validated to detect AKI earlier. The objective of this study was to evaluate urine CHI3L1, NGAL, TIMP-2, IGFBP7, and NephroCheck® as predictors for AKI ≥ 1 in pediatric CS after 48 h and AKI ≥ 2 after 12 h. Pediatric patients (age < 18 year; body weight ≥ 2 kg) requiring CS were prospectively included. Urine CHI3L1, NGAL, TIMP-2, IGFBP7, and NephroCheck® were measured during surgery and intensive care unit (ICU) stay and corrected for urine dilution. One hundred and one pediatric patients were included. AKI ≥ 1 within 48 h after ICU admission occurred in 62.4% and AKI ≥ 2 within 12 h in 30.7%. All damage biomarkers predicted AKI ≥ 1 within 48 h after ICU admission, when corrected for urine dilution: CHI3L1 (AUC-ROC: 0.642 (95% CI, 0.535–0.741)), NGAL (0.765 (0.664–0.848)), TIMP-2 (0.778 (0.662–0.868)), IGFBP7 (0.796 (0.682–0.883)), NephroCheck® (0.734 (0.614–0.832)). Similarly, AKI ≥ 2 within 12 h was predicted by all damage biomarkers when corrected for urine dilution: uCHI3L1 (AUC-ROC: 0.686 (95% CI, 0.580–0.780)), NGAL (0.714 (0.609–0.804)), TIMP-2 (0.830 (0.722–0.909)), IGFBP7 (0.834 (0.725–0.912)), NephroCheck® (0.774 (0.658–0.865)). After pediatric cardiac surgery, the damage biomarkers urine CHI3L1, NGAL, TIMP-2, IGFBP7, and NephroCheck® reliably predict AKI after correction for urine dilution.
Synergistic Effects of Displacement Damage and Helium on Microstructural Evolution and Radiation-Induced Hardening of Reduced Activation Ferritic/Martensitic Steel

Abstract Reduced activation ferritic/martensitic steels (RAFs) are leading candidates for blanket and first wall of fusion reactors where effects of displacement damage and helium production are important subjects to be investigated. To obtain systematic and accurate information of microstructural response under fusion environment, dual-ion irradiation method was applied. In order to estimate the microstructural response under fusion neutron irradiation environment, ion-beam irradiation was carried out with helium and metallic self ions. The study is focused on JLF-1 single- and dial-ion irradiated up to 60 dpa at 693, 743 and 793 K. The damage rate and helium injection rate were 1.0 × 10–3 dpa/sec and 15 × 10–3 appm He/sec. At 743 K, void cavity structure was observed under dual-ion irradiation where the contribution of void structure on hardening was not so significant. Irradiation hardening and swelling were depended for the case of dual-ion irradiation. It is attempted to quantitatively relate the dislocation and cavities to the irradiation induced hardening.
Influence of Semiconductor Island Geometry on the AC Performance of Flexible InGaZnO TFTs

The AC performance of flexible TFTs sufferers from parasitics caused by tolerances needed for the fabrication on free-standing plastic foils. In this context, the semiconductor island can either be wider or narrower than the source/drain contacts. Traditionally, the second configuration is expected to result in faster TFTs as the total gate overlap area is smaller. However, here it is shown that <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mathrm {2.5~ \mu \text {m} }$ </tex-math></inline-formula> long flexible InGaZnO TFTs with wide semiconductor islands exhibit better frequency performance such as a <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${f}_{T}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mathrm {26.1~ \text {M} \text {Hz} }$ </tex-math></inline-formula> (compared to <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${f}_{T}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\mathrm {13.8~ \text {M} \text {Hz} }$ </tex-math></inline-formula> of TFTs with narrow semiconductor islands). This effect is confirmed for flat and bend TFTs and is caused by current spreading in the semiconductor islands, as well as the frequency dependency of the gate capacitance.
Remote diagnostic of the hydrogen wall through measurements of the backscattered solar Lyman alpha radiation by Voyager 1/UVS in 1993–2003

