Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A FRAMEWORK IN DEVELOPING A CITIZEN-CENTERED SMART CITY MOBILE APPLICATION AS A PLATFORM FOR DIGITAL PARTICIPATION IN ILOILO CITY

Abstract. ICT is one of the technological enablers of a smart city which facilitates the developments in various sectors of the community such as in governance, transportation, education, safety, tourism, and communication. Development of smartphone applications have directly contributed to areas of smart living, smart people, smart governance, and smart mobility as it provides several features catering digital services in the city and flexible utilization of the city services. However, smart city development is not merely the creation of digital services for the citizens but instead involves a two-way communication between the government and citizen’s collaborative processes and digital participation. The purpose of this paper is to provide a framework for a mobile tool wherein people can easily access the most essential everyday city services and in the same manner provide the city authorities to gather relevant information from the application through review of literature and other relevant documents.
Open Ocean Aquaculture engineering II

The University of New Hampshire, Center for Ocean Engineering (UNH/COE) Open Ocean Aquaculture (OOA) engineering efforts continue to be focused on developing engineering design and analysis tools for assessing, evaluating and optimizing engineering systems required for successful open ocean aquaculture. During 2002, this effort was focused on four tasks to continue the understanding of OOA: (1) investigation of commercial size cages, (2) expansion of the mooring system at the experimental location, (3) feed buoy development, and (4) net panel drag studies to enhance the understanding of this issue. Commercial size cage investigations included numerical and physical modeling of the SADCO-Shelf fish cage, and an initial study of a Sea Station 3000 cage with a tension leg mooring. Analysis of the expansion of the existing mooring was begun to study the effects of having many cages and larger cages at the site. Feed buoy development moved forward with the deployment of a separate independently moored system. The drag studies on net panels provided insight to the increased drag due to biofouling of experimental panels deployed at the offshore site. This paper presents selected results from these four tasks.
Comparison of NARX Neural Network and Classical Modelling Approaches

Classical optimization tools are effective when precise mechanistic models exist to support their design and implementation. However, most of the real-world processes are complex due to either nonlinearities or uncertainties (or both) and environmental variations, thus making realizing accurate mathematical models for such processes quite difficult or often impossible. Black box approach tends to present a better alternative in such situations. This paper presents a comparison of nonlinear autoregressive with eXogenous (NARX) neural network and traditional modelling techniques [autoregressive with exogenous input (ARX) and autoregressive moving average with exogenous input (ARMAX)]. The models were validated using experimental data from full-scale plants. Simulation results revealed that the performance of the NARX neural network is better compared to the ARMAX and ARX. The NARX neural network may serve as a valuable forecasting tool for the plants.
Evaluation of factors affecting the frequency and clinical course of COVID-19 in patients using anti-TNF-alpha agents.

OBJECTIVES Patients being treated with anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha (anti-TNF-alpha) agents were reported to have better prognosis related to COVID-19. We evaluated the factors affecting the frequency, clinical course, and outcome of COVID-19 in patients treated with anti-TNF-alpha agents. METHODS Patients with rheumatoid diseases and chronic inflammatory bowel diseases treated with anti-TNF-alpha agents were evaluated retrospectively. The laboratory data in routine visits, frequency of COVID-19, pneumonia, hospitalization and/or intensive care unit (ICU) follow-up and, mortality were recorded. The factors related to COVID-19 frequency and clinical outcome were evaluated. RESULTS A total of 324 patients (177 males [54.6%] and 147 females [45.4%], mean age: 45.3±12.16 years) was included in the study. In all, 44 (13.6%) patients had COVID-19; of these, 11 (25%) developed pneumonia, 7 (15.9%) were hospitalized, and 1 (2.3%) was followed up in ICU. There was no mortality. The patients with COVID-19 pneumonia were older (mean age: 52±11 years versus 41±12 years, p=0.01), had hypertension and coronary artery disease more frequently (5 cases [55.6%] versus 4 cases [44.4], p=0.02 and 2 cases [100%] versus 0 cases [0%], p=0.014, respectively), and lower eosinophil % (1.35±1.79% versus 2.3±1.45%, p=0.016). The diabetes mellitus was more frequent (66.7 versus 33.3%, p=0.013), and mean eosinophil % was lower among inpatients compared with outpatients (1.29±2.22% versus 2.19±1.37%, p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS We concluded that the patients treated with anti-TNF-alpha agents having COVID-19 might have mild clinical course and better prognosis.
Bilateral Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSNHL) Following Lumbar Puncture: A Case Report

