Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Indoor air quality and diversity of fungi inside and outside residences of children with a history of allergy in Cuba

Abstract Several investigations suggest that the exposure to fungal allergens during childhood may increase the risk of sensitisation in children genetically predisposed to allergy. The objective of this study was to evaluate the quality and diversity of fungal propagules in indoor air, specifically in the bedrooms of children with a family history of allergy. The indoor and outdoor air was sampled from 44 bedrooms of children with a family history of allergy during the years 2018 and 2019 in Havana, Cuba. Inside the bedrooms, the presence of humidity problems, visible fungal growth, and the quality of ventilation was examined, while the values of temperature and relative humidity were recorded. Moreover, a distribution analysis of the genera detected was carried out and the Sørensen coefficient of similarity was calculated. In addition, the relationship between the outdoor and indoor air concentrations of each residence was determined. The concentrations of fungal propagules in the indoor air of the bedrooms were between 20 and 1330 colony-forming unit (CFU)/m3. According to the analysed limit values, 18 bedrooms can be classified as having poor indoor air quality. Cladosporium, Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Curvularia were the most frequent genera of the 19 identified in the study. There was a similarity between the indoor and outdoor air mycobiota in 15.9% of the rooms. The detection of these allergenic fungal genera is an alert for children in the sampled homes, mainly for those that were classified as poor indoor air quality according to the examined standards.
Effective and low‐cost passive compensator system to improve the power quality of two electric generators

To suppress the most dominant harmonic currents and compensate for the power factor (PF) of electric generators (EGs), a technique based on passive power filters (PPFs) is presented here. The key feature of the proposed method is the implementation of only a set of PPFs for compensating the power-quality issues of two EGs. This characteristic makes the suggested approach highly cost-effective and considerably reduces the required space for placing PPFs. The performance of the proposed technique is demonstrated using simulation studies under MATLAB/Simulink environment and validated experimentally.
Lung cancer diagnosis system based on 3D CNN

Lung cancer is one of the main reasons for death globally, with an impressive rate of about five million deadly cases per year. Detection of lung cancer at an early stage is necessary to prevent deaths and increase the survival rate. However, most of the current works on lung cancer detection stop at the algorithm level, leading to a lack of a platform that allows patients to get diagnosis results by simply uploading their CT scans. To slightly fill up the vacancy, this paper designs an auxiliary lung cancer diagnosis system based on deep learning techniques to detect lung cancer, provide associated knowledge and send out personal reports. Specifically, our system consists of two main parts, the lung cancer diagnosis assistant and the lung cancer diagnosis center. The lung cancer diagnosis assistant allows patients to upload CT scans and get their reports in the mailbox. Meanwhile, it encourages patients to learn medical knowledge about lung cancer. When detecting lung cancer, we first resample and resize the uploaded images to avoid the impact of picture quality differences and reduce memory consumption brought by 3D CT scans. Then, we construct our 3D convolutional neural network (3D CNN) model based on processed images. We verify the effectiveness of our model compared with a baseline model on the Data Science Bowl 2017 (DSB17) dataset, which is a lung cancer dataset consisting of over a thousand low-dose CT images from high-risk patients. The baseline model is a relatively simple model with only 2 convolutional layers. Our improved edition gets an accuracy of around 64%, 5% higher than the baseline model, which illustrates the effectiveness of our 3DCNN model. The experiment results and analyses demonstrate that our system is of practical value to detect lung cancer and provide extra services for patients.
Integration of energy storage in power systems

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Testability as a Measure for Improving Software Quality in System Analysis and Design

Software quality assurance is being an emerging field of software engineering, advocating more stable solutions to real-world systems strongly. SQA is a formal procedure used to evaluate, document, and assure the quality of the work products at all phases of SDLC. Different factors may affect the quality of the system. The primary purpose of this research is to identify and understand various quality factors and their effect on software/system development. The relationships between these factors and SDLC phases are investigated, and another quality factor testability is proposed to the quality factor set of the system analysis & design. The expected results of the proposed solution have shown the importance of testability, specifically at system analysis & design phase of software/system development.
Analysis, Design, and Implementation of Improved LLC Resonant Transformer for Efficiency Enhancement

