Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
TRPV4 Implications in Inflammation and Hydrocephalic Neurological Disease

Hydrocephalus is a debilitating disease characterized by an increase in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the brain, leading to increases in pressure that can ultimately result in death. Current treatments for hydrocephalus include only invasive brain surgery. Therefore, the need for a pharmaceutical therapy is great. In order to develop a suitable treatment, we first must be able to study the disease and the mechanisms by which it develops. By characterizing appropriate in vivo and in vitro models, we are better able to study this disease. In this thesis, the Wpk rat model and the PCP-R cell line are described as such appropriate models. In addition to suitable models, we also require a target for drug treatment. Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) is a non-selective cation ion channel present in the main CSF-producing organ in the brain, the choroid plexus (CP). Preliminary data suggest this channel plays a role in the development of hydrocephalus. In the following work, some of the mechanisms by which TRPV4 functions in the brain are also described, including through calcium-sensitive potassium channels and inflammation. From this research, we are able to achieve a better understanding of the function of TRPV4 and how it can affect the development and progression of hydrocephalus.
Analysis of a novel CuCl2 back contact process for improved stability in CdTe solar cells

One of the crucial points in the production of CdTe solar cells is the insertion of copper in the back contact and in the absorber. As demonstrated by the top performing devices presented in literature: copper is necessary for high efficiency devices. However, despite this, copper was found to be a fast diffuser degrading the cell in the long term. Different approaches for limiting this effect have been widely presented from several laboratories, from the preparation of CuxTe by the controlled evaporation of Cu and Te to the application of ZnTe, which incorporates Cu, blocking its diffusion in the bulk. We have developed a wet deposition method for inserting in the CdTe structure a quantity of copper equivalent to a 0.1‐nm‐thick Cu layer. We are able to reach similar efficiencies to the ones of devices with a standard 2‐nm‐thick evaporated copper layer, but with a dramatic improvement in performance stability.
Fintech and Financial Inclusion

HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access archive for the deposit and dissemination of scientific research documents, whether they are published or not. The documents may come from teaching and research institutions in France or abroad, or from public or private research centers. L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires publics ou privés. Fintech and Financial Inclusion Baptiste Venet
Haemorrhage, as an Oncologic emergency in Recurrent Extremity Soft Tissue Sarcoma

Abstract: malignant tumours may present as surgical emergency and require immediate intervention. obstruction, perforation and bleeding are the common surgical Oncologic emergencies. They may present initially, during treatment or later after treatment as emergency. We present two patients of recurrent extremity soft tissue sarcoma presented with life threatening haemorrhage during a period of five months (nov 2016 to mar 2017). Emergency amputation was done for both the patients to save their life.
Real-Time Analysis and Profiling of Coordinated Movements in Two-Dimensional Space using Footage from Multiple Cameras

Coordinated movements in teams involve strategic positioning and motions that are coordinated among a team of people. Since there are numerous coordinated movements that are in common use by military, criminal and sporting teams, experts in the fields of security and sports dedicate much of their time to understanding, devising and recognizing tactics that are in play in a particular scenario. In this study, a framework for automated analysis and profiling of coordinated movements using the machine vision techniques of visual object tracking and 3-dimensional reconstruction is discussed. The study also considers the feasibility of using real-time analysis of coordinated movements in assisted surveillance to buttress security. In this paper, a simplified description of the framework is proposed and its operation is explained.
Aqua Park Facilities as an Attraction Tool to Family Market: A Case Study on Hurghada's Hotel Properties – Red Sea, Egypt

Purpose– hotel business is facing an increasing competition in the hospitality market, especially where this competition is not taking place over the local market, but it is evolving all over the competitor destinations. That is why they are required to develop unique recreational facilities that would appeal to families and leisure travelers. Recently, Aqua Parks are vastly becoming one of the most popular recreational facilities in this business. It is wonderful fun-filled places, where families can spend their vacations splashing or lounging in carefree enjoyment, meanwhile, ensuring the required safety for them and for their children. Water has an ability to change the way people experience places through the enjoyment, peaceful and refreshing it brings. This study examines how Aqua Park facilities can be considered as an attraction tool to families and how it can lead to customers’ satisfaction and influence hotels with water park customers’ repeat business. It will also highlight how these properties can have a competitive edge that can attract families with children, and it might be used to enrich their experience through tailoring up a variety of programs that can suit this growing market needs and expectations. Design/methodology/approach– the data were collected via a questionnaire addressed to regular customers in these Hotel properties with aqua park facilities in the Hurghada - Red Sea region. Research limitations/implications – the research focused on a sample of hotel properties with aqua park facilities in the Hurghada - Red Sea, Egypt.
Correlation-Based Calibration for Nonlinearity Mismatches in Dual-Channel TIADCs

