Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genetic parameters for productive and reproductive traits of sows in multiplier farms

Reproductive performance is one of the important components of sow productivity, and is recognised as a key factor affecting the efficiency and economy of the pig industry. In particular, this leads to optimisation of the capacity of multiplier farms in crossbreeding programmes. Economic value of reproductive performance is expected to increase in the future. So, in order to combine both productive and reproductive performances of sows optimally in selection programmes, accurate estimates of variance and covariance components for all traits measured are necessary. The objectives of this study were to estimate genetic parameters for reproductive performance along with growth and backfat measures of sows, to use them for constructing optimised selection criteria for dam line sows and boars, and to develop practical procedures for breeding value estimation and selection of sows and boars in dam lines.
Expression balance of ectoenzymes CD39 and CD73 predicts invasiveness in human bladder cancer

Background An accurate prediction of progression is critical to define the management of bladder cancer (BC). The ectonucleotidases CD39 and CD73 play strategic roles in calibrating purinergic signals via an extracellular balance between ATP and adenosine. The altered expression of these enzymes plays a potential role in tumor invasion and metastasis, therefore, it has been proposed in the prognosis of solid tumors. In BC this is not yet clear. This study aimed to evaluate CD39 and CD73 expression in a cohort of patients with non-muscle-invasive (NMI) and muscle-invasive (MI) BC regard to its association with clinicopathological features. Methods Retrospective clinical follow-up data and primary urothelial BC specimens of 162 patients were used. Tissue microarrays were constructed, and immunohistochemistry for CD39 and CD73 was performed to make associations with clinicopathological data. Results Overall, 96 were NMI (59.3%) and 66 MI (40.7%). CD39 immunoreactivity in BC cells was found in 72% of the cases, while CD73 was found in 97%. High CD39 expression alone was more frequent in NMI BC (p < 0.001), while high expression of CD73 was more frequent in MI BC. The association of both markers potentiated the prediction, in that high CD39 expression and low CD73 expression was strongly associated with NMI BC and low CD39 with high CD73 was associated with MI BC. Conclusion The invasiveness stage of BC may be predicted by the altered expression of CD39 and CD73. Therefore CD39 serves as an additional tool for the selection of patients with favorable prognosis.
Project UCARE: Uniform Commuter Assistance Reporting and Evaluation for Transportation Demand Management Programs

Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) places emphasis upon results and better management of programs for effective and efficient service delivery. With an increased focus on measuring performance, the transportation demand management (TDM) industry lags other areas of transportation. Without consistent methods of evaluating performance and calculating those benefits, the TDM community is at a distinct disadvantage when transportation investments are being considered at the local, state, and federal levels. This project sought to develop an accurate and sustainable online system to record data and use a consistent and defensible method for calculating the impacts of TDM programs. A literature review and a survey of TDM professionals were used to identify the key outputs and outcomes used today by commuter assistance programs. The data collection tool was pilot tested. The data from the survey are inputs into the standardized societal benefit estimation procedures contained in Florida Department of Transportation's (FDOT’s) Trip Reduction Impacts of Mobility Management Strategies (TRIMMS™) model. To facilitate participation and ease of use, the final product, UCARE.TRIMMS, was made an online application.
The Improved 3D Pedestrian Positioning System Based on Foot-Mounted Inertial Sensor

The foot-mounted navigation system based on Micro Inertial Measurement Unit (MIMU) can estimate the position of pedestrians. Zero Velocity Update (ZUPT) provides a solution for reducing cumulative positioning errors caused by the integral calculation of the inertial sensor. However, the low accuracy and high noise of the MIMU will greatly affect the measurement accuracy of zero velocity detector, which will lead to poor 3D pedestrian positioning accuracy. An improved generalized likelihood ratio test (GLRT) method is proposed by establishing adaptive thresholds at different gait frequency. The core is to dynamically adjust the detection threshold according to different motion states, so as to determine the constraint relation for detection. In addition, the drift of sensors and the accumulated error of position integration affect the accuracy of attitude and position. Therefore, an improved extended Kalman particle filter (EKPF) is proposed. The improved EKPF constructs the position constraint model in altitude direction by introducing barometer information. The new particle filter distribution function is constructed by constrained multi-source observation information, which makes the posterior probability distribution closer to the real distribution. In order to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of this method, the inertial pedestrian navigation system is established. The experimental results demonstrate that the improved GLRT method performs well in detecting the zero velocity point of the foot, and improved EKPF method reduces the positioning error by 69.25% and 53.57% compared with the EKF and PF, respectively. Therefore, the proposed method can improved the 3D pedestrian positioning accuracy.
Optics and Photonics: Essential Technologies for Our Nation

