Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Non-Foster augmented, broadband, efficient, electrically small, NFRP dipole antenna

A broadband metamaterial-inspired antenna has been designed and tested numerically. By making full use of the space available in a planar, electrically small, near field resonant parasitic (NFRP) antenna, an internal non-Foster (active) circuit has been integrated into its NFPR element. Nearly complete matching of the whole antenna to 50 Ω has been achieved from 280.1 to 315.7 MHz without any matching network. The increased 10 dB bandwidth is more than 68 times the original value. The simulation results show that the radiation efficiency is above 78.5% over the entire 10 dB bandwidth range.
Driving Soft Robots with Low-Boiling Point Fluids

Pneumatically-actuated soft robots are limited by the need to provide a source of pressure, typically DC motor powered pumps, compromising the softness of the overall system. This has motivated the investigation of alternative means of providing pressure, including mono-propellant decomposition, combustion of hydrocarbons in oxygen, and active composite foams. In this work, we propose the thermally driven evaporation of low-boiling point fluids as a facile method for providing pressure to soft robotic systems. We first discuss and test the thermodynamics of heating low-boiling point fluids. We then introduce two possible applications of low-boiling point fluids in soft robotics. First, we demonstrate a cheap and easily fabricated compliant heating element and show how this can be used to convert existing fluidic elastomer actuators to be driven by low-boiling point fluids. Secondly, we also demonstrate and characterise a soft-matter pump driven by low-boiling point fluids.
Quadruped Robot Creeping Gait Stability Analysis and Optimization Using PSO

The potential ability of the quadruped (four-legged) robot locomotion has been used for many different applications such as walking over soft and rough terrains. These applications are needed to grantee the mobility and flexibility. Generally, quadruped robots have three main periodic gaits: creeping gait, running gait and galloping gait. The stability criteria is the main problem of the quadruped robot during walking with a slow motion gait such as creeping gait. The static stability gait is completely depends on the stability margins during the walking which have been calculated in this paper. The quadruped robot kinematic model of the forward and inverse kinematics for each 3-DOF leg has been calculated which leading to find the minimum stability margins during walking on the vertical geometrical projection of the robot body. These margins are needed to be optimized for achieving the best stability margin during the robot walking.in this paper we using the PSO optimization algorithm to find the best value of the stability margin. Simulation and results verify the stability margin range values and the optimized results.
A Critical Review of Wireless Health Monitoring Devices

The current convergence of Medical Science and Information Technology reflects a collective vision of connected devices. These devices are having electronic sensors and circuitry that can monitor and improve healthcare services. With the evolution of technology these healthcare devices can communicate with other personal devices, that’s the blessings of the Internet of Things (IoT). These devices are used to measure various body parameter, keep track of health condition, maintain a record of necessary information etc. For daily and continuous operation, these devices are designed in such a way that user can wear it on various part of the body without any additional precaution. This study delivers relevant information on the basic evolution of wearable healthcare devices, their technological advancement, features, drawback, and future improvements. Most of the wearable devices use 3- tier Wireless Body Area Network, where physiological information is sensed and transformed to the controller. The controller processes the data for further analysis and visualization.
A new non-multi-level structured, H-bridgeless DC/DC bidirectional converter with low voltage stress and complete soft-switching operation

A new soft-switched, 5-switch string-structured bidirectional DC/DC converter with an isolated CLLC resonant circuit is presented in this paper for energy storage applications. In the proposed circuit, only one switch and two diodes are added to the conventional 4-switch string structured converter enabling the converter to operate in rectifying mode with lower output voltage ripples and higher efficiency. A CLLC resonant circuit is designed to allow stepping-up or stepping-down the voltage to desired value with the same operating frequency in both boost and buck modes with variable frequency control. All the switches and diodes are able to achieve soft-switching to enhance the circuit efficiency. Simulation results are given on a 1kW, 100VDC/300VDC system to highlight the merits of the proposed converter. Preliminary experimental results are also provided on a laboratory scale 100/300VDC prototype to further support the features of this work.
A Soft-Switching Isolated Buck-Boost Converter with Semi-Active Rectifier for Wide Output Range Application

A soft-switching isolated buck-boost converter with semi-active rectifier is analyzed and evaluated for wide output range applications. The buck-boost converter can operate either in step-up or step-down mode. With a kind of optimized phase-shift modulation, soft-switching of all the active switches and diodes on both the primary and secondary-sides can be achieved within wide voltage and load range. Meanwhile, leakage inductance of transformer is utilized for power transfer to avoid voltage spike problem. The voltage stress of primary-side MOSFETs and secondary-side diodes are clamped to the input and output voltage, while half output voltage is achieved for secondary-side MOSFETs. All these features make the buck-boost converter suitable for wide output voltage range applications. The operation principle is analyzed in detail and experimental results based on a 1000W prototype are provided to verify the effectiveness and advantages of the buck-boost converter.
Feasibility and Rationale for Incorporating Frailty and Cognitive Screening Protocols in a Preoperative Anesthesia Clinic.

