Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multiple-frequency continuous wave ultrasonic system for accurate distance measurement

A highly accurate multiple-frequency continuous wave ultrasonic range-measuring system for use in air is described. The proposed system uses a method heretofore applied to radio frequency distance measurement but not to air-based ultrasonic systems. The method presented here is based upon the comparative phase shifts generated by three continuous ultrasonic waves of different but closely spaced frequencies. In the test embodiment to confirm concept feasibility, two low cost 40 kHz ultrasonic transducers are set face to face and used to transmit and receive ultrasound. Individual frequencies are transmitted serially, each generating its own phase shift. For any given frequency, the transmitter/receiver distance modulates the phase shift between the transmitted and received signals. Comparison of the phase shifts allows a highly accurate evaluation of target distance. A single-chip microcomputer-based multiple-frequency continuous wave generator and phase detector was designed to record and compute the phas.
A theorem on cardinal numbers associated with ${\cal L}_{\infty}$ Abelian groups

The topology of a topological group $G$ is called an ${\cal L}_{\infty}$-topology if it can be represented as the intersection of a decreasing sequence of locally compact Hausdorff group topolgies on $G$. If ${\cal L}_1 < {\cal L}_2$ are two distinct ${\cal L}_{\infty}$-topologies on an Abelian group $G$, it is shown that the quotient of the corresponding character groups has cardinality ${\geqslant} 2^{\rm c}$. A conjecture in this sense announced by J. B. Reade in his paper [6] is thereby proved.
The Robustness of ME/I Evaluations to Among-Group Dependence

This study evaluates the robustness of multisample confirmatory factor analysis approaches to measurement equivalence/invariance (ME/I) evaluations under a specific model misspecification: when independence among the groups is assumed, but groups are dependent. Monte Carlo simulation is used to investigate the robustness of several ME/I evaluation procedures including the likelihood ratio test ( ), ΔCFI, ΔSRMR, and ΔRMSEA. The effect of this model misspecification on the factor loadings and their standard errors is also considered. Assuming the groups are independent when they are not is shown to have no practical effect on the results of the , ΔCFI, ΔSRMR, or ΔRMSEA procedures because the effect of model misspecification is canceled out through differencing. Similarly, the estimated factor loadings and standard errors are not significantly affected by incorrectly assuming among-group dependence. These results are used to develop recommendations for researchers who conduct multigroup analyses using structural equation models with samples in which independence is unclear.
Magnetohydrodynamic flows and turbulence: a report on the Second Bat-Sheva Seminar

This paper is a summary of the Second Bat-Sheva Seminar on magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) Flows and turbulence. It was held in the University of the Negev, Israel, on 28-31 March 1978, with 64 participants from 7 countries. Reviews and research papers were presented on the general theory of MHD, MHD duct flows (with emphasis on novel aspects such as non-uniform fields and fluid properties, bends, free-surface effects and longitudinal diffusion), two-phase flows (especially those likely to occur in a liquid-metal generator), turbulence and instabilities, and electrically driven flows (with new results presented for the theory of laminar and turbulent flows in induction furnaces, and for the theory of thermo-electrically driven flows in transverse magnetic fields). One day of the conference was devoted to turbulence, mainly without magnetic fields, with reviews and new results presented on the theory and measurements of coherent structures, intermittency at high Reynolds number, methods of calculating shear flows, and measurement techniques. The seminar was a strange mixture of people and topics, which produced some interesting papers and some useful discussion.
Analysis of semiparametric regression models for repeated outcomes in the presence of missing data