Mismatches affect the dynamic performance of time-interleaved analog-to-digital converters (TIADCs). Linear mismatches can be calibrated by many mature methods, but if higher performance is required, nonlinearity mismatches have to be suppressed. The background calibration method based on input-free band (IFB) functions poorly for narrow-band signals. This brief proposes a correlation-based calibration method for nonlinearity mismatches in dual-channel TIADCs which behaves well for both wide-band and narrow-band signals. The output samples are calibrated by reducing the residual distortions which are approximated by multiplying the pseudo distortions and the estimated mismatch coefficients. The pseudo distortions are acquired by using a frequency-shifter, a differentiator, and multipliers. The coefficients which indicate the mismatch strength are estimated by eliminating the cross-correlation of the calibrated output samples and the calibrated pseudo distortions at zero lag. Simulations show that the proposed method can improve the SFDR by dozens of dBc for narrow-band input signals, compared with the IFB method. For the 16-QAM signal, the error vector magnitude improvement over the IFB method is 35.48 dB.
Investigate the matrix: leveraging variability to specialize software and test suites. (Examinons la matrice: s'appuyer sur la variabilité pour spécialiser les systèmes et les suites de tests)

Nowadays, software have to be efficient, fast to execute, etc. They can be configured to adapt to specific needs. Each configuration leads to a different system and usually it is hard to generate them all. Thus, the exhaustive evaluation of their performance is impossible. Furthermore, several executions of systems, under different conditions, are needed to properly evaluate performances. Two dimensions emerge from this description of performance testing: the selection of system configurations allowing to generate associated systems that meet expressed needs and the selection of test cases allowing to observe performances of systems under different conditions. We propose to represent those two dimensions as a (performance) matrix: one dimension represents selected systems that can be observed while the other dimension represents the set of test cases that will be executed on each of these systems. Each cell is the execution of a program variant regarding a test. The contributions of this thesis are as follows : First, we leverage Machine Learning techniques in order to specialize a Software Product Line (in this case a video generator) helping in selecting a configuration that is likely to meet requirements. End users must be able to express their requirements such that it results in a binary decision problem (i.e., configurations that are acceptable and those that are not). Machine Learning techniques are then used to retrieve partial configurations that specialize a Software Product Line to guide end users and reduce the configuration space. In the end, this work aims at diminishing the first dimension of the matrix that deals with systems and programs. Second, we propose a new method assessing the ability of test suites to reveal significant performance differences of a set of configurations tackling the same task. This method can be used to assess whether a new test case is worth adding to a test suite or to select an optimal test set with respect to a property of interest. In the end, it might help structuring the execution of tests. For instance, it can create an order of execution resulting in using less test cases that are presented in the second dimension of the matrix. We evaluated our approach on several systems from different domains such as OpenCV or Haxe.
Pulse-Shaping Feed-Forward-Compensated Generator

A typical electrical stimulator has a battery, step-up converter, voltage regulator, pulse generator with a micro-controller providing the clocking signal. This outputs a step response with a specified amplitude and pulse-width. In this work, Single-Ended Primary Inductance Converter (SEPIC) and Cúk converters are built to output a step response without the requirement of a voltage regulator and a pulse generator. The transfer function of both instruments predict a step response that will overshoot but settle to steady-state. This is true when the drive is of a fixed duty cycle. The main contribution of this manuscript is to show that the overshoot can be reduced or completely removed by sending an irregular pulse waveform to the switch, determined from the transfer function of the converters. Sufficiently adjusting the duty cycles of drive pulses forces the converter to rapidly reach steady-state value. As a result, a programmable converter delivers a well-formed pulse of specific length without the need for additional circuitry.
Thermal analysis of a dense dipole array for the SKA Mid-frequency aperture array

Thermal Analysis of a Dense Dipole Array for the SKA Mid-Frequency Aperture Array C.J. Smale Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602, South Africa. Thesis: MEng (Electronic) April 2019 The Dense Dipole Array (DDA) has been designed as a candidate element for the Mid-Frequency Aperture Array that forms part of the SKA project. This is being developed to realise the aperture array concept in the mid-frequency range, which covers a band form roughly 400 to 1450 Mhz. The MFAA is highly anticipated with its incredible survey speed and is intended to be deployed in the Karoo of South Africa. The semi-desert region provides adequate spacing with the perfect radio quiet backdrop, but exposes the arrays to harsh climates. As the system noise temperature is dominated by the receiver noise in this frequency band, the environmental temperature can greatly influence the quality of received signals. This creates a challenge as the arrays will have to operate at ambient temperature as forced cooling cannot be implemented within reasonable cost and complexity, due to the large number of antennas. A thermal analysis is performed on the DDA to determine its suitability in the climate of the Karoo. This is done by developing and testing a finite element model that incorporates computational fluid dynamics to simulate the resulting temperatures of the DDA when in the extreme conditions of the Karoo. The primary component limiting the operating temperature of the DDA and the main consideration during the analysis is the integrated low-noise amplifier. Two operating parameters of the LNA, being the maximum temperature and change in temperature are evaluated to ensure the desired performance of the DDA is achieved and will therefore meet the requirements of the MFAA. It is found that a thermal solution is necessary to bring the DDA within acceptable operating conditions. An open enclosure is designed and optimised for this purpose that utilises a polypropylene cover to mitigate the effects of the environment while considering the impact on the electromagnetic performance. Further simulations are then performed to assess the degradation of antenna performance. In conclusion, the enclosure successfully reduces the operating parameters to an acceptable level, and the cover does have a minor impact on the electromagnetic performance although with foreseeable benefits in stabilization with further optimisation. ii Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za
Analysis of partial discharge sources in stator insulation system using variable excitation frequency