In battery charging applications, the charger changes its output voltage in a wide range during the charging process. This makes the design of LLC converters difficult to be optimized between the efficiency and the gain range. In this paper, an improved resonant transformer is presented for LLC resonant converter charger to improve the gain adjustment and charger efficiency. The resonant inductance and magnetizing inductance are integrated in the designed LLC transformer, and the magnetizing inductance can be adjusted dynamically with the change of output voltage and load, which is realized by a switch-controlled inductor (SCI) parallel to the secondary winding of transformer. The proposed transformer has 22.4% reduction in losses under full load conditions compared to conventional solutions. Moreover, the conduction loss and switching loss of LLC resonant tank are reduced by dynamically adjusting the magnetizing inductance, which improves the comprehensive efficiency of the whole charging process. The proposed transformer design is verified on a 720 W prototype.
Teaching1 Economics Students about Different Models for Dealing with Uncertainty and Risk Besides the Standard Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM) and the Subjective Expected Utility (SEU) Model

There has been a great deal of uncertainty (doubt) and fear about how the COVID-19 corona virus would impact the world's economies in the future. This fear of the future would explain the manner in which individuals and countries have responded to the outbreaks by buying gold and/or other "hard" assets, which decision makers have great confidence in. In times of uncertainty (doubt), holding gold is a reliable and dependable way of combatting the likely impact of un-certain events on future events. The COVID-19 virus has generated a great deal of fear regarding the economic ef-fects of the virus on the economy. Holding hard assets would allow the holder of such assets to feel safer and more secure about their ability to successfully deal with and/or wait out such events . We argue that undergraduate students would be better prepared for decision making in the real world after they graduate if the standard approach taken in microeconomic courses based on risk assessment alone was supplemented by alternative treatments that do not model decision making as taking place only under the assumption of additivity and linearity as is made in CAPM and SEU. It is important to teach students how to modify their probabilities to transform them into decision weights which (a) consider uncertainty, but (b) simplify to probabilities if the uncer-tainty should diminish substantially in the future. This is accomplished by using Tversky -Kahneman's Cumulative Prospect Theory and Keynes's Conventional Coefficient model from the A Treatise on Probability. © 2022 Better Advances Press. All rights reserved.
The Predictive Value of Radiographs and the Pirani Score for Later Additional Surgery in Ponseti-Treated Idiopathic Clubfeet, an Observational Cohort Study

There are few validated predictors of the need for additional surgery in idiopathic clubfeet treated according to the Ponseti method. Our aim was to examine if physical examination (Pirani score) and radiographs at the age of three months (after initial correction of the clubfeet) can predict the future need for additional surgery. In this retrospective cohort study, radiographs of idiopathic clubfeet were made at the age of three months. The Pirani score was determined at the first cast, before tenotomy, and at the age of three months. Follow-up was at least five years. The correlation between the radiograph, Pirani score, and the need for additional surgery was explored with logistic regression analysis. Parent satisfaction was measured with a disease-specific instrument. The study included 72 clubfeet (50 children) treated according to the Ponseti method. Additional surgery was needed on 27 feet (38%). A larger lateral tibiocalcaneal angle (i.e., equinus) and a smaller lateral talocalcaneal angle (i.e., hindfoot varus) at the age of three months were correlated with the need for additional surgery. Higher Pirani scores before tenotomy and at the age of three months also correlated with additional surgery. Parent satisfaction was lower in patients who needed additional surgery. Both the Pirani scores and the lateral radiographs are predictive for future additional surgery.
Acousmatic Noise: Racialization and Resistance in The Tempest's 'New World' Soundscape

Abstract:I analyze Shakespeare's racialization of noise in The Tempest as an acousmatic phenomenon and suggest how the acousmatic—sound whose source remains hidden—is imagined as a weapon of resistance that the racialized noisome Other could use to resist aristocratic and colonial power. Shakespeare's play echoes the Algonquian-speaking Powhatan use of acousmatic singing in Tsenacommacah as a mode of warfare against the English in Virginia in 1611 with that of Caliban and his companions' (Stephano and Trinculo) singing revolt.
Graphene Functionalized Cotton Nonwoven for Thermotherapy

ABSTRACT Graphene-based electroconductive textile materials are advantageous over metal/gel-based heating pads for thermotherapy because of their flexibility, processability, and ability to maintain a constant temperature for an extended period. The electro-thermal properties of graphene-based nonwoven depend on its surface resistivity which in turn depends on the amount of graphene oxide (GO) deposition. In this work, highly conductive, flexible, lightweight, and antibacterial graphene functionalized cotton nonwoven with excellent electro-thermal performance is reported. For this, needle punched nonwoven structure is designed and its construction variables (Fabric GSM, punch density, and depth of penetration) are optimized with the Box-Behnken response surface design to achieve maximum GO adsorption and minimum surface resistivity. The lowest surface resistivity of 727.57 Ω sq−1 is achieved at 22.18% GO add-on. The functionalized fabric shows excellent electro-thermal properties and a maximum surface temperature of 118°C is achieved at 30V DC supply. The change in surface resistivity of rGO-cotton (reduced graphene oxide coated cotton) is insignificant even after atmospheric aging for 10 weeks, 4 washings and 10 rubbings. Antibacterial activity of 97.10% is achieved toward Staphylococcus aureus bacterium.
Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) Funding: Forging the Future of the Counseling Profession