Abstract We propose a class of inverse probability of censoring weighted estimators for the parameters of models for the dependence of the mean of a vector of correlated response variables on a vector of explanatory variables in the presence of missing response data. The proposed estimators do not require full specification of the likelihood. They can be viewed as an extension of generalized estimating equations estimators that allow for the data to be missing at random but not missing completely at random. These estimators can be used to correct for dependent censoring and nonrandom noncompliance in randomized clinical trials studying the effect of a treatment on the evolution over time of the mean of a response variable. The likelihood-based parametric G-computation algorithm estimator may also be used to attempt to correct for dependent censoring and nonrandom noncompliance. But because of possible model misspecification, the parametric G-computation algorithm estimator, in contrast with the proposed w.
Confidence Intervals for Comparison of the Squared Multiple Correlation Coefficients of Non-nested Models

Multiple linear regression analysis is used widely to evaluate how an outcome or responsevariable is related to a set of predictors. Once a final model is specified, the interpretation of predictors can be achieved by assessing the relative importance of predictors. A common approach to predictor importance is to compare the increase in squared multiple correlation for a given model when one predictor is added to the increase when another predictor is added to the same model. This thesis proposes asymmetric confidence-intervals for a difference between two correlated squared multiple correlation coefficients of non-nested models. These new proceduresare developed by recovering variance estimates needed for the difference from asymmetric confidence limits for single multiple correlation coefficients. Simulation resultsshow that the new procedure based on confidence limits obtained from the two-moment scaled central F approximation performs much better than the traditional Wald approach. Two examples are used to illustrate the methodology. The application of the procedure indominance analysis and commonality analysis is discussed.
Improving Image Retrieval Using the Context-Aware Saliency Areas

The Context-Aware Saliency (CA) model—is a new model used for saliency detection—has strong limitations: It is very time consuming. This paper improved the shortcoming of this model namely Fast-CA and proposed a novel framework for image retrieval and image representation. The proposed framework derives from Fast-CA and multi-texton histogram. And the mechanisms of visual attention are simulated and used to detect saliency areas of an image. Furthermore, a very simple threshold method is adopted to detect the dominant saliency areas. Color, texture and edge features are further extracted to describe image content within the dominant saliency areas, and then those features are integrated into one entity as image representation, where image representation is so called the dominant saliency areas histogram (DSAH) and used for image retrieval. Experimental results indicate that our algorithm outperform multi-texton histogram (MTH) and edge histogram descriptors (EHD) on Corel dataset with 10000 natural images.
The effectiveness of internet-based psychoeducation programs for caregivers of people living with dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Objective The objectives of this systematic review and meta-analysis were to identify the characteristics of internet-based psychoeducational programs for caregivers of people living with dementia and to synthesise program effectiveness. Method Five English databases and four Chinese databases were searched in June 2021 with no time limit applied. A narrative summary was performed to describe the characteristics of studies reviewed. Meta-analysis was applied to synthesise the pooled effects where data were available. Results A total of 14352 articles were identified from the database search and 19 were included in the final review. Interventions comprised educational, psychological, and behavioural training relevant to dementia care. Program duration ranged from 3 weeks to 12 months. Meta-analysis of 13 RCTs showed that internet-based psychoeducational programs had a significant effect on reducing caregivers’ depressive symptoms (SMD −0.19; 95% CI −0.03 − 0.35) and stress (SMD −0.29; 95% CI −0.03 −0.54). However, these programs did not show an effect on quality of life, anxiety, burden or self-efficacy in caregivers. Conclusion Internet-based psychoeducational programs can improve some aspects of caregivers’ mental health and emotional wellbeing. The effects of programs on self-efficacy, anxiety, burden and quality of life for caregivers remain inconclusive.
E. coli Common pili promote the fitness and virulence of a hybrid aEPEC/ExPEC strain within diverse host environments