Identification of partial discharge (PD) sources in stator insulation is an important and challenging task. Distinct phase-resolved PD (PRPD) pattern of different PD sources are well established at power frequency (50/60 Hz) and can help to identify each source. In this study, different sources of PD commonly found in stator insulation were created on a 6.6 kV epoxy-mica stator coil. Each PD source was experimentally investigated at a variable excitation frequency in the range of 50-0.1 Hz. PRPD pattern and PD parameters such as integrated charge per cycle and number of discharge pulses per cycle of each discharge source were compared at different frequencies. The comparison suggests that the parameter of each PD source was dependent on excitation frequency. Some discharge sources have shown a distinct variation in their characteristics with excitation frequency. These distinct characteristics are additional information to the existing ones, which will help to correlate PD characteristics with the source of PD in stator insulation.
Broadband Endfire Magnetoelectric Dipole Antenna Array Using SICL Feeding Network for 5G Millimeter-Wave Applications

A broadband endfire antenna array is investigated for 5G millimeter-wave applications. First, an improved magnetoelectric (ME) dipole with a defected ground structure is proposed, which is excited by a planar L-probe. This proposed ME-dipole antenna shows stable radiation during the relative bandwidth of 53.0%. Next, a 16-way substrate-integrated coaxial line (SICL) feeding network is presented. Its bandwidth is 109.5% for <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${|S_{11}|}\leq -15 \; \mathrm {dB}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and insertion loss is less than 13.4 dB. This full-corporate SICL feeding scheme is utilized to construct the broadband antenna array. Finally, the proposed antenna array is fabricated and its performance is evaluated. Considering the impedance bandwidth for <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$|S_{11}| \leq -10 \; \mathrm {dB}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, the 3 dB gain bandwidth, and the radiation efficiency, the overall measured operating bandwidth is 50.7%, which covers two main candidate frequency bands of 28 and 39 GHz. The cross-polarization level is less than −19.0 dB and the front-to-back ratio is better than 20.0 dB in the whole operating bandwidth. Additionally, a <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$4\times 4\,\,2$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-D multibeam array is also simulated to verify the beamforming potential of the proposed antenna array.
Service-Aware Network Architecture Based on SDN, NFV, and Network Intelligence: White Paper

Parts I, II and III of this four paper series detailed how software-defined networking (SDN) and network functions virtualization (NFV) are enabling a more flexible networking architecture compared to traditional approaches that use fixed-function network elements. They also described high-level hardware and software requirements for the SDN architecture, relevant Intel reference designs, and ongoing efforts to make the orchestration layer better informed about node platform capabilities.
Japanese National Strategic Plan for Medical Care and Maternal and Child Health Care

The purpose of this paper is to examine our National Strategic Plan for Medical Care, as put forth in 1985 (modified in part in 2003) by the Medical Care Act, from the perspective of maternal and child health care, and to propose a new plan of action in maternal and child health care for the 21st century. The National Strategic Plan for Medical Care consists of four major domains of medical services, general medicine, psychiatric medicine, infectious diseases, and tuberculosis, to provide the nation (52 tertiary medical care areas and 369 secondary medical care areas) with basic medical resources in each domain. The inherent weakness of the plan is the neglect of maternal and child health care, since the vast majority of the target populations are elderly and children are in the minority. Further, there are a number of complex co-morbidities in children and families that are under-addressed. To address maternal and child health appropriately in practice, the National Strategic Plan for Medical Care needs to be rewritten with the following four new major domains of medical services being women of reproductive age, children, adults, and elderly.
Orbit classification in a pseudo-Newtonian Copenhagen problem with Schwarzschild-like primaries