We perform a new analysis of the Lyman alpha data obtained by Voyager 1 during the spatial scans in 1993–2003 while Voyager 1 was at 53–88 AU from the Sun. These data are the important source of information on the hydrogen distribution in the outer heliosphere. A sophisticated global kinetic‐MHD model of the heliospheric interface and a radiative transfer model are used for the analysis. It is shown for the first time that the ratio of the Lyman alpha intensities detected in the downwind and upwind lines of sight in the outer heliosphere is sensitive to the configuration (peak value and location) of the hydrogen wall. The hydrogen wall is a source of Doppler‐shifted backscattered Lyman alpha photons, so it can be seen from inside the heliosphere. Therefore, Voyager 1/ultraviolet spectrometer (UVS) Lyman alpha data can be used for remote sensing of the hydrogen wall. We show that our current global model of the outer heliosphere, which is consistent with many other measurements including Lyman alpha data from both Voyager 1 and 2 in 1980–1993, provides a systematically larger downwind to upwind intensity ratio compared with the UVS data in 1993–2003. In order to decrease the ratio, a higher and/or closer hydrogen wall is needed.
Corrosion monitoring at the interface using sensors and advanced sensing materials: Methods, challenges and opportunities

Detecting and monitoring of corrosion is one of the major challenges in insulated metallic structures or structures with one or more than one interface. This review paper aims to consolidate scattered literature on laboratory system-based corrosion measurement at the interface region. There are range of sensor-based detection and monitoring methods (active, passive) for corrosion rate analysis, including those which measures a surrogate, i.e. quantifying moisture, temperature, pH and qualify other changes or degradations at the interface. With the emergence of a novel application of advanced sensing methods, this review also presents the possibility of the application of hybrid and multifunctional sensing methods at the interfaces, aimed at advancing corrosion monitoring at the interface region. Key research areas of development relating to the application of combination of other materials (e.g. metal oxides, carbon nanotubes, metal nanowires, piezoelectric) as potential sensors and their impact on existing practices in the field are identified. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Visual and haptic cues in processing occlusion

Introduction Although shape is effective in processing occlusion, ambiguities in segmentation can also be addressed using depth discontinuity given visually and haptically. This study elucidates the contribution of visual and haptic cues to depth discontinuity in processing occlusion. Methods A virtual reality experiment was conducted with 15 students as participants. Word stimuli were presented on a head-mounted display for recognition. The central part of the words was masked with a virtual ribbon placed at different depths so that the ribbon appeared as an occlusion. The visual depth cue was either present with binocular stereopsis or absent with monocular presentation. The haptic cue was either missing, provided consecutively, or concurrently, by actively tracing a real off-screen bar edge that was positionally aligned with the ribbon in the virtual space. Recognition performance was compared between depth cue conditions. Results We found that word recognition was better with the stereoscopic cue but not with the haptic cue, although both cues contributed to greater confidence in depth estimation. The performance was better when the ribbon was at the farther depth plane to appear as a hollow, rather than when it was at the nearer depth plane to cover the word. Discussion The results indicate that occlusion is processed in the human brain by visual input only despite the apparent effectiveness of haptic space perception, reflecting a complex set of natural constraints.
Bad beliefs: why they happen to highly intelligent, vigilant, devious, self-deceiving, coalitional apes

ABSTRACT Neil Levy argues that the importance of acquiring cultural knowledge in our evolutionary past selected for conformist and deferential social learning, and that contemporary bad beliefs – roughly, popular beliefs at odds with expert consensus – result primarily from the rational deployment of such conformity and deference in epistemically polluted modern environments. I raise several objections to this perspective. First, against the cultural evolutionary theory from which Levy draws, I argue that humans evolved to be highly sophisticated and vigilant social learners. Given this, the ubiquity of bad beliefs in the modern world is puzzling: if humans are so smart and suspicious, why do these characteristics seem so rare in domains such as politics? I argue that the answer rests on the incentives that underlie bad beliefs, and I favorably contrast this explanation with Levy’s appeal to epistemic pollution.
Bycatch of harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) in gillnet fisheries of the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada, 2000-02