ABSTRACT Pathogenic subsets of Escherichia coli include diarrheagenic (DEC) strains that cause disease within the gut and extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) strains that are linked with urinary tract infections, bacteremia, and other infections outside of intestinal tract. Among DEC strains is an emergent pathotype known as atypical enteropathogenic E. coli (aEPEC), which can cause severe diarrhea. Recent sequencing efforts revealed that some E. coli strains possess genetic features that are characteristic of both DEC and ExPEC isolates. BA1250 is a newly reclassified hybrid strain with characteristics of aEPEC and ExPEC. This strain was isolated from a child with diarrhea, but its genetic features indicate that it might have the capacity to cause disease at extraintestinal sites. The spectrum of adhesins encoded by hybrid strains like BA1250 are expected to be especially important in facilitating colonization of diverse niches. E. coli common pilus (ECP) is an adhesin expressed by many E. coli pathogens, but how it impacts hybrid strains has not been ascertained. Here, using zebrafish larvae as surrogate hosts to model both gut colonization and extraintestinal infections, we found that ECP can act as a multi-niche colonization and virulence factor for BA1250. Furthermore, our results indicate that ECP-related changes in activation of envelope stress response pathways may alter the fitness of BA1250. Using an in silico approach, we also delineated the broader repertoire of adhesins that are encoded by BA1250, and provide evidence that the expression of at least a few of these varies in the absence of functional ECP.
How do host plant use and seasonal life cycle relate to insect body size: A case study on European geometrid moths (Lepidoptera: Geometridae)

We used European geometrid moths (>630 species) as a model group to investigate how life history traits linked to larval host plant use (i.e., diet breadth and host‐plant growth form) and seasonal life cycle (i.e., voltinism, overwintering stage and caterpillar phenology) are related to adult body size in holometabolous insect herbivores. To do so, we applied phylogenetic comparative methods to account for shared evolutionary history among herbivore species. We further categorized larval diet breadth based on the phylogenetic structure of utilized host plant genera. Our results indicate that species associated with woody plants are, on average, larger than herb feeders and increase in size with increasing diet breadth. Obligatorily univoltine species are larger than multivoltine species, and attain larger sizes when their larvae occur exclusively in the early season. Furthermore, the adult body size is significantly smaller in species that overwinter in the pupal stage compared to those that overwinter as eggs or caterpillars. In summary, our results indicate that the ecological niche of holometabolous insect herbivores is strongly interrelated with body size at maturity.
Anisotropic Friction in a Ligand-Protein Complex

The effect of an externally applied directional force on molecular friction is so far poorly understood. Here, we study the force-driven dissociation of the ligand-protein complex biotin-streptavidin and identify anisotropic friction as a not yet described type of molecular friction. Using AFM-based stereographic single molecule force spectroscopy and targeted molecular dynamics simulations, we find that the rupture force and friction for biotin-streptavidin vary with the pulling angle. This observation holds true for friction extracted from Kramers’ rate expression and by dissipation-corrected targeted molecular dynamics simulations based on Jarzynski’s identity. We rule out ligand solvation and protein-internal friction as sources of the angle-dependent friction. Instead, we observe a heterogeneity in free energy barriers along an experimentally uncontrolled orientation parameter, which increases the rupture force variance and therefore the overall friction. We anticipate that anisotropic friction needs to be accounted for in a complete understanding of friction in biomolecular dynamics and anisotropic mechanical environments.
Two silicon optical modulators realizable with a fully compatible bipolar process

In this paper, we describe two different kinds of silicon optical modulators both integrated into a silicon on silicon optical channel waveguide which can be realized using a standard bipolar process. The possibility of using standard, well-known technology presents several advantages with respect to III-V optoelectronics. The first device presented is based on a three-terminal active device and exploits the plasma dispersion effect to achieve the desired modulation. The active device used is a bipolar mode field effect transistor; we show how the introduction of the third control terminal introduces some definite advantages with respect to commonly p-i-n driven modulators. The second is an electrically controlled Bragg reflector. In this case, although controlled by a p-i-n diode, fast switching speed is achieved. because lower injection levels are required. Numerical simulations and preliminary experimental results are presented on both devices.
Associations Between High Pain Catastrophizing and Opioid-Related Awareness and Beliefs Among Patients in Primary Care