We examine the orbital dynamics of the planar pseudo-Newtonian Copenhagen problem, in the case of a binary system of Schwarzschild-like primaries, such as super-massive black holes. In particular, we investigate how the Jacobi constant (which is directly connected with the energy of the orbits) influences several aspects of the orbital dynamics, such as the final state of the orbits. We also determine how the relativistic effects (i.e., the Schwarzschild radius) affect the character of the orbits, by comparing our results with the classical Newtonian problem. Basin diagrams are deployed for presenting all the different basin types, using multiple types of planes with two dimensions. We demonstrate that both the Jacobi constant as well as the Schwarzschild radius highly influence the character of the orbits, as well as the degree of fractality of the dynamical system.
Spectrum Analysis and Optimization of the Axial Magnetic Gear with Halbach Permanent Magnet Arrays

In order to study the contribution of each harmonic to the output torque and axial torque of the axial magnetic gear with Halbach permanent magnet arrays (HAMG), torque and axial force calculation formulas of the HAMG are proposed based on the air-gap flux density distribution of the HAMG. Because of the difference of the air-gap flux densities at different radii, two simplified torque and axial force calculation formulas are proposed and compared. To improve the torque capability of the HAMG, parametric analysis of eight dimensional parameters is firstly conducted. By parametric analysis, six parameters such as the inner radius have been found to have obvious impact on the output torque and output torque density of the HAMG. The optimization using Maxwell software is then executed for maximizing the output torque density of the HAMG. The output torque density of the optimized HAMG is improved from 78.1 kNm/m3 to 93.3 kNm/m3 with an increase of 19%. Furthermore, spectrum analysis is also presented to illustrate the significant output torque improvement based on the torque calculation formulas.
IMAGE RETRIEVAL BASED ON WAVELET-MICRO STRUCTURE DESCRIPTOR

Traditional approaches for content-based image querying typically compute a single signature for each image based on color histograms, texture, and wavelet transforms etc., and return as the query result, images whose signatures are closest to the signature of the query image. This paper presents a simple & efficient image retrieval approach by proposing the wavelet-micro structure descriptor. (WMSD). The wavelet micro-structures are defined on the region of images based on edge orientation similarity and the underlying colors. WMSD employs a novel similarity model in which each image is first decomposed into its regions, and the similarity measure between a pair of images is then defined by integrating the extracted color, texture, and shape and color layout information of the regions. The proposed WMSD algorithm has high indexing performance and low dimensionality. The proposed method is extensively tested on Corel datasets. The results demonstrate that it is much more efficient and effective than Gabor features and micro structure descriptor (MSD) for image retrieval.
Tune-Text Negotiation: The effect of intonation on vowel duration

In the variety of Italian spoken in Bari, polar questions typically have a complex rising-falling(-rising) tune, extending from the last lexical stress to the end of the phrase, whereas statements have a low-falling tune. When polar questions end in a word with final stress, the realization of the complex tune has little time to unfold and thus risks being impoverished. We conducted a production study to investigate how speakers realize these two tunes on words with final open syllables that are stressed (sofà [so'fa] ‘sofa’) or unstressed (palo ['palo] ‘pole’). Results show that when the final vowel is stressed, its duration is considerably longer in questions than in statements (β = 111ms). We interpret this to mean that the realization of the intonation contour is facilitated by extra duration on the vowel, thus providing evidence for tonally conditioned adjustments to segment durations.
Preparation and ex vivo evaluation of Microspheres for treatment of Urinary tract infections

http://dx.doi. org/10.21276/IJRDPL.22780238. 2018.7(6). 3164-3171 ABSTRACT: Urinary tract infections (UTI) are the most frequent bacterial infections affecting about 150 million people each year. The most common cause of infections is E. Coli. UTI’s are treated with short course antibiotics. Ofloxacin is a synthetic fluorinated carboxy quinolone that has a broad spectrum of activity against both gram positive & gram-negative bacteria. Multiple doses of ofloxacin are required to attain steady state concentration. The main objective of this study was to prepare and characterize ofloxacin microspheres to prolong the release rate so as to decrease the necessity of multiple dosing especially in patients with UTI. Nine formulations of ofloxacin microspheres were prepared using sodium alginate, sodium CMC and HPMC K 15M in various concentrations. Microspheres were prepared by ionic cross-linking method using calcium chloride as cross-linking agent. The prepared microspheres were evaluated for percentage yield, drug loading, entrapment efficiency, particle size analysis, swelling index, SEM studies, in-vitro dissolution, kinetics of drug release and ex-vivo studies. All the formulations exhibited satisfactory results in evaluations. DSC studies revealed no evidence of interaction between ofloxacin and polymers. Formulation F6 was selected as best formulation as it has good drug loading, percentage yield, entrapment efficiency and sustained the drug release for 8h. Results of ex-vivo studies indicate significant antimicrobial activity of microspheres. All the result demonstrated that ofloxacin microspheres can be effectively used in the treatment of urinary tract infections.