The incidental catch of harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) in the gillnet fishery of the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada, was examined using: (1) questionnaires mailed to fishermen inquiring about bycatches in 2000 and 2001 (n=2,277 or 44% of the fishermen with valid licenses); and (2) using data from an at-sea observer programme and sentinel fishery programme in 2001 and 2002. The questionnaire survey had a low response rate (22%) and provided bycatch estimates of 2,215 (95% CI 1,151-3,662) and 2,394 (95% CI 1,440-3,348) porpoises in 2000 and 2001, respectively. The low number of hauls monitored by at-sea observers prevented the estimation of bycatch levels for several zones and the study area as a whole, and provided only imprecise estimates for all other zones. The results from questionnaires indicated a 24-63% reduction in harbour porpoise bycatches since the late 1980s, whereas the at-sea observer programme provided bycatch levels for 2001 and 2002 that were unreliable and underestimated, approaching one quarter of those documented in the late 1980s. Although both indices indicated a decrease in bycatches since the late 1980s, the magnitude of this change remains uncertain given the weaknesses associated with the two approaches. Considering the maximum population rate of increase (Rmax) for harbour porpoises as 4% and the lower and upper 95% confidence limits (1,440-3,348) of our most reliable estimate of bycatches (i.e. the 2001 questionnaire survey results), the harbour porpoise population in the Gulf of St. Lawrence would need to be at least 36,000-83,700 individuals for current incidental catches to be sustainable. If the rate of increase is less than maximal, e.g. 0.5Rmax or 2%, then 72,000-167,400 harbour porpoises would be needed to attain sustainability. Kingsley and Reeves (1998) estimated that an average 36,000 to 125,000 porpoises occupied the Gulf of St. Lawrence during the summers of 1995 and 1996. Although the trajectory of the population since it was last surveyed in 1996 is uncertain, these findings suggest that bycatch levels might remain a cause for concern for the harbour porpoise population in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The results from the comparison between the sentinel fishery and the commercial fishery subjected and not subjected to at-sea observations suggest that fine-scale temporal and spatial changes in fishing activities may greatly affect harbour porpoise bycatch levels.
A fast particle swarm algorithm for solving smooth and non-smooth economic dispatch problems

The Economic Dispatch (ED) problem is a common task in the operational planning of a power system, which requires to be optimized. Such optimization includes two goals: (1) the minimization of the total scheduled cost and (2) the minimization of the response time. This article presents a fast Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) approach for solving the ED problem. The proposed approach is applied to five case studies, having different size and complexity. Three of them have a smooth fuel cost, whereas the other two have non-smooth load functions, with valve-points. The experimental results indicate that the proposed approach provides good results on the test problems adopted, while requiring a lower computational time than other approaches taken from the specialized literature.
Self-Biased Mo/n-4H-SiC Schottky Barriers as High-Performance Ultraviolet Photodetectors

We report a high photocurrent-to-dark current ratio (PDCR) of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${8}\times {10}^{{5}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> observed in Mo/4H-SiC Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) in self-biased mode when exposed to a 1.5 mW ultraviolet (UV) emitting at 365 nm. Such high performing self-biased UV photodetectors are poised to address the longstanding problem of designing self-powered UV sensors for harsh environment applications e.g., advanced nuclear reactors and space missions. The vertical Schottky diodes have been fabricated by depositing semi-transparent molybdenum anode contact on <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$20\mu \text{m}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> thick n-type 4H-SiC epilayer with an effective doping concentration of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$10^{{14}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> cm<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$^{-{3}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and low trap concentration. The SBDs demonstrated a built-in voltage (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${V}_{\textit {bi}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>) of 2.48 V as measured from capacitance-voltage characteristics with a test frequency of 1 MHz. A hole diffusion length (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${L}_{d}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>) of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$22.8\mu \text{m}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> was calculated using a drift-diffusion model applied to alpha radiation response of the SBDs. Such high <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${V}_{\textit {bi}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${L}_{d}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> led to an excellent charge collection efficiency of 70% and the large PDCR at 0 V applied bias (self-biased mode). The results presented in this letter reveal the unexplored potential of wide bandgap semiconductors as high-efficiency self-biased UV photodetectors.
The Analysis of Genetic Polymorphism on Mitochondrial Hypervariable Region III in Thai Population