Background: Limited studies are available on patients’ perspectives regarding opioid-related awareness, beliefs, and pain management in primary care settings in the US. Pain catastrophizing (PC) is a cascade of negative thoughts and emotions in response to actual or anticipated pain. High PC is 1 of the strongest predictors of negative pain outcomes. Method: A cross-sectional survey was administered at Family Medicine clinics in the Pacific Northwest, November 2018-January 2019. Logistic regression was used to model the adjusted odds of participants’ awareness and beliefs on opioid epidemic issues, side effects/risks, and general beliefs by opioid prescription expectations and PC. Results: 108 participants completed the survey. Compared with participants with low PC, high PC participants were 74% less likely to be aware of opioid epidemic issues (OR = 0.26, P = .005, 95% CI:0.10-0.67), 62% less likely to be aware of opioid side effects/risks (OR = 0.38 P = .040, 95% CI: 0.15-0.96) and had 2.4 times increased odds of holding more positive beliefs about opioids and/or stronger beliefs regarding pain control, yet the latter did not reach statistical significance (OR = 2.40 P = .083, 95% CI: 0.89-6.47). Conclusion: Significant gaps existed among our participants with high PC in their awareness of opioid epidemic issues and side effects/risks compared with their low PC counterparts. They may also carry positive beliefs regarding opioids and pain-control in general. In any pain care, it seems important to identify patients with high pain catastrophizing. Doing so may facilitates exploration of their beliefs and expectations regarding pain management and aids in tailoring individualized treatment and prevent adverse side effects.
The Use of a Wet-Surface Weighing Lysimeter System in Rainfall Interception Studies of Heather (Calluna vulgaris)

Abstract A portable, wet-surface lysimeter system, for measuring the in situ interception characteristics of short to medium height vegetation is described. The system, comprising an electronic balance and meteorological sensors linked to a microcomputer, has been used successfully at a number of U.K. sites of widely varying topography. In this paper, results are presented from two heather sites near Killin in Scotland. The aerodynamic resistance (rv) to the transport of water vapor from a canopy of wet heather was found, from solution of the Penman-Monteith equation, to be rv = (20.0 ± 2.0)ū−(0.60±0.06), where ū is the mean windspeed, and the canopy capacity of intercepted water was found to be (1.4 ± 0.2) mm. A review of methods of determining aerodynamic resistance is also given.
Epithelial talin-1 protects mice from citrobacter rodentium-induced colitis by restricting bacterial crypt intrusion and enhancing t cell immunity

ABSTRACT Pathogenic enteric Escherichia coli present a significant burden to global health. Food-borne enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) utilize attaching and effacing (A/E) lesions and actin-dense pedestal formation to colonize the gastrointestinal tract. Talin-1 is a large structural protein that links the actin cytoskeleton to the extracellular matrix though direct influence on integrins. Here we show that mice lacking talin-1 in intestinal epithelial cells (Tln1 Δepi ) have heightened susceptibility to colonic disease caused by the A/E murine pathogen Citrobacter rodentium. Tln1 Δepi mice exhibit decreased survival, and increased colonization, colon weight, and histologic colitis compared to littermate Tln1 fl/fl controls. These findings were associated with decreased actin polymerization and increased infiltration of innate myeloperoxidase-expressing immune cells, confirmed as neutrophils by flow cytometry, but more bacterial dissemination deep into colonic crypts. Further evaluation of the immune population recruited to the mucosa in response to C. rodentium revealed that loss of Tln1 in colonic epithelial cells (CECs) results in impaired recruitment and activation of T cells. C. rodentium infection-induced colonic mucosal hyperplasia was exacerbated in Tln1 Δepi mice compared to littermate controls. We demonstrate that this is associated with decreased CEC apoptosis and crowding of proliferating cells in the base of the glands. Taken together, talin-1 expression by CECs is important in the regulation of both epithelial renewal and the inflammatory T cell response in the setting of colitis caused by C. rodentium, suggesting that this protein functions in CECs to limit, rather than contribute to the pathogenesis of this enteric infection.
Deformation Potentials and Mobilities in Non-Polar Crystals

