Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Unveiling nonlinear dynamics in resonant inductively coupled wireless power transfer

Coupled magnetic resonance is considered to be a key enabling technology for mid-range wireless power transfer. Models and systems have hitherto considered linear resonators as underlying dynamics, thereby limiting practical deployability due to the extreme sensitivity in front of parameter mismatch and resonance detuning. In this work, structural nonlinear modeling of constituent elements of the resonant link-resonant coils- is considered to unveil the existence of nonlinear dynamic regimes. The methodology considered to explore the nonlinear behavior is based on a behavioral model consisting of state equations, Floquet theory and Filippov method to study the stability of the periodic regime through the associated monodromy matrix. The ultimate aim of the investigation is a design-oriented parameter space exploration which characterizes the border of occurrence of the different dynamic modes in wireless power transfer links.
Influence of Islam and the globalized alcohol industry on drinking in Muslim countries.

The alcohol industry, through heavily financed, extremely sophisticated marketing techniques, exerts an extremely potent influence internationally. It can change people’s attitude towards alcohol, reasons for drinking, choice of beverage and pattern of drinking, including when and where to drink [2]. Alcohol advertisements normalize drinking and encourage consumption in populations— mainly in developing countries—where the prevalence of drinking is historically low. Most worrying is the increased likelihood of drinking by youngsters [3,4]. The industry’s operational base may be in its country of origin or an international outlet, a choice often determined by tax advantages. Its target populations extend world-wide, even to the most remote areas and especially in emerging markets such as Muslim majority countries (MMCs) [5]. As discussed in Al-Ansari et al.’s paper, indirect strategies have been used to circumvent the ban of alcohol promotion in MMCs. These include exposure of products in magazines, movies, webpages, sporting and musical events and on TV and clothing—all of which change regularly with fashion to help create and maintain brand awareness and loyalty. This is especially difficult to control when the sources of the advertisements are outside the country. The platforms on which major advertisers promote products extend from social networks to immersive, virtual communities. The global generation of internet-savvy users, the capability of accessing online content at any hour, the number of digital platforms and the sophistication of online advertising have all increased greatly during recent years [6]. Unfortunately, the young, including those in MMCs, are the main targets [7]. Much use is also made of online content created by the website users themselves (user-generated content). This gained popularity among youngsters because of instant access to the opinions of their peers and the variety of platforms accessible, especially large platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube [6,8]. With the objective of reducing trade barriers between contracting parties in free trade agreements to their lowest level, alcoholic beverages may be treated like any other commodity and tariffs reduced to 0%. This, and trade disputes, often result in national or subnational controls on alcohol being weakened. Alcohol production is prohibited in most MMCs, so it has to be imported. Also, because of high competition, imported alcoholic drinks become cheaper [9,10]. This, in turn, may increase drinking in MMCs, especially those that encourage tourism.
Comparison of low-power biopotential processors for on-the-fly spike detection

Spike detection is a signal processing technique that can enable significant data rate reduction and resource savings in wireless brain monitoring. In these systems, energy-efficient spike detection algorithms are sought for enabling realtime signal processing while consuming low-power. As several spike detectors are based on ASIC, FPGA or low-power microcontroller unit (MCU), such algorithms must add little overhead to the entire system, while ensuring low error rate. In this paper, we present a comparative study of three different spike detection algorithms targeted toward implementation into low-power resource-constrained electronic systems. As practical validation, all candidate algorithms have been implemented on a popular low-power MCU and were fully characterized experimentally using previously recorded neural signals with different signal-to-noise ratios. A cost function based on detection rates, execution times, power consumption and resource utilization have been created and employed for comparing the detectors. The performances of all candidates are reported, and the best detector is identified. All candidate detectors present detection rate above 95% at high SNR, and above 78% for low SNR and can reduce the power consumption by up to 22.7%. This paper is the first to demonstrate the performances and hardware limitations of spike detectors on a low-power MCU system.
Radiographer reporting : Origins, demise and revival of plain film reporting