BACKGROUND Advanced age, frailty, low education level, and impaired cognition are generally reported to be associated with postoperative cognitive complications. To translate research findings into hospital-wide preoperative assessment clinical practice, we examined the feasibility of implementing a preoperative frailty and cognitive assessment for all older adults electing surgical procedures in a tertiary medical center. We examined associations among age, education, frailty, and comorbidity with the clock and 3-word memory scores, estimated the prevalence of mild to major cognitive impairment in the presurgical sample, and examined factors related to hospital length of stay. METHODS Medical staff screened adults ≥65 years of age for frailty, general cognition (via the clock-drawing test command and copy, 3-word memory test), and obtained years of education. Feasibility was studied in 2 phases: (1) a pilot phase involving 4 advanced nurse practitioners and (2) a 2-month implementation phase involving all preoperative staff. We tracked sources of missing data, investigated associations of study variables with measures of cognition, and used 2 approaches to estimate the likelihood of dementia in our sample (ie, using extant data and logistic regression modeling and using Mini-Cog cut scores). We explored which protocol variables related to hospital length of stay. RESULTS The final implementation phase sample included 678 patients. Clock and 3-word memory scores were significantly associated with age, frailty, and education. Education, clock scores, and 3-word scores were not significantly different by surgery type. Likelihood of preoperative cognitive impairment was approximately 20%, with no difference by surgery type. Length of stay was significantly associated with preoperative comorbidity and performance on the clock copy condition. CONCLUSIONS Frailty and cognitive screening protocols are feasible and provide information for perioperative care planning. Challenges to clinical adaptation include staff training, missing data, and additional administration time. These challenges appear minimal relative to the benefits of identifying frailty and cognitive impairment in a group at risk for negative postoperative cognitive outcome.
Hardware Implementation of a New Single Input Double Output L-L Converter for High Voltage Auxiliary Loads in Fuel-cell Vehicles

Typically, the fuel cell output voltage magnitude is low and a series connection of several fuel cells is not a practical solution to achieve high voltage for vehicular applications. Therefore, DC-DC converter with a high voltage conversion ratio and multiple output capability is necessary to feed multiple high voltage auxiliary loads. In this treatise, a new Single Input Double Output L-L converter (SIDO L-L converter) is articulated for high voltage auxiliary loads in fuel-cell vehicles. The motivation and block diagram of SIDO L-L converter is provided in detail and the switching states and their characteristic waveforms are discussed. The CCM and DCM operation is discussed and the voltage conversion ratio for CCM and DCM is analyzed. Additionally, to highlight the benefits, the proposed SIDO L-L converter is compared with existed high voltage DC-DC converters. The design and performance of the proposed converter are verified through numerical simulation and hardware implementation, the obtained results validate the theoretical analysis.
Combing Transcriptomes for Secrets of Deep-Sea Survival: Environmental Diversity Drives Patterns of Protein Evolution

Abstract Ctenophores, also known as comb jellies, live across extremely broad ranges of temperature and hydrostatic pressure in the ocean. Because various ctenophore lineages adapted independently to similar environmental conditions, Phylum Ctenophora is an ideal system for the study of protein adaptation to extreme environments in a comparative framework. We present such a study here, using a phylogenetically-informed method to compare sequences of four essential metabolic enzymes across gradients of habitat depth and temperature. This method predicts convergent adaptation to these environmental parameters at the amino acid level, providing a novel view of protein adaptation to extreme environments and demonstrating the power and relevance of phylogenetic comparison applied to multi-species transcriptomic datasets from early-diverging metazoa. Across all four enzymes analyzed, 46 amino acid sites were associated with depth-adaptation, 59 with temperature-adaptation, and 56 with both. Sites predicted to be depth- and temperature-adaptive occurred consistently near Rossmann fold cofactor binding motifs and disproportionately in solvent-exposed regions of the protein. These results suggest that the hydrophobic effect and ligand binding may mediate efficient enzyme function at different hydrostatic pressures and temperatures. Using predicted adaptive site maps, such mechanistic hypotheses can now be tested via mutagenesis.
High Chili Intake and Cognitive Function among 4582 Adults: An Open Cohort Study over 15 Years