Optics and photonics technologies are ubiquitous: they are responsible for the displays on smart phones and computing devices, optical fiber that carries the information in the internet, advanced precision manufacturing, enhanced defense capabilities, and a plethora of medical diagnostics tools. The opportunities arising from optics and photonics offer the potential for even greater societal impact in the next few decades, including solar power generation and new efficient lighting that could transform the nation's energy landscape and new optical capabilities that will be essential to support the continued exponential growth of the Internet. As described in the National Research Council report Optics and Photonics: Essential Technologies for our Nation, it is critical for the United States to take advantage of these emerging optical technologies for creating new industries and generating job growth. The report assesses the current state of optical science and engineering in the United States and abroad--including market trends, workforce needs, and the impact of photonics on the national economy. It identifies the technological opportunities that have arisen from recent advances in, and applications of, optical science and engineering. The report also calls for improved management of U.S. public and private research and development resources, emphasizing the need for public policy that encourages adoption of a portfolio approach to investing in the wide and diverse opportunities now available within photonics. Optics and Photonics: Essential Technologies for our Nation is a useful overview not only for policymakers, such as decision-makers at relevant Federal agencies on the current state of optics and photonics research and applications but also for individuals seeking a broad understanding of the fields of optics and photonics in many arenas.
Liposomal Curcumin

A liposomal formulation containing curcumin, a poorly water-soluble polylphenol pigment isolated from the plant Curcuma longa, with potential antineoplastic, chemopreventive, antioxidant, anti-angiogenic and anti-inflammatory activities. Upon intravenous administration of liposomal curcumin, this agent blocks the formation of reactive-oxygen species, neutralizes free radicals, and exhibits anti-inflammatory properties as a result of inhibition of cyclooxygenases (COX) and other enzymes involved in inflammation. In addition, curcumin disrupts various cell signal transduction pathways involved in carcinogenesis, inhibits the activity of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kB), SRC, and annexin A2 (ANXA2), and reduces the expression of both matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2). This prevents and/or inhibits tumor cell formation and proliferation. Liposome encapsulation of curcumin improves its efficacy, when compared to the administration of unencapsulated curcumin.
Software Profiling of Rogue Events in High-Volume Gauging

Customers are placing ever increasing demands on automotive part manufacturers for high quality parts at low cost. Increasingly, the demand is for zero defects or defect rates in the less than one part per billion. This creates a significant challenge for manufacturers as to how to achieve these low defect levels economically while producing large volumes of parts. Importantly, the presence of infrequent process and measurement (gauge) events can adversely affect product quality. This thesis uses a statistical mixture model that allows one to assume a main production process that occurs most of the time, and secondary rogue events that occur infrequently. Often the rogue events correspond to necessary operator activity, like equipment repairs and tooling replacement. The mixture model predicts that some gauge observations will be influenced by combinations of these rogue events. Certain production applications, like those involving feedback or high-reliability gauging, are heavily influenced by rogue events and combinations of rogue events. A special runtime software profiler was created to collect information about rogue events, and statistical techniques (rogue event analysis) were used to estimate the waste generated by these rogue events. iv The value of these techniques was successfully demonstrated in three different industrial automotive part production applications. Two of these systems involve an automated feedback application with Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) machining centers and Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) gauges. The third application involves a high-reliability inspection system that used optical, camera-based, machine-vision technology. The original system accepted reject parts at a rate of 98.7 part per million (ppm), despite multiple levels of redundancy. The final system showed no outgoing defects on a 1 million part factory data sample, and a 100 million part simulated data sample. It is expected that the final system reliability will meet the 0.001 ppm specification, which represents a huge improvement.
Fixing long-term price paths for fossil energy – the optimal incentive for limiting global warming

Neither a gradually rising carbon tax nor emission trading schemes can ensure that the costs of emitting greenhouse gases, in particular CO2, will steadily rise faster than the general price level. If, e.g., global fossil energy prices decline faster than a carbon tax or the emission permit price rises, then the final good and its use become cheaper. Since the prices of fossil energy as well as CO2 emission permit prices belong to the most unstable prices in the global economy, carbon taxes and trading schemes cannot anchor the long-term expectation that the effective emission costs for firms and households will rise continuously. Such an expectation, however, is a prerequisite for steadily growing investment in energy efficiency and/or renewable energy because the profits from such investments consist of the saved fossil energy costs (“opportunity profits”). This paper presents an alternative approach: The EU sets a path of steadily rising prices of crude oil, coal and natural gas by skimming off the difference between the EU target price and the respective world market price through a monthly adjusted quantity tax. Instead of the prices of fossil raw materials, the (implicit) quantity tax should fluctuate. In this way, the uncertainty about future price developments of crude oil, coal and natural gas and, hence, of the effective emission costs would be eliminated. Firms and households could calculate the profitability of investments in avoiding carbon emissions. At the same time, such a tax would ensure a uniform European carbon price in all sectors, provided the initial level of the price paths of crude oil, coal and natural gas account for the different CO2 intensities of these types of fossil energy. Given the size of the EU import bill for fossil energy, the amount of potential receipts of such an implicit and flexible CO2 tax would be (very) huge.
Use of Electronic Communication Devices by Canadian Drivers in Urban Areas