Abstract Important in a profession's identity is the knowledge of past events and how they help shape the present. This article traces the socio-political aspects of one significant aspect of radiographic history, the origins, demise and revival of plain film reporting from the beginning of the 20th century to the beginning of the 21st century. Extensive use has been made of archive material at the Society of Radiographers, the British Institute of Radiology and the Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine. Radiographer reporting was at the centre of an ongoing conflict with the medical profession in the formative years of radiography. In just over the 100 years of X-rays, two periods take prominence, the early part of the 20th century until 1925, and the 1990s. The year 1925 saw the culmination of the long-running dispute between radiographers and radiologists over the division of labour. The decision, forced upon the Society of Radiographers to change its articles of association, prevented its non-medical members from reporting, thus determining the occupational boundaries of radiography and the direction of radiographic practice for 70 years. In the last decade of the 20th century, matters came full circle with the re-emergence of radiographer reporting, although the process of re-appraisal had begun some 20 years earlier. However, the 1990s, with rapid advancement of technology, increase in work loads, financial imperatives within the National Health Service and the aspirations of radiographers together with the support of many radiologists, contributed to the re-emergence of radiographers in reporting.
Cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality with insulin versus glucagon-like peptide-1 analogue in type 2 diabetes

Objectives To analyse time to cardiovascular events and mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) who received treatment intensification with insulin or a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1ar) analogue following dual therapy failure with metformin (MET) and sulphonylurea (SU). Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted in 2003 patients who were newly treated with a GLP-1ar or insulin following dual therapy (MET+SU) failure between 2006 and 2014. Data were sourced from The Health Improvement Network database. Risks of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) (non-fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal stroke and all-cause mortality) were compared between MET+SU+insulin (N=1584) versus MET+SU+GLP-1ar (N=419). Follow-up was for 5 years (6614 person-years). Propensity score matching analysis and Cox proportional hazard models were employed. Results Mean age was 52.8±14.1 years. Overall, the number of MACE was 231 vs 11 for patients who added insulin versus GLP-1ar, respectively (44.5 vs 7.7 per 1000-person-years adjusted HR (aHR): 0.27; 95% CI 0.14 to 0.53; p<0.0001). Insulin was associated with significant increase in weight compared with GLP-1ar (1.78 vs −3.93 kg; p<0.0001) but haemoglobin A1c reduction was similar between both treatment groups (−1.29 vs −0.98; p=0.156). In a subgroup analysis of obese patients (body mass index >30 kg/m2) there were 84 vs 11 composite outcomes (38.6 vs 8.1 per 1000 person-years; aHR: 0.31; 95% CI 0.16 to 0.61; p=0.001) in the insulin and GLP-1ar groups, respectively. Conclusions In this cohort of obese people with T2DM, intensification of dual oral therapy by adding GLP-1ar analogue is associated with a lower MACE outcome in routine clinical practice, compared with adding insulin therapy as the third glucose-lowering agent.
How to Select Replacement Grafts for Various Periodontal and Implant Indications

Focused Clinical Question: How are bone replacement grafts for various periodontal and implant indications properly selected? Summary: The purpose of this paper is to review the properties of available bone replacement materials and provide guidelines of how to choose certain graft materials for different clinical indications (e.g., periodontal defects, peri-implant defects, socket augmentation, ridge augmentation, and sinus augmentation). Conclusion: Full understanding of material properties and meticulous case selection may help to maximize the benefit of bone replacement grafts in tooth- and implant-related regeneration.
A low noise amplifier chain for digital satellite radio applications

This paper contains the development and verification of low noise amplifier stages (LNA) within the framework of a front-end for digital satellite radio diversity receiver operating around 2.3 GHz. First, a low noise high gain LNA is developed to reach the high requirements of satellite radio reception. Therefore a single-ended cascode architecture is chosen. The simulated noise figure is 0.58 dB and the gain is 19.87 dB. Second, a differential stage is designed to fulfill the specification with regards to backward isolation and common-mode rejection. This circuit has a measured gain of 10.15 dB and a backward isolation of -43.24 dB. Furthermore, the two stages are combined by an integrated balun and the overall performance is verified. Due to the good noise performance of the first stage, the overall noise figure is 0.64 dB, the gain is 29.83 dB and the backward isolation is -76.07 dB. All in all the whole circuit has a current consumption of 25.40 mA. Finally the LNA performance is compared with other state-of-the-art LNAs.
Besonderheiten zur Ossifikation des Brustbeins