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis is a genetic marker for human identification, especially matrilineal inheritance. Hypervariable regions (HVR) I and II of mtDNA have been currently performed for human identification worldwide. Further examination of HVRIII has been conducted with the aim of enhancing the power of discrimination. The aim of this research is to provide informative data on the polymorphisms of HVRIII in the Thai population in order to establish a national database for human identification. Thai people who were unrelated through the maternal lineage were recruited for blood collections. The mtDNA was extracted by Chelex extraction, amplified by polymerase chain reaction, and analyzed using Sequencing Analysis Software. The most common mutation in HVRIII was base substitution, followed by deletion and insertion. We discovered 40 unique haplotypes, with haplotype 489C being the most frequent. The haplotype diversity, power of discrimination, and random match probability were 0.8014, 0.7987, and 0.2013, respectively. Five-CA repeats were the most frequently observed in nucleotide positions 514–523. Our database can be employed as supplementary markers in addition to nuclear deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) markers in forensic investigations. Moreover, the data could potentially enhance genetic identification and anthropological genetics research in Thailand.
Local variability of a taiga snow cover due to vegetation and microtopography

ABSTRACT The taiga snow cover accumulates in relatively stable and windless weather. This should produce a uniform snow cover with continuous, laterally homogeneous stratigraphy and snow properties when the snow is deposited on a level, smooth substrate. However, such substrates are rare, and local variations in vegetation and ground surface topography alter the structure of the snow cover and produce irregular snow layers. In this study, we investigated the effects of vegetation, microtopography, and microclimatic variability on the taiga snow near Fairbanks, Alaska. Through the winter of 2019–2020, in situ measurements were made at three locations with distinctly different local microtopographic features and radically different (but typical) vegetation. One site was an open grassy field, the second a mature spruce forest, and the third a birch forest located on thermokarst terrain with steep microrelief where ice wedges had degraded. Widely different canopy interception processes proved to have the strongest impact on the resulting snow cover heterogeneity by altering the initial deposition, with surface microtopography having the second strongest influence through postdepositional processes. In this article, we suggest a conceptual framework for understanding and modeling taiga snow variability in terms of the vegetation and microtopography that created it.
Natural Plasmodium falciparum Infection Stimulates Human Antibodies to MSP1 Epitopes Identified in Mice Infection Models upon Non-Natural Modified Peptidomimetic Vaccination

(1) Background: Malaria, a vector-borne infectious disease, is caused by parasites of the Plasmodium genus, responsible for increased extreme morbidity and mortality rates. Despite advances in approved vaccines, full protection has not yet been achieved upon vaccination, thus the development of more potent and safe immuno-stimulating agents for malaria prevention is a goal to be urgently accomplished. We have focused our research on a strategy to identify Plasmodium spp. epitopes by naturally acquired human antibodies and rodent malaria infection models immunized with site-directed non-natural antigens. (2) Methods: Some predictive algorithms and bioinformatics tools resembling different biological environments, such as phagosome-lysosome proteolytic degradation, affinity, and the high frequency of malaria-resistant and -sensitive HLA-II alleles were regarded for the proper selection of epitopes and potential testing. Each epitope’s binding profile to both host cells and HLA-II molecules was considered for such initial screening. (3) Results: Once selected, we define each epitope-peptide to be synthesized in terms of size and hydrophobicity, and introduced peptide-bond surrogates and non-natural amino acids in a site-directed fashion, and then they were produced by solid-phase peptide synthesis. Molecules were then tested by their antigenic and immunogenic properties compared to human sera from Colombian malaria-endemic areas. The antigenicity and protective capacity of each epitope-peptide in a rodent infection model were examined. The ability of vaccinated mice after being challenged with P. berghei ANKA and P. yoelii 17XL to control malaria led to the determination of an immune stimulation involving Th1 and Th1/Th2 mechanisms. In silico molecular dynamics and modeling provided some interactions insights, leading to possible explanations for protection due to immunization. (4) Conclusions: We have found evidence for proposing MSP1-modified epitopes to be considered as neutralizing antibody stimulators that are useful as probes for the detection of Plasmodium parasites, as well as for sub-unit components of a site-directed designed malaria vaccine candidate.
Transfer Learning Approaches for Gait-Based Wireless Person Identification