Sudden sensorineural hearing loss affects frequently one ear (unilateral). A bilateral sudden SNHL is the rare form of SSNHL (5% of all cases) having mostly as aetiology diseases with a specific clinical pathology. Many case reports of a bilateral SSNHL in the literature include not only adult populations but also paediatric cases. A bilateral SSNHL following a lumbar puncture belongs to the rarest iatrogenic complications and it is an uncommon aetiology causing transient or permanent unilateral or bilateral hearing impairments. We report a case of a 83-year-old woman who developed on her chronic hearing loss a bilateral SSNHL after lumbar puncture and we discuss this case reviewing the current literature.
Influence of Rail Cant on Wheel-Rail Contact Relationship and Dynamic Performance in Curves for Heavy Haul Railway

Rail cant is one of the most important track geometry parameters, which can change the wheel-rail contact relationship and then influence the dynamic interaction. Static contact geometry parameters for 75kg/m rail in contact with LM wheel tread under different rail cants are analyzed on the basis of the wheel-rail spatial contact geometry algorithm. A train (multi-vehicle)-track coupling dynamic model is established with the help of the software Universal Mechanism (UM), and dynamic performances of train-track system in curves are compared under different rail cants. The results indicate that: (1) flange contact is less likely to occur under 1/20 rail cant, which will reduce uneven wear of wheel/rail tread. (2) In the single-point contact range, when the rail cant increases from 1/40 to 1/20, the corresponding rolling radius difference, contact angle parameter, equivalent conicity and equivalent contact angle parameter all increase, which means the self-centring capacity of wheelset is enhanced and the wheel-rail relationship is improved. (3) When the train passes curves, the increase of rail cant from 1/40 to 1/20 can reduce the wheel-rail dynamic interaction and wear. Besides, the wheel-rail contact area may become bigger, which is conductive to reducing contact stress and contact fatigue failures. The results can provide reference for the design of rail cant of heavy haul railway.
Actions For Immediate Response To Antimicrobial Resistant Gonorrhoea

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing global issue that causes significant morbidity. AMR causes more serious infections and consequences, increasing hospital stays and death. AMR threatens to undermine our capacity to cure common infectious infections. In this case, a clinician at a local sexual health clinic has recently alerted a 35-year-old male who has been seen in the clinic with probable AMR gonorrhoea. Consider the case's immediate consequences and select three measures to be addressed within the first several weeks. This article used the DEPESTEL (demographic structures, epidemiological patterns, political factors, economic influences, sociological trends, technological innovations, educational factors, and legislative requirements) framework to construct the response. In conclusion, AMR gonorrhoea infections stay in the body, increasing infection risk. Rapid gonorrhoea patient diagnosis is crucial for public health and clinical care of infected patients and sexual partners. Patients must be treated to cease transmission. AMR surveillance must include seasonal and epidemiological data. Keep track of treatment failures, warn partners, and prioritize clinical care. To appropriately analyze and handle treatment failure scenarios, cross-border collaboration is essential. Traveling overseas increases AMR gonorrhoea risk. Fear of AMR in the population may cause over-reaction to STIs. The media might assist in disseminating this vital health prevention, management, and security messages. People at risk need to be informed about the possibility of resistant gonorrhoea. Age, sex, sexual orientation, specimen location, prior infections, and concurrent STIs are also needed to be better reported.
Entwicklung eines Gangtrainers mit geregeltem Servoantrieb zur Rehabilitation gehunfähiger Patienten - Development of a Servo-controlled Gait Trainer for the Rehabilitation of Non-ambulatory Patients