Bisher war als apophysäres Knochenelement der kranialen Hälfte des Manubriums nur das zu Beginn des 3. Dezenniums ossifizierende Os parasternale bekannt. Eine weitere Apophyse konnte innerhalb kurzer Zeit dreimal beidseitig an der Incisura clavicularis beobachtet werden. Diese Apophysen erstrecken sich über die gesamte sterno-klavikulare Gelenkfläche (Abb. 1). Sie konnten bereits auf gewöhnlichen sagittalen Thoraxaufnahmen festgestellt werden und wurden zusätzlich durch Schichtaufnahmen gesichert (Abb. 2). In allen drei Fällen handelt es sich um junge Männer zwischen dem 17. und dem 23. Lebensjahr; bei zweien davon zeigte das übrige Skelett einen normalen altersentsprechenden Entwicklungszustand. Beim 3. Fall dagegen (wobei sich die Apophysen an der Incisura clavicularis nicht von den oben erwähnten unterschieden) Abb. 1. Apophysen beidseits an der Incisura clavifand sich eine Hypothyreose mit typischen cularis sterni (t), 21 J. Aufnahme der Sternokla. Skelettveränderungen und zahlreichen Nebenvikulargelenke nach Zimmer.
Alcohol outlet density and alcohol related hospital admissions in England: a national small‐area level ecological study

Abstract Background and aims Excessive alcohol consumption has a substantial impact on public health services. A key element determining alcohol availability is alcohol outlet density. This study investigated the relationship between on‐trade and off‐trade outlets and hospital admission rates in local neighbourhoods. Design National small‐area level ecological study. Setting and participants All 32 482 lower layer super output census areas (LSOAs) in England (42 227 108 million people aged 15+ years). Densities for six outlet categories (outlets within a 1‐km radius of residential postcode centroids, averaged for all postcodes within each LSOA) were calculated. Measurements Main outcome measures were admissions due to acute or chronic conditions wholly or partially attributable to alcohol consumption from 2002/03 to 2013/14. Findings There were 1 007 137 admissions wholly, and 2 153 874 admissions partially, attributable to alcohol over 12 years. After adjustment for confounding, higher densities of on‐trade outlets (pubs, bars and nightclubs; restaurants licensed to sell alcohol; other on‐trade outlets) and convenience stores were associated with higher admission rate ratios for acute and chronic wholly attributable conditions. For acute wholly attributable conditions, admission rate ratios were 13% (95% confidence interval = 11–15%), 9% (7–10%), 12% (10–14%) and 10% (9–12%) higher, respectively, in the highest relative to the lowest density categories by quartile. For chronic wholly attributable conditions, rate ratios were 22% (21–24%), 9% (7–11%), 19% (17–21%) and 7% (6–9%) higher, respectively. Supermarket density was associated with modestly higher acute and chronic admissions but other off‐trade outlet density was associated only with higher admissions for chronic wholly attributable conditions. For partially attributable conditions, there were no strong patterns of association with outlet densities. Conclusions In England, higher densities of several categories of alcohol outlets appear to be associated with higher hospital admission rates for conditions wholly attributable to alcohol consumption.
Effect of high-fructose corn syrup on the acidogenicity, adherence and biofilm formation of Streptococcus mutans.