The method of effective mass, extended to apply to gradual shifts in energy bands resulting from deformations of the crystal lattice, is used to estimate the interaction between electrons of thermal energy and the acoustical modes of vibration. The mobilities of electrons and holes are thus related to the shifts of the conduction and valence-bond (filled) bands, respectively, associated with dilations of longitudinal waves. The theory is checked by comparison of the sum of the shifts of the conduction and valence-bond bands, as derived from the mobilities, with the shift of the energy gap with dilation. The latter is obtained independently for silicon, germanium and tellurium from one or more of the following: (1) the change in intrinsic conductivity with pressure, (2) the change in resistance of an $n\ensuremath{-}p$ junction with pressure, and (3) the variation of intrinsic concentration with temperature and the thermal expansion coefficient. Higher mobilities of electrons and holes in germanium as compared with silicon are correlated with a smaller shift of energy gap with dilation.
Electric Fields Radiated from the Gap Between Two Screws Discharged with an Electrostatic Discharge Gun

Abstract The finite difference time domain method was used to study the electric fields radiated from the gap between two screws embedded in an acrylic bar discharged with an electrostatic discharge gun. The excited source voltage across the gap between two screws was expressed by double exponential forms with two different decay constants after curve fitting 500 sets of measured data using classical curve-fitting techniques together with Newton's iteration method. The excitation source voltage pulse was then transferred into an electric field pulse over the gap between the two screws. The calculated electric fields radiated from the gap between the two screws were compared with those obtained from measured data at frequencies of 80 MHz to 1.0 GHz. It is shown that the measurement data manifests a good agreement with the simulation results. It is also found that the radiated electric field decreases sharply as the frequency increases from 80 MHz to 1.0 GHz. The time domain behavior of the radiated electric field near the acrylic bar was also obtained by the finite difference time domain method for observation of pulsed electromagnetic interference immunity.
An experimental forecast using a non‐hydrostatic mesoscale model

A non-hydrostatic mesoscale model formulated by Tapp and White has been extended to include the effects of orography and the variation of the large-scale meteorological situation. Other changes to the model, particularly in the parametrization of boundary layer turbulence, are described and its application as a forecasting tool is illustrated by an extensive study of one situation.
A One Health approach revealed the long-term role of Mycobacterium caprae as the hidden cause of human tuberculosis in a region of Spain, 2003 to 2022

Introduction Mycobacterium caprae is a member of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) not routinely identified to species level. It lacks specific clinical features of presentation and may therefore not be identified as the causative agent of tuberculosis. Use of whole genome sequencing (WGS) in the investigation of a family microepidemic of tuberculosis in Almería, Spain, unexpectedly identified the involvement of M. caprae. Aim We aimed to evaluate the presence of additional unidentified M. caprae cases and to determine the magnitude of this occurrence. Methods First-line characterisation of the MTBC isolates was done by MIRU-VNTR, followed by WGS. Human and animal M. caprae isolates were integrated in the analysis. Results A comprehensive One Health strategy allowed us to (i) detect other 11 M. caprae infections in humans in a period of 18 years, (ii) systematically analyse M. caprae infections on an epidemiologically related goat farm and (iii) geographically expand the study by including 16 M. caprae isolates from other provinces. Integrative genomic analysis of 41 human and animal M. caprae isolates showed a high diversity of strains. The animal isolates’ diversity was compatible with long-term infection, and close genomic relationships existed between isolates from goats on the farm and recent cases of M. caprae infection in humans. Discussion Zoonotic circulation of M. caprae strains had gone unnoticed for 18 years. Systematic characterisation of MTBC at species level and/or extended investigation of the possible sources of exposure in all tuberculosis cases would minimise the risk of overlooking similar zoonotic events.