Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Wavy Leading Edge Airfoils Interacting with Anisotropic Turbulence

Leading edge noise reductions caused by serrations have been shown to be sensitive to the length scales of vortical disturbances. In order to improve the understanding of wavy leading edge airfoils as a noise reduction technology, this paper examines the effects of anisotropy on turbulence-airfoil interaction noise by means of computational aeroacoutic simulations. A synthetic turbulence method is used to generate fully three-dimensional, divergence-free, homogeneous anisotropic turbulence, which is injected in a linearized Euler equation solver to model the noise generation. Moderate variations in turbulence length scales, which are representative of the anisotropy in aero-engine fan wakes, are tested for a NACA 0012 airfoil with a wavy leading edge. This work focuses on the noise sources in the near-field by examining the distortion of the turbulent structures and velocity spectra in the vicinity of the noise sources, the unsteady pressure and its spectral density on the airfoil surface, the magnitude-squared coherence between velocity and pressure fluctuations on the noise sources, and the correlation between noise sources along the span for various degrees of anisotropy. Numerical results show that small variations in the turbulence length scales can produce significant changes in the spectral content of the noise sources at the peak and root regions. The loudest noise source is always located in the root region for the cases examined and this source is mainly affected by the transverse velocity fluctuations. To reduce the correlation between noise sources in the peak and root regions, the ratio between the chordwise length scale and the amplitude of the serrations, and the ratio between the spanwise length scale and the wavelength of the leading edge should satisfy lx/(2h)<1 and lz/λ≤0.5, respectively.
Pollyanna Grows Up

Her crippled legs cured, Pollyanna takes her glad heart to cheer new friends in Boston before travelling to Europe with Aunt Polly and Dr chilton. But growing up brings sorrows as well as joys, and when she returns after six years, with Dr Chilton dead and Aunt Polly fallen on hard times, even Pollyanna has trouble maintaining her usual cheerful outlook.
Alberta’s Oil Sands: Hard Evidence, Missing Data, New Promises

Pitched battles are a regular occurrence in northern Alberta, Canada, as development of the province’s oil sands continues to expand. One ongoing battle—with another salvo launched in February 2011 with the leak of a European Commission report1—concerns how dirty oil sands are, relative to other fuels. Another concerns the influence of the oil sands industry in monitoring its own activity.2 In an effort to cut through the rhetoric of health advocates, industry representatives, environmentalists, government officials, and local residents, the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) selected and covered expenses for an expert panel to winnow out the facts. In a report issued 15 December 20103 the panel cited substantial evidence that efforts to extract oil from the Alberta deposits have degraded air, land, and water quality to varying degrees. The extent of the degradation is sometimes controversial; water quality data, in particular, are subject to differing interpretations and attributions of causality. However, the panel says that, based on publicly available evidence, there appear to be no significant human health threats to the general population either now or from development anticipated in the next decade or so. But the panel also warns that their conclusions come with a major caveat: there are major gaps in health and environmental data, risk assessments, government oversight, information transparency, industry efforts, and disaster preparedness. The health of the region could hinge on these gaps being addressed, particularly since, according to Travis Davies, a spokesman for the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, 97% of projected oil extraction and processing is still to come. After the RSC panel reviewed reams of publicly available information on factors such as health status, air and water pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, land disturbance, and energy and water consumption, it concluded that “[t]he claim by some critics of the oil sands industry that it is the most environmentally destructive project on earth is not supported by the evidence. However, for Canada and Alberta, the oil sands industry involves major environmental issues on many fronts which must be addressed as a high priority. ”3p293
Room-Temperature Pressure-Induced Optically-Actuated Fabry-Perot Nanomechanical Resonator with Multilayer Graphene Diaphragm in Air

We demonstrated a miniature and in situ ~13-layer graphene nanomechanical resonator by utilizing a simple optical fiber Fabry-Perot (F-P) interferometric excitation and detection scheme. The graphene film was transferred onto the endface of a ferrule with a 125-μm inner diameter. In contrast to the pre-tension induced in membrane that increased quality (Q) factor to ~18.5 from ~3.23 at room temperature and normal pressure, the limited effects of air damping on resonance behaviors at 10−2 and 105 Pa were demonstrated by characterizing graphene F-P resonators with open and micro-air-gap cavities. Then in terms of optomechanical behaviors of the resonator with an air micro-cavity configuration using a polished ferrule substrate, measured resonance frequencies were increased to the range of 509–542 kHz from several kHz with a maximum Q factor of 16.6 despite the lower Knudsen number ranging from 0.0002 to 0.0006 in damping air over a relative pressure range of 0–199 kPa. However, there was the little dependence of Q on resonance frequency. Note that compared with the inferior F-P cavity length response to applied pressures due to interfacial air leakage, the developed F-P resonator exhibited a consistent fitted pressure sensitivity of 1.18 × 105 kHz3/kPa with a good linearity error of 5.16% in the tested range. These measurements shed light on the pre-stress-dominated pressure-sensitive mechanisms behind air damping in in situ F-P resonant sensors using graphene or other 2D nanomaterials.
Mortality due to fox predation in free-range poultry flocks in Britain