The human gait is a biometric feature that is unique to any individual. Since the human body affects the propagation of wireless signals, wireless networks can be used for identification of persons walking nearby. This biometric identification approach has been object of research in several studies described in the literature. In this brief, we present a gait-based wireless user identification system that outperforms these existing solutions in terms of cost, effort and accuracy. Firstly, using a mesh network of low-cost wireless sensor nodes, the identification error rate could be reduced by more than 80 % in comparison to the best of prior studies. For a set of six persons to be identified, the identification accuracy could thus be improved to more than 99 %. Secondly, using the technique of Transfer Learning, the capabilities of the proposed system can be easily transferred to identify unknown persons and locations with only a few minutes of training effort. Training the system on the identification of six unknown persons, it has been found that the training effort can be reduced by about 96 % without a significant loss of accuracy.
A NOVEL SLITTED TOOTH CORE DESIGN TO IMPROVE THE TORQUE-SPEED CHARACTERISTIC OF SQUIRREL CAGE INDUCTION MOTOR

In this study, a new design was suggested in order to improve the performance of induction motors. In these new designs, slits were applied in the middle of stator and rotor tooth parts. In these slitted models, the depth and width of slits were optimized by Finite Element Method Magnetics (FEMM) by using Finite Elements Method (FEM). Starting torque, pull-out torque, rated torque and torque-speed characteristics of the new motor model formed with the proposed slitted construction and reference motor model are given in comparison. The motor model is made with 56 slits which have different depth and width to see the effects of slits in the stator and rotor. In modeling, 3 kW squirrel-cage induction motor was used. As a result of modeling, increase in the coupling flux provided 2.085% and 4% increase especially in pull-out and rated torque values respectively.
Identifying Oxidized Lipid Metabolism-Related LncRNAs as Prognostic Biomarkers of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

The relationship between oxidized lipid metabolism and the immunological function of cancer is well known. However, the functions and regulatory mechanisms of lncRNAs associated with oxidized lipid metabolism in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remain to be fully elucidated. In this study, we established an oxidized lipid metabolism-related lncRNA prognostic signature to assess the prognosis and immune infiltration of HNSCC patients. The HNSCC transcriptome was obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas. The choice of the target genes with a relevance score greater than 10 was performed via a correlation analysis by GeneCards. Patients were categorized by risk score and generated with multivariate Cox regression, which was then validated and evaluated using the Kaplan–Meier analysis and time-dependent receiver operating characteristics (ROC). A nomogram was constructed by combining the risk score with the clinical data. We constructed a risk score with 24 oxidized lipid metabolism-related lncRNAs. The areas’ 1-, 2-, and 3-year OS under the ROC curve (AUC) were 0.765, 0.724, and 0.724, respectively. Furthermore, the nomogram clearly distinguished the survival probabilities of patients in high- and low-risk groups, between which substantial variations were revealed by immune infiltration analysis. The results supported the fact that oxidized lipid metabolism-related lncRNAs might predict prognoses and assist with differentiating amid differences in immune infiltration in HNSCC.