We aimed to examine the association between chili intake and cognitive function in Chinese adults. This is a longitudinal study of 4852 adults (age 63.4 ± 7.7) attending the China Health and Nutrition Survey during 1991 and 2006. Cognitive function was assessed in 1997, 2000, 2004 and 2006. In total, 3302 completed cognitive screening tests in at least two surveys. Chili intake was assessed by a 3-day food record during home visits in each survey between 1991 and 2006. Multivariable mixed linear regression and logistic regression were used. Chili intake was inversely related to cognitive function. In fully adjusted models, including sociodemographic and lifestyle factors, compared with non-consumers, those whose cumulative average chili intake above 50 g/day had the regression coefficients (and 95% CI) for global cognitive function of −1.13 (−1.71–0.54). Compared with non-consumers, those with chili consumption above 50 g/day had the odds ratio (and 95% CI) of 2.12(1.63–2.77), 1.56(1.23–1.97) for self-reported poor memory and self-reported memory decline, respectively. The positive association between chili intake and cognitive decline was stronger among those with low BMI than those with high BMI. The longitudinal data indicate that higher chili intake is positively associated with cognitive decline in Chinese adults in both genders.
A Mussel's Life Around Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vents

Hydrothermal vents are places where seawater exits cracks in the sea ﬂoor, having been super-heated and enriched with metals and minerals deep in the underlying bedrock. They are an example of an ecosystem based on chemosynthesis, where life is sustained by energy from chemicals rather than energy from sunlight. The discovery of an abundance of life around deep-sea hydrothermal vents emitting hot and toxic ﬂuids demonstrated that animals and other organisms could thrive in the dark, cold and high-pressure deep oceans. Mussels are among the most studied animals found near hydrothermal vents. Scientists discovered that mussels rely on a close, living relationship—a “symbiosis”—with bacteria for their nutrition. In this symbiosis, bacteria use chemicals from the
A New Control Method For A Novel Isolated, Bridgeless Single-Stage AC/DC Converter Used In Industrial Battery Chargers

In this paper, a new control system for a novel isolated, bridgeless, single-stage AC/DC converter is proposed. The major advantage of the proposed control system is that it can tightly regulate the output voltage and perform near unity Power Factor Correction (PFC). This is achieved by controlling the switching frequency of the semiconductors while the duty cycle is kept constant. This method is only applicable in Discontinues Conduction Mode (DCM), which makes it more suitable for low power, high input voltage applications. Another major advantage of the proposed control system is the unconditional Zero-Voltage-Switching (ZVS) for all states, which improves the power eﬃciency and Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) performance of the converter. Simulation and experimental results are provided to show the superior performance of the control scheme in achieving ZVS, PFC, and low output current ripple, simultaneously.
Differential expression of adipokines in the synovium and infrapatellar fat pad of osteoarthritis patients with and without metabolic syndrome

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the expression levels of adipokines in the synovium and infrapatellar fat pad (IPFP) in osteoarthritis (OA) patients with and without metabolic syndrome (MetS). Methods: 120 female patients with OA were enrolled, and 60 healthy women matched body mass index, age, and sex, served as controls. Adipokines levels were measured using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of the serum of all participants and synovial fluid (SF) of OA patients. Local expression levels of adipokines in the synovium and IPFP were examined by immunohistochemical analysis. The amount of adipokine proteins was analyzed using Western blot, and adipokine mRNA expressions were determined via quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Results: Serum leptin levels were significantly higher in the non-MetS-OA group than those in controls (7.97 vs. 4.24 ng/ml, p< 0.001), and even higher leptin levels were found in the MetS-OA group (19.05 ng/ml; p< 0.001 for both). Serum adiponectin levels were significantly lower in the MetS-OA group than those in controls (8.09 vs. 10.07 μg/ml, respectively; p= 0.001). The synovium and IPFP in the MetS-OA group secreted more leptin and less adiponectin than those in the non-MetS-OA group (Leptin: 5.32 vs. 1.28 in synovium, respectively; p= 0.028; 6.44 vs. 0.88 in IPFP, respectively; p= 0.017. Adiponectin: 1.12 vs. 0.12 in synovium, respectively; p= 0.042; 1.07 vs. 0.09 in IPFP, respectively; p= 0.027). Resistin expression levels in the serum, SF, and articular tissues were similar among the groups. Conclusions: Expressions of adipokines were different in the synovium and IPFP of OA patients with and without MetS.
Social group signatures in hummingbird displays provide evidence of co-occurrence of vocal and visual learning

Vocal learning, in which animals modify their vocalizations based on social experience, has evolved in several lineages of mammals and birds, including humans. Despite much attention, the question of how this key cognitive trait has evolved remains unanswered. The motor theory for the origin of vocal learning posits that neural centres specialized for vocal learning arose from adjacent areas in the brain devoted to general motor learning. One prediction of this hypothesis is that visual displays that rely on complex motor patterns may also be learned in taxa with vocal learning. While learning of both spoken and gestural languages is well documented in humans, the occurrence of learned visual displays has rarely been examined in non-human animals. We tested for geographical variation consistent with learning of visual displays in long-billed hermits (Phaethornis longirostris), a lek-mating hummingbird that, like humans, has both learned vocalizations and elaborate visual displays. We found lek-level signatures in both vocal parameters and visual display features, including display element proportions, sequence syntax and fine-scale parameters of elements. This variation was not associated with genetic differentiation between leks. In the absence of genetic differences, geographical variation in vocal signals at small scales is most parsimoniously attributed to learning, suggesting a significant role of social learning in visual display ontogeny. The co-occurrence of learning in vocal and visual displays would be consistent with a parallel evolution of these two signal modalities in this species.
Effect of the number of peak expiratory flow readings per day on the estimation of diurnal variation