The use of electronic communication devices (ECDs) such as cell phones, smart phones, and tablets by drivers has been found to increase the likelihood of motor vehicle crashes in a number of epidemiological studies. The last time that cell phone use in Canada was observed, an estimated 3.6% of drivers were talking on cell phones in rural areas in 2009 and 3.3% were using them in urban areas in 2010. Given that most Canadian jurisdictions have passed legislation prohibiting the use of hand-held devices by drivers, there is interest in whether there has been a change in the use of these devices. An observational survey was conducted at 286 urban sites across Canada during September 2012. A total of 70,686 drivers of light duty vehicles were observed while they were stopped at a traffic light or a stop sign. Whether they were using an ECD was recorded as well as the type of usage (i.e., speaking, typing, both), driver age and gender, number of passengers in the vehicle, and type of vehicle. The weighted national urban survey results show that an estimated 4.6% (± 0.5) of the drivers used an ECD, varying by jurisdiction from 1.3 to 7.0%. ECD use was more frequent among young drivers (<25 years of age), drivers of light trucks, drivers without passengers, and somewhat more by female drivers. ECDs were used for talking by 2.3% of drivers and for typing by 1.7% of drivers. Nationally, the use of hand-held ECDs for talking was 61% lower in 2012 than that observed in 2007. A detailed analysis of drivers talking on ECDs before and after laws prohibiting their use came into effect indicated that usage was significantly lower after the law in nine jurisdictions.
Estimation of bat colony size even with low recapture rates: an example based on the Cormack-Jolly-Seber model in Oaxaca, México

Introduction: Reproduction is a critical phase for most living organisms and in bats the reproductive strategies exhibit considerable complexity and variability. Objective: In this paper, we describe the reproductive patterns and population dynamics of seven bat species (Artibeus toltecus, Carollia perspicillata, Glossophaga soricina, Mormoops megalophylla, Pteronotus davyi, Pteronotus parnellii and Natalus stramineus) that roost in a mine (La Mina) and two caves (El Apanguito and Cerro Huatulco) found in the municipalities of Pluma Hidalgo and Santa Maria Huatulco, in the State of Oaxaca, in southeastern México. Methods: Sampling was conducted once a month from July 2016 to June 2017. Results: A total of 5 836 bats were captured, tagged and, released, including 14 species, 10 genera, and five families. The most abundant species were Pteronotus davyi and P. parnellii, representing 41.01 % and 32.34 % of the captures, respectively. Artibeus toltecus, Carollia perspicillata, and Glossophaga soricina showed seasonal bimodal polyoestry without a postpartum oestrus pattern, whereas Mormoops megalophylla, Natalus stramineus, Pteronotus davyi, and Pteronotus parnellii showed a restricted seasonal monoestrous pattern. Conclusions: The reproductive activity of each species seems to be synchronized with the beginning of the rainy season. Future studies should consider aspects of vaginal cytology and include environmental factors to better understand the relationship of certain factors with the onset of reproductive activity of neotropical bat species.
The Association between dietary total antioxidant capacity with the risk of helicobacter pylori infection among adult: a case–control study

Objective Dietary total antioxidant capacity (TAC) has been assumed as a useful tool to assess the relationship between the cumulative antioxidant food capacity and several chronic disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between DTAC and risk of Helicobacter pylori in a case-control study. Methods This case-control study was carried out among 150 patients with Helicobacter pylori and 302 healthy subjects aged 18–55 years. Dietary data were collected using a validated 168- items quantitative food frequency questionnaire. DTAC was calculated based on the ferric reducing-antioxidant power (FRAP) values that reported by US Department of Agriculture. Results The mean age and BMI of the study participants were 38.70 years and 25.86, respectively. Compared with control subjects, participants with H pylori significantly were older and had higher BMI and smoking use. Patients with H pylori compared with control individuals had also lower intake of total fiber, vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin D, total dairy, whole grain and vegetables. Compared with participants in the lowest tertile of DTAC, those in the highest terrtile had a significantly lower OR for H pylori after further adjustment for potential confounders (Model 2: OR, 0.20; 95% CI, 0.10–0.40; P for trend, < 0.001). Conclusions Our findings showed that a high DTAC was associated with a reduced risk of Helicobacter pylori in adult, which reflects the increased intake of natural dietary antioxidants to prevent the progression of Helicobacter pylori. However, further studies are needed to investigate the t relation between DTAC and risk of Helicobacter pylori.
Design modelling to minimise the risk for offshore platforms