Information derived from questionnaires sent to producers of free-range eggs, chickens, turkeys and geese was used to assess the extent of fox predation in terms of the density of the fox population and farm management factors. The mean reported bird mortality was less than 2 per cent for all the producers, but there were marked differences between them. Egg producers reported losing many more birds to foxes than other types of producer (up to 1000 birds in a laying cycle). On average, egg and goose producers lost the highest proportions of their total flocks (0.5 per cent). The extent of predation was not associated either with large-scale estimations of the density of the fox population or with variations in the farms' habitat. Chicken predation was not linked to differences in types of housing or fencing. However, there was a positive association between losses due to other causes and chicken predation. The results suggest that changes in farm management would be the most cost-effective means of reducing fox predation, rather than greater fox control.
Effects of astragalus polysaccharide on the adhesion-related immune response of endothelial cells stimulated with CSFV in vitro

Background Astragalus polysaccharide (APS) has immunomodulatory activities on porcine peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The immunomodulatory effects of APS on porcine endothelial cells (ECs) expose to classical swine fever virus (CSFV) remain unknown. Methods The virus was titrated using an indirect immune biotin enzyme standard method to confirm that porcine ECs were susceptible to CSFV infection and to determine the TCID50 of CSFV (C-strain). Porcine ECs were cultured with CSFV in the presence of APS. Relative quantitative PCR was used to assess the mRNA expression of factors that influence EC adhesion and immunity. Results The expression of adhesion factors mRNA increased following stimulation with CSFV; this effect was inhibited by pre-exposing the cells to APS. In addition, the expression of growth factors and some immune factors increased after infection with CSFV; this increase in tissue factor (TF), transforming growth factor (TGF-β), and interleukin-8 (IL-8) could be inhibited by the addition of APS. The immune response mediated by Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in ECs may be unregulated by CSFV as it was also inhibited by pre-treatment with APS. Discussion The addition of APS to the culture can obviously regulate the expression of molecules related to the adhesion, growth, and immune response of ECs, as well as the production of cytokines. Therefore, it may have the potential to be an effective component in vaccines against CSFV.
Worlds Apart?

This article demonstrates how the combined approaches of informed pluralism and disciplined integration can help rebridge the distance between the seemingly disparate academic worlds of family science and family business. The authors establish the need for such a resynthesis by documenting trends within family enterprise research from 1985 to 2010. The analysis vividly illustrates not only the increased dominance of publication outlets and theoretical perspectives associated with business but also the near disappearance of those associated with family. In light of these trends, the authors suggest that renewed attention to integrating ideas from the two disciplines is likely to enrich both. To illustrate this claim, this study combines concepts from long-standing theories within the family science literature (structural functionalism and symbolic interactionism) with those from predominant perspectives within the family business literature (agency theory and the resource-based view). The outcome is a series of provocative yet relevant potential new directions for each field.
Solving Share Equations in Logit Models Using the LambertW Function

Though individual demand and supply equations can readily be expressed in logit models, closed-form solutions for equilibrium shares and prices are intractable due to the presence of products of polynomial and exponential terms. This hinders the employment of logit models in theoretical studies, and also makes it difficult to develop reduced-form expressions for share and price as a function of exogenous variables for use in empirical studies. In this paper we propose that a mathematical function called the LambertW be employed in solving logit models for equilibrium shares and prices. We derive closed form solutions for price and share in both the monopoly case as well as in the presence of competition. In the competitive case, the prices of the focal firm and the competitor are dependent on each other; hence the equilibrium prices are endogenous and need to be determined simultaneously. To solve this issue, we provide a simple technique that researchers can employ to derive the optimal prices for both the focal firm and the competitor simultaneously.
Traits of invasives reconsidered: phenotypic comparisons of introduced invasive and introduced noninvasive plant species within two closely related clades.