Abstract I have used the reflective self-study methodology to understand the challenges in implementing the Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) grant and how lessons learned from this experience can be applied to counseling practice and teaching. The main goal of BHWET funding is to train and educate behavioral health workers such as counselors in integrated healthcare in primary care (IPC) settings. Self-study research is predominantly used in teacher education practices (Samaras, 2011) and this methodology has the potential to be extrapolated to counselor education and practice especially for developing new pedagogy or program. After engaging in reflective self-study methodology and critically evaluating artifacts, three themes have emerged: professional development for faculty and curriculum development for students, training and fieldwork experiences for supervisors, and advocacy for billing and reimbursement practices. I have also provided a history of BHWET funding along with the strategies for workforce development among the counseling profession.
Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Limosilactobacillus fermentum KGC1601 Isolated from Panax ginseng and Its Probiotic Characteristics

We investigated the potential probiotic properties of Limosilactobacillus fermentum KGC1601 isolated from Panax ginseng. Ginseng cultivated in an experimental field of the Korea Ginseng Research Institute was fermented, followed by single colony selection from MRS agar. We performed 16s-rRNA sequencing and whole-genome analysis to identify L. fermentum and evaluate the biosafety parameters of this strain, respectively. We confirmed this strain was susceptible to six antibiotics, as proposed by the European Food Safety Authority, did not produce biogenic amines, and did not exhibit any hemolytic activity. Acid resistance and bile salt tolerance, which are essential properties of a probiotic agent, were investigated. Notably, distinguishing properties of this strain were that it exhibited excellent bile salt tolerance and anti-inflammatory effects. The excellent bile salt tolerance was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. Through qRT-PCR and ELISA studies, it was revealed that L. fermentum KGC1601 pre-treatment up-regulates anti-inflammatory cytokines and down-regulates pro-inflammatory cytokines in RAW 264.7 cells. Consequently, we suggested that L. fermentum KGC1601 can be safely used as a potential anti-inflammatory functional probiotic agent.
Active Incremental Learning for Health State Assessment of Dynamic Systems With Unknown Scenarios

This article is concerned with the data-driven health state assessment task with unknown scenarios. Unknown scenarios are inaccessible in the stage of model training but they can appear unexpectedly during the running stage. A new problem called the within-class distribution mismatch is raised by assuming that unknown scenarios still belong to known classes. To tackle this challenging problem, a novel active incremental learning scheme with a classifier and an out-of-distribution (OOD) detector is proposed. A k-fast incremental support vector data description (k-FISVDD) model is put forward as the OOD detector to recognize distribution mismatch samples online for label annotation. Specifically, it integrates the clustering algorithm to build local support vector sets, based on which an active query strategy is developed. An incremental learning mechanism is also designed to reduce the labeling cost. Then, the new labeled data can simultaneously refine the classifier and OOD detector. Two cases, including a bearing benchmark dataset and the operation data of a practical deep-sea manned submersible, are studied to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.
Design and construct discrete compound parabolic concentrator integrated collector storage solar water heater (CPC ICSSWH)

Solar energy is clean, free and sustainable compared to fossil fuels. One of the typical utilization of solar energy is solar water heating system where it is a welldeveloped application for water heating. There are numerous types of solar water heater (SWH) systems existed in the market to suit customers’ various demands. For instance, flat plate collector SWH, evacuated tube collector SWH, parabolic trough collector SWH and integrated collector storage SWH. This study presents a discrete compound parabolic concentrator integrated collector storage solar water heater (CPC ICSSWH) that is easy to be fabricated and it is a passive system in which active pump and sun tracking is not required. The discrete compound parabolic concentrator (CPC) was constructed by several rectangular facet mirrors and a wide acceptance angle of 56° was used so that sun tracking can be eliminated, thus making it very suitable for domestic purposes. Ray tracing simulation, system performance analysis and the cost analysis of the discrete CPC ICSSWH were carried out and presented in details. The discrete CPC ICSSWH can achieve a theoretical maximum system efficiency of 63.39% and has attained highest water temperature of 70.6°C with total payback period of 6.25 years.
New Perspective on Natural Plant Protein-Based Nanocarriers for Bioactive Ingredients Delivery