Safety cases must be produced by offshore operators to assess the risks posed to the personnel by potential accidents. On an offshore platform two of the major hazards are fires and explosions resulting from an accidental hydrocarbon release. The overpressures generated during an explosion can threaten the integrity of the platform structure. It is therefore important to be able to estimate the overpressures generated, should an explosion occur, and to predict the frequency of such an event. A methodology has been developed to predict the frequency of explosions of different magnitudes occurring in a module on an offshore platform. This methodology combines established risk assessment techniques, such as event tree analysis and fault tree analysis, with fluid flow modelling. Assumptions have been made in the methodology to simplify the calculation procedure. These assumptions relate to the conditions under which the leak occurs, the build up of gas in air concentration and the probability calculations. Frequency predictions are required to be as accurate as possible to enable the acceptability of the risk to be determined and reduced to a level which is as low as reasonably practicable. Hence each of the assumptions within the methodology has been addressed, to determine a more complete prediction tool. Once an accurate frequency for the explosion occurring has been determined, the risk to personnel must be minimised to an acceptable yet practical level. On existing designs it is impractical to alter the layout of the platform. However the nature of the safety systems may be changed. These safety features include isolation, blowdown, mitigation and detection systems. An optimisation study presents three schemes to identify the optimum configuration of the safety systems, in terms of the overpressures generated, as a means of reducing the risk to the platform.
Design within Sustainability: Identifying processes and approaches that build capacity and capability for incorporating sustainability within the teaching and practice of design

This thesis is concerned with semantics associated with ‘sustainable design’. In particular, I focus on how differences in conceptions of design and sustainability can affect the teaching and practice of design. Considering that designers shape and make the artificial for consumption and disposal, how can an exhaustive use of resources and excessive production of waste be sustainable? Consequently, I interviewed some leading global researchers, educators and practitioners in sustainable design, specifically asking what sustainable design means, how they teach and implement it, and why. New ways of thinking about sustainability and design have overtaken the reductionist approach affiliated with the environmental movements of the 1970s, and now include concepts, such as systems thinking, transdisciplinary design dialogues and citizens as co-designers. My intention shifted to discover if these progressive international understandings, approaches and rationale were reflected in design education and practice in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Using a qualitative and pragmatic grounded theory approach and constant comparative analysis methodology, I sought strategies of how sustainable designers overcame obstacles to the inclusion of sustainability in their disciplines. I propose that through more global ways of thinking about design can come broader ways of thinking about sustainability. I build on many current conceptions of sustainability education and sustainable design theories to reflect on how designers and educators are some of the most active contributors to social, environmental and economic change. Moreover, I suggest that a failure to recognise the complexities of sustainability can lead to single-issue ways of thinking that can restrict progress towards designing more sustainable futures. In this way, barriers such as a lack of understanding, confidence, importance and support emerge. In contrast, for designers (teachers and practitioners) and educators (from a wide variety of disciplines), recognition of shared common elements between sustainability and design, and sustainability and education can augment current practices and lead to opportunities for engaging in a wide variety of ways towards designing scenarios for more sustainable futures.
The Preventive Role of Exercise on the Physiological, Psychological, and Psychophysiological Parameters of Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2): A Mini Review

The world has been severely challenged by the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) outbreak since the early 2020s. Worldwide, there have been more than 66 million cases of infection and over 3,880,450 deaths caused by this highly contagious disease. All sections of the population including those who are affected, those who are not affected and those who have recovered from this disease, are suffering physiologically, psychologically or psychophysiologically. In this paper we briefly discuss the consequences of COVID-19 on physiological, psychological and psychophysiological vulnerability. We also attempt to provide evidence in support of exercise management as a prevention strategy for improving and minimizing the physiological, psychological and psychophysiological effects of COVID-19. Moderate exercise including walking, yoga and tai-chi to name but a few exercise regimes are critical in preventing COVID-19 and its complications. Governments, public health authorities and the general population should maintain physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic to prevent additional physical and mental distress.