In attempting to determine the traits associated with invasive plant species, ecologists have often used species native to the invaded range as "control species. " Because many native species themselves are aggressive colonizers, comparisons using this type of control do not necessarily yield information relevant to distinctions between invasive and noninvasive species. Here we implement an alternative study design that compares phenological, architectural, size, and fitness traits of several introduced invasive species to introduced noninvasive species within two genera of Asteraceae (Crepis and Centaurea). While there were many significant differences between the genera, there were few shared attributes among invasive or noninvasive congeners, even for traits as seemingly important as the number of inflorescences produced and the size of seed heads. Instead, the results suggest that differences in invasiveness between closely related species is better explained as the result of complex trait interactions and specific introduction histories.
Simulation-based training is superior to problem-based learning for the acquisition of critical assessment and management skills*

Objective:To determine whether full-scale simulation (SIM) is superior to interactive problem-based learning (PBL) for teaching medical students acute care assessment and management skills. Design:Randomized controlled trial. Setting:Simulation center at a U.S. medical school. Subjects:Thirty-one fourth-year medical students in a weeklong acute care course. Interventions:After institutional review board approval and informed consent, eligible students were randomized to either the SIM or PBL group. On day 1, all subjects underwent a simulator-based initial assessment designed to evaluate their critical care skills. Two blinded investigators assessed each student using a standardized checklist. Subsequently, the PBL group learned about dyspnea in a standard PBL format. The SIM group learned about dyspnea using the simulator. To equalize simulator education time, the PBL group learned about acute abdominal pain on the simulator, whereas the SIM group used the PBL format. On day 5, each student was tested on a unique dyspnea scenario. Measurements and Main Results:Mean initial assessment and final assessment checklist scores and their change for the SIM and PBL groups were compared using the Student’s t-test. A p < . 05 was considered significant. The SIM and PBL groups had similar mean (PBL 0.44, SIM 0.47, p = .64) initial assessment scores (earned score divided by maximum score) and were deemed equivalent. The SIM group performed better than the PBL group on the final assessment (mean, PBL 0.53, SIM 0.72, p < .0001). When each student’s change in score (percent correct on final assessment minus percent correct on the initial assessment) was compared, SIM group students performed better (mean improvement, SIM 25 percentage points vs. PBL 8 percentage points, p < .04) Conclusions:For fourth-year medical students, simulation-based learning was superior to problem-based learning for the acquisition of critical assessment and management skills.
Assembly and Trafficking of a Multiprotein ROMK (Kir 1.1) Channel Complex by PDZ Interactions*

The ROMK subtypes of inward rectifier K+ channels (Kir 1.1, KCNJ1) mediate potassium secretion and regulate NaCl reabsorption in the kidney. In the present study, the role of the PDZ binding motif in ROMK function is explored. Here we identify the Na/H exchange regulatory factors, NHERF-1 and NHERF-2, as PDZ domain interaction partners of the ROMK channel. Characterization of the basis and consequences of NHERF association with ROMK reveals a PDZ interaction-dependent trafficking process and a coupling mechanism for linking ROMK to a channel modifier protein, the cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR). As measured by antibody binding of external epitope-tagged forms of Kir 1.1 in intact cells, NHERF-1 or NHERF-2 coexpression increased cell surface expression of ROMK. Channel interaction with NHERF proteins and effects of NHERF on ROMK localization were dependent on the presence of the PDZ domain binding motif in ROMK. Both NHERF proteins contain two PDZ domains; recombinant protein-protein binding assays and yeast-two-hybrid studies revealed that ROMK preferentially associates with the second PDZ domain of NHERF-1 and with the first PDZ domain of NHERF-2, precisely opposite of what has been reported for CFTR. Consistent with the scaffolding capacity of the NHERF proteins, coexpression of NHERF-2 with ROMK and CFTR dramatically increases the amount of ROMK protein that coimmunopurifies and functionally interacts with CFTR. Thus NHERF facilitates assembly of a ternary complex containing ROMK and CFTR. These observations raise the possibility that PDZ-based interactions may underscore physiological regulation and membrane targeting of ROMK in the kidney.
Efficacy of methylnaltrexone for the treatment of opiod-induced constipation: a meta-analysis and systematic review

ABSTRACT Objective: Constipation is a common adverse effect in patients requiring long-term opioid therapy for pain control. Methylnaltrexone, a quaternary peripheral mu-opioid receptor antagonist, is an effective treatment of opioid induced constipation (OIC) without affecting centrally mediated analgesia. Our objective was to conduct a review and meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy of methylnaltrexone for treatment of OIC, as well as to provide a clinical discussion regarding newly developed alternatives and provide the current treatment algorithm utilized at our institution. Methods: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized control trials using Cochrane Collaboration Databases and MEDLINE from 2007-present. Literature related to methylnaltrexone, opioids, opioid receptors, opioid antagonists, opioid-induced constipation were reviewed. A meta-analysis was completed with the primary outcome of rescue-free bowel movement (RFBM) within four hours of administration. All pooled analyses were based on random-effects models. Results: 1239 patients were analyzed; 599 received methylnaltrexone and 640 received placebo. With a 95% CI calculated, the true risk difference is between 0.267 and 0.385, demonstrating a statistically significant difference in RFBM between treatment and placebo groups (p < 0.0001). Both the 0.15 mg/kg, 0.30 mg/kg doses every other day, and 12 mg/day dose were found to have increased risk of RFBM compared to placebo. Conclusion: Results support the use of methylnaltrexone. Furthermore, the use of methylnaltrexone to induce laxation may decrease use of health care resources, increase work productivity, and improve cost utilization. New treatments have been made available; however, controlled clinical studies are needed to demonstrate long–term efficacy, safety and cost–effectiveness. Possible limitations of this study include the relatively small number of randomized, placebo-controlled trials investigating the efficacy of methylnaltrexone versus placebo. There is also the possibility of publication bias, which may lead to overestimating the efficacy of methylnaltrexone in treating OIC.
A Novel Accurate Approximation Method of Lognormal Sum Random Variables