BACKGROUND Although high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as a kind of sugar has been widely used in manufactured foods recently, there is little information available regarding its cariogenicity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cariogenic potential of HFCS. METHODS Streptococcus mutans UA159 was inoculated into HFCS media and cultivated. The pH of each culture was measured to assess acidogenicity. Spectrophotometric turbidity was measured to determine the percentage of adherence. Confocal laser scanning microscopy and SYTO-9 staining were employed to observe biofilm formation. Sucrose media was used as a positive control. RESULTS The ΔpH in HFCS media was significantly larger than that in sucrose media and the pH in HFCS media decreased faster (p < 0.05). The percentage of adherence of S. mutans in HFCS media was significantly lower than that in sucrose media (p < 0.05). The biofilm formed in sucrose media was significantly thicker than that in HFCS media (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The results of this study suggest that the cariogenicity of S. mutans in the presence of HFCS may differ compared to its cariogenicity in the presence of sucrose. Further in vivo studies need to be undertaken to resolve this uncertainty.
Study of a transport protocol employing bottleneck probing and token bucket flow control

In this paper we present an experimental transport protocol which employs alternative methods of startup and congestion avoidance to those commonly used in implementations of TCP. Through modelling and simulation, we demonstrate how a packet-pair probe may be used to replace traditional slow-start methods and how pro-active congestion avoidance algorithms provide smoother traffic flow with lower levels of packet loss and retransmission. We also show how a token bucket may be used to allow bounded burstiness for an Internet connection in order to facilitate an application's quality of service.
Stop the Tears of Drug and Alcohol Abuse

Abstract Objectives: By participating in this Stop the Tears teaching strategy, students will be able to: (1) analyze how alcohol and drug abuse could affect their lives as well as the lives of their friends and family and, (2) create a media message, such as a poster, pamphlet, poem, or song, in which alcohol and drug prevention is advocated specific to how alcohol and drug abuse has affected students in their school. Target Audience: Students in grades 6-12 and lower-division college students.
How to cost cardiovascular care

Health economics is gaining increasing importance in cardiovascular disease management. This is not surprising given the growing numbers of treatments, devices and diagnostic tools available each year in an everlasting quest to prevent the further occurrence of cardiovascular events. The question that arrives inevitably then is—which treatments are worth their value? 1 Owing to the increasing use of intracardiac defibrillators, cardiac resynchronisation, percutaneous valve implantations; the impending wave of stem cell-based technologies from myocyte replacement to cardiac autotransplantation; and the ever increasing array of diagnostic techniques from four-dimensional echocardiography to computed tomography angiography, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and implantable reveal devices, the money spent on cardiovascular disease continues to escalate and therefore clinicians need to appreciate and generate cost-effectiveness data with which to inform clinical choices. A search of PubMed,2 using the terms cost effectiveness or health economics and combining these with any of the terms cardiac, heart, cardiovascular or coronary, generates 4964 hits which when limited to core clinical journals leaves 1385 hits, with one of the older papers published in 1974 in the Annals of Internal Medicine entitled “Inputs into coronary care during 30 years—a cost-effectiveness study”. This number is even more impressive when we consider that a similar search for pacemakers in clinical core journals in humans reaches only 1173 hits. These observations suggest that a new language of information is being presented to the cardiovascular community in clinical journals, containing information about decision-making to help best practice, given the constraints on resources. Today, even clinical guidelines are affected by economic restrictions which govern what may and may not be prescribed or reimbursed.3 The superiority of evidence based on a clinical trial is also no longer sufficient to guarantee wide use of a new treatment, with bodies such as SIGN4 and NICE-UK5 now …
Bluetooth communication employing antenna diversity

In order to cope with the environmental impacts on Bluetooth data transmission, diversity techniques were examined. A Bluetooth antenna diversity demonstrator was developed. Extensive experimental investigations documenting the significant improvements of data communication employing diversity have been done. It was shown that the effects of multipath and fading could be combated to a large extent by antenna diversity. Thus, antenna diversity was found to be a powerful technique for improving the quality of Bluetooth links.
Comparison of inflammatory markers and angiographic outcomes after implantation of sirolimus and paclitaxel-eluting stents