The health effects of bioactive substances in the human body are affected by several factors, including food processing conditions, storage conditions, light and heat, among others. These factors greatly limit the stability and bioavailability of bioactive substances. These problems can be solved by a novel protein-based nanocarrier technology, which has the excellent potential to enhance solubility, bioavailability, and the controlled release of bioactive substances. In addition, plant protein has the advantages of economy, environmental protection, and high nutrition compared to animal protein. In this review, the preparation, characterization, and application of plant protein-based nanocarriers are summarized. The research deficiency and future prospects of plant protein nanocarriers are emphasized.
The Mycobiome: Cancer Pathogenesis, Diagnosis, and Therapy

Simple Summary The role of the microbiome in health and disease has gained great attention over the past few decades. The evidence demonstrating the link between the microbiome and cancer has been growing. Although several studies have explored this topic, their main focus has been on bacteria, ignoring another important group in the microbiome: fungi. Recent studies have demonstrated the complex interactions between bacteria and fungi inhabiting the human body. Furthermore, published data show that the mycobiome has a significant role in the development of several cancers, such as the link between Malassezia and pancreatic duct adenocarcinoma. Additionally, studying bacteria and fungi together was shown to be more informative compared to single community analysis. Similarly, bacteriome and mycobiome modulation have significant positive effects on the efficacy and tolerability of the available anticancer therapies. Thus, microbiome studies should also include other microbial communities, such as fungi. Abstract Cancer is among the leading causes of death globally. Despite advances in cancer research, a full understanding of the exact cause has not been established. Recent data have shown that the microbiome has an important relationship with cancer on various levels, including cancer pathogenesis, diagnosis and prognosis, and treatment. Since most studies have focused only on the role of bacteria in this process, in this article we review the role of fungi—another important group of the microbiome, the totality of which is referred to as the “mycobiome”—in the development of cancer and how it can impact responses to anticancer medications. Furthermore, we provide recent evidence that shows how the different microbial communities interact and affect each other at gastrointestinal and non-gastrointestinal sites, including the skin, thereby emphasizing the importance of investigating the microbiome beyond bacteria.
[Hospitalization from the traffic victims'and their family caregivers' points of view].

This study describes the context of hospitalization experienced by traffic accident victims and their family caregivers. Using a qualitative approach and orientated by the convergent analysis, the investigation took place at an emergency hospital, in Fortaleza, CearAi, in 2004, with 14 people - seven patients with skeletal muscle trauma and seven relatives accompanying them. In the participants' standpoint, the hospitalization moment is permeated by depression, anxiety, sadness, fear, concern, unawareness, affront from the health team to the patient and family, being exacerbated by the physical traumas, economical difficulties, social and legal implications. According to the integral principle, care to traffic victims should be extended to their relatives, because the latter also suffer injuries when they come across sudden death, serious traumas and sequels in significant persons. Language: pt
Frequency Diversity Array for DOA Estimation

The localization of targets has been presented in this article. DOA (Direction of Arrival) is an important parameter to be determined by radar. The MLE (Maximum Likelihood Estimator) has been widely used to accurately and efficiently estimate the DOAs of multiple targets. The targets at different ranges result in a variation in amplitude of the received signals, so an MLE estimator has to operate at all ranges. For accurate results of DOA, the complex amplitudes of multiple targets should not be much different and also the prior information of Doppler and number of targets is required. In this paper, an approach is proposed which uses the classical 2D algorithm to estimate range, Doppler and number of targets and then FDA (Frequency Diversity Array) is used to focus power in a particular range. As a result, the MLE can get data from a particular range cell where all targets have almost same amplitude and thus MLE can accurately estimate the DOAs of multiple targets. Simulations and results have confirmed the effectiveness of proposed approach.
Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducers: Analysis and Design

This book presents the design and analysis for development of a Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer (CMUT), a novel sensor and actuator, aimed at replacing the conventional piezoelectric transducers for air-coupled ultrasonic imaging applications. These CMUTs are fabricated using the silicon micromachining technology wherein all fabrication is done on the surface of a silicon wafer by means of thin-film depositions, patterning with photolithography and etching. The main emphasis of this study is on developing analytical models that serve as effective design tools for the development of these devices. A desirable goal this manuscript is to create reasonable mathematical models, obtain analytical solutions, wherever possible, for various measures of transducer performance and provide design aids.