Xue Li. M.S. Egr Department of Electrical Engineering, Wright State University, 2008. A Novel Accurate Approximation Method of Lognormal Sum Random Variables Sums of lognormal random variables occur in many problems in wireless communications due to large-scale signal shadowing from multiple transmitters. With the emerging of cognitive radio technology, accurate analysis of interferences from multiple primary users and multiple secondary users is required. Such interferences are well modeled by the lognormal sum distribution. The lognormal sum distribution is known to have no close-form and is difficult to compute numerically. Several approximations to the lognormal sum distribution have been proposed and employed in literature. However, these approximation methods are not without their drawbacks. Some widely used approximation methods are not accurate at the lower region, while some other approximation methods require the CDF (cumulative distribution function) curve from the Monte Carlo Simulation which is very computational demanding. In this master’s thesis, we propose a novel approximation method, namely the Log Skew Normal (LSN) approximation, to accurately model the sum of M lognormal distributed random variables. The LSN approximation has good accuracy in the entire PDF (probability density function) region, especially in the lower PDF region. Furthermore, the proposed LSN approximation does not require the CDF curve. The close-form PDF of the resulting LSN random variable (RV) is presented and its parameters derived from those of the M individual lognormal RVs by using the moment matching technique. Simulation results on the CDF of sum of M lognormal random variables in different conditions are used as reference curves to compare various approximation techniques. Simulation results confirm that the proposed LSN approximation provides better accuracy over a wide CDF range with no computational complexity increase.
Heterogeneous Resource Allocation Algorithm for Ad Hoc Networks with Utility Fairness

Resource allocation is expected to be a most important factor especially for heterogeneous applications in wireless ad hoc networks. In this paper, a novel heterogeneous resource allocation algorithm (HRA) is presented for ad hoc networks, supporting both elastic and inelastic traffic. First, by combining the first order Lagrangian method with pseudo utility, the original nonconvex problem is converted into a new convex one. Then, we successfully solve the heterogeneous problem with the dual-based decomposition approach. In addition, we integrate utility fairness into the resource allocation framework, which can adaptively manage the tradeoff between elastic and inelastic flows. Simulations show and prove that HRA converges fast and can achieve the global optimum starting from many different network conditions, such as elastic, inelastic, and hybrid scenario. With both considerations of flow rate and utility fairness, HRA improves the overall network utility and system throughput greatly.
Hypermask: talking head projected onto moving surface

Hypermask is a system which projects an animated face onto a physical mask, worn by an actor. As the mask moves within a prescribed area, its position and orientation are detected by a camera, and the projected image changes with respect to the viewpoint of the audience. The lips of the projected face are automatically synthesized in real time with the voice of the actor, who also controls the facial expressions. As a theatrical tool, Hypermask enables a new style of storytelling. As a prototype system, we propose to put a self-contained Hypermask system in a trolley (disguised as a linen cart), so that it projects onto the mask worn by the actor pushing the trolley.
Autonomous Navigation of an Unmanned Ground Vehicle in Unstructured Forest Terrain

Autonomous vehicles can significantly improve efficiency and safety in applications ranging from warfare to transportation. However, to supply those benefits they must be shown to operate effectively, safely, and reliably in a wide range of terrains and conditions. Most major successes with autonomous vehicles have been limited to somewhat structured environments. We are interested in autonomous vehicles that can operate in forested areas, which are one of the most unstructured and difficult terrains due to the high number and varied nature of potential obstacles, the complexity of the visual field, and the difficulty in getting a good GPS fix due to overhead interference. In this paper we present a novel control system designed with the eventual goal of forest operation. It is built on top of the learning applied to ground robotics (LAGR) system developed at Carnegie Mellon. The new control system consists of the University of Idaho (UI) LAGR Planner and the UI software for LAGR vision system. The results show that the combination of these two modules significantly improve the capabilities of the LAGR robot and, more importantly, allow it to perform autonomously in complex environments such as primitive forest trails that the base system could not navigate.