BACKGROUND The number of peak expiratory flow (PEF) readings required per day to assess diurnal variation accurately is not known; published studies have used between two and seven PEF readings per day. This study compares the diurnal variation calculated using 2–10 PEF readings per day. METHODS All days with 10 readings were selected from a database of PEF records. For each day, diurnal variations calculated using 2–9 of the readings available were compared with that calculated using the full 10 PEF readings. Diurnal variation calculated using all 10 readings was taken as the true diurnal variation. When less than 10 readings were used the readings were evenly spaced over waking hours. Diurnal variation was calculated as maximum — minimum/predicted. RESULTS Two hundred and 25 days with 10 readings per day were selected from PEF records provided by 63 individuals. When only two PEF readings per day were used, the limits of agreement suggested a possible underestimate of true diurnal variation, calculated using all 10 readings, of 1.23–15.10%. The possible underestimate fell to 0.27–3.96% when calculated using four evenly spaced readings. Analysis of the timing of the highest PEF reading of the day was undertaken for rest and work days. This showed a mean (SD) timing of 13:56 (4:56 hours) for rest days and 11:47 (5:59 hours) for work days. CONCLUSIONS Clinically significant underestimates of true diurnal variation may be seen when only small numbers of PEF readings per day are used in its calculation. At and above four readings the results suggest that the underestimate becomes increasingly insignificant in terms of the diagnosis and treatment of asthma. Analysis of the timing of the highest PEF reading of the day showed a wide variation, precluding the ability to capture the true diurnal variation with just two or three carefully timed PEF readings per day. The authors suggests that at least four readings per day should be performed, evenly spaced during waking hours, to obtain an accurate assessment of diurnal variation in PEF.
Anatomical identification of neurons in selected brain regions associated with maternal behavior deficits induced by knife cuts of the lateral hypothalamus in rats

The present experiment identified neurons associated with maternal behavior deficits induced by damage to the lateral hypothalamus (LH) in rats. Fully maternal lactating rats received bilateral coronal knife cuts through either the dorsal or ventral LH at the level of the ventromedial nucleus. The blade of the wire knife used to make the cuts was coated with horseradish peroxidase (HRP). The maternal behavior of all females was studied for 4 days postoperatively and then the brains were processed for the localization of neurons retrogradely filled with HRP. The analysis focused on those brain regions thought to be important for maternal behavior.
Effect of time delay of PDA closure on the aortic stiffness index and its relationship with cardiac function.

BACKGROUND Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) causes volume overload of the left side of the heart. Stiffening in the larger central arterial system, such as the aortic tree, significantly contributes to cardiovascular diseases in older individuals and is positively associated with systolic hypertension and coronary artery disease. In this study, we evaluated the effect of time delay of PDA closure on aortic stiffness and its relationship with cardiac function before and after transcatheter closure of the PDA. METHODS Our study population consisted of 60 children who were scheduled for transcatheter closure of the PDA. They were divided into two groups as follows: group A in whom PDA closure was performed before the age of one year, and group B in whom PDA closure was performed after the age of one year. RESULTS Before PDA closure, the aortic stiffness index (ASI) was significantly higher in children in group B than in those in group A (p < 0.001), and was it significantly higher in both groups than in the control group (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Aortic stiffness was significantly elevated in patients with PDA, even small-sized PDAs, and was associated with impairment in cardiac function, particularly if PDA closure was delayed after the age of one year.
Crucial Role of Extracellular Vesicles in Bronchial Asthma

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are circulating vesicles secreted by various cell types. EVs are classified into three groups according to size, structural components, and generation process of vesicles: exosomes, microvesicles, and apoptotic bodies. Recently, EVs have been considered to be crucial for cell-to-cell communications and homeostasis because they contain intracellular proteins and nucleic acids. Epithelial cells from mice suffering from bronchial asthma (BA) secrete more EVs and suppress inflammation-induced EV production. Moreover, microarray analyses of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid have revealed that several microRNAs are useful novel biomarkers of BA. Mesenchymal stromal cell-derived EVs are possible candidates of novel BA therapy. In this review, we highlight the biologic roles of EVs in BA and review novel EV-targeted therapy to help understanding by clinicians and biologists.