Objective: We compared the degree of systemic inflammation and its relation to the angiographic outcomes after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantations. Methods: We implanted a single DES in 79 stable angina patients (50 men; 60.4 (9.5) years of age; sirolimus-eluting stent (SES), n = 38; paclitaxel-eluting stent (PES), n = 41). The high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) levels were determined before and at 24 hours, 72 hours, and 4 weeks after the percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). An angiography and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) were performed. Results: The hs-CRP and IL-6 levels at baseline did not differ between the two groups. The hs-CRP increased significantly from baseline at 24 hours and 72 hours after the PCI in both groups and there was a significant increase in the IL-6 level at 24 hours after the PCI in both groups. However, there was no significant difference between the two groups in any of the hs-CRP or IL-6 measurements. At follow-up, the late lumen loss was significantly higher in the PES group than in the SES group (0.57 (0.56) mm vs 0.28 (0.58) mm, respectively, p = 0.020). The neointimal hyperplasia (NIH) volume in the PES group was significantly higher than that in the SES group (23.1 (22.7) vs 3.8 (7.1) mm3, respectively, p = 0.000). The percentage luminal volume reduction was higher in the PES group than in the SES group (18.9 vs 3.9%, p = 0.002). The absolute values or change in the inflammatory markers did not correlate with the NIH or stent volume reduction. Conclusions: Our study showed that the benefits obtained from the SES, which reduce neointimal proliferation, are not probably mediated by the attenuation of the systemic inflammatory markers hs-CRP or IL-6.
The additive prognostic value of end-systolic pressure-volume relation in patients with diabetes mellitus having negative dobutamine stress echocardiography by wall motion criteria

Background/objective: The end-systolic pressure-volume relation (ESPVR) is a useful method to assess left ventricular contractility during stress providing prognostic information above and beyond regional wall motion. The aim of the study was to assess the prognostic value of ESPVR in patients with diabetes mellitus having negative dobutamine stress echocardiography by wall motion criteria. Design: We enrolled 233 patients with diabetes mellitus (140 males; mean age 67 (SD 9); mean ejection fraction 52 (SD 10)) having negative dobutamine (up to 40 μg/kg/min with atropine 1 mg) stress echocardiography. In all, ESPVR was determined at rest and at the peak of stress as the ratio of peak systolic pressure and end-systolic volume (SP/ESV) index. Setting: Adult patients with diabetes mellitus evaluated at a tertiary care centre. Main outcome measures: Death, non-fatal ST-elevation (STEMI), non-ST-elevation (NSTEMI) and late (>6 months) revascularisation. Results: During a median of 18 months, 62 events occurred: 35 deaths, 4 STEMI, 5 NSTEMI and 18 late revascularisations. Event-free survival was lower (p = 0.006) in patients with peak SP/ESV index ⩽28 mm Hg/ml/m2, chosen with a receiver-operating characteristic curve. Multivariable indicators of future events were prior angioplasty (HR 2.10, 95% CI 1.17 to 3.77; p = 0.01), resting wall motion abnormality (HR 1.94, 95% CI 1.12 to 3.36; p = 0.02), and peak SP/ESV index ⩽28 mm Hg/ml/m2 (HR 2.28, 95% CI 1.08 to 4.81; p = 0.03). At incremental analysis, peak SP/ESV index ⩽28 mm Hg/ml/m2 added prognostic information to that of clinical and resting echo findings. Conclusions: Patients with diabetes mellitus having negative dobutamine stress echocardiography may still experience an adverse outcome, which can be identified by ESPRV, providing a prognostic stratification in addition to that supplied by regional wall motion abnormalities.
Influence of academic training in endodontics and implantology on decision‐making in undergraduate students

PURPOSE To evaluate the effect of academic training on decision-making in a group of undergraduates who have undergone training in endodontics and implantology. BASIC PROCEDURES A single group of undergraduate dentistry students (n = 65) was given a survey consisting of 15 endodontic cases. Each case included periapical radiographs and clinical photographs. Students were asked to select one of the eight proposed treatments. In their 4th year, the students first responded to the survey after completing endodontics. One year later, after completing their studies in implantology, the same students completed the same survey again. MAIN FINDINGS Under the conditions of this study, differences in undergraduate training significantly affected treatment decisions. PRINCIPAL CONCLUSIONS Undergraduate decision-making was affected by academic training.