The aim of the present study was to develop a new gait trainer for the rehabilitation of non-ambulatory patients. For the simulation of the gait phases, we used a commercially available fitness trainer (Fast Track) with two foot plates moving in an alternating fashion and connected to a servo-controlled propulsion system providing the necessary support for the movement depending on the patient's impairment level. To compensate deficient equilibrium reflexes, the patient was suspended in a harness capable of supporting some of his/her weight. Video analysis of gait and the kinesiological EMG were used to assess the pattern of movement and the corresponding muscle activity, which were then evaluated in healthy subjects, spinal cord injured and stroke patients and compared with walking on the flat or on a treadmill. Walking on the gait trainer was characterised by a symmetrical, sinusoidal movement of lower amplitude than in normal gait. The EMG showed a low activity of the tibialis anterior muscle, while the antigravity muscles were clearly activated by the gait trainer during the stance phase. In summary, the new gait trainer generates a symmetrical gait-like movement, promoting weight acceptance in the stance phase, which is important for the restoration of walking ability.
Simulated power source based on output characteristics of solar cell

Numerous studies were performed to evaluate the performance of photovoltaic power systems (PV systems), including maximum power control of the solar cell, effects of the PV systems on distribution feeders, long-term performance of the PV systems, etc. To estimate the performance of PV systems, the output characteristics of the solar cell should be taken into consideration. This paper proposes a new method of the simulated power source (SPS) to analyze the PV system. The SPS is under the control of the 10 cm2 reference solar cell, hence, the output characteristics of the SPS are in proportion not only to the static output characteristics of the reference solar cell, but also the dynamic ones.
Logistic model for leakage current in electrical stressed ultra-thin gate oxides

It is shown that the leakage current flowing through an ultra-thin gate oxide in a metal-oxide-semiconductor structure subjected to a constant voltage stress can be described by a Verhulst-type logistic model. An exponential growth at the outset is followed by a saturation in the conduction characteristic, which indicates that, after a rapid expansion, the damaged area reaches an upper bound. This sigmoidal behaviour is interpreted as a self-constrained growth of the leakage site population.
Characterization of Phenethyl Cinnamamide Compounds from Hemp Seed and Determination of Their Melanogenesis Inhibitory Activity

Hyperpigmentation is induced by the overactivation of tyrosinase, which is a rate-limiting enzyme in melanogenesis. The defatted extract of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) seed is known to have inhibitory effects on melanogenesis; however, effective compounds in the extract have not been identified yet. In this study, three phenethyl cinnamamides present in hemp seed extract were prepared by purification and chemical synthesis and were assessed for their inhibitory effect on melanogenesis in B16F10 melanoma cells. A comparison of the anti-melanogenesis and anti-tyrosinase activity of hemp seed solvent fractions revealed that the ethyl acetate fraction possessed the greatest potential for suppressing melanogenesis in melanoma cells by decreasing tyrosinase activity. We tentatively identified 26 compounds in the ethyl acetate fraction by comparing spectroscopic data with the literature. Three phenethyl cinnamamides such as N-trans-caffeoyltyramine, N-trans-coumaroyltyramine, and N-trans-feruloyltyramine present abundantly in the ethyl acetate fraction were prepared and their anti-melanogenesis and anti-tyrosinase activities in melanoma cells were evaluated. We found that N-trans-caffeoyltyramine and N-trans-feruloyltyramine inhibited alpha melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH)-induced melanogenesis without cytotoxicity, while N-trans-coumaroyltyramine inhibited melanogenesis with cytotoxicity. IC50 values of N-trans-caffeoyltyramine, N-trans-feruloyltyramine, and N-trans-coumaroyltyramine for inhibition of α-MSH-mediated tyrosinase activation were 0.8, 20.2, and 6.3 μM, respectively. Overall, N-trans-caffeoyltyramine possessed the strongest anti-melanogenesis activity among the three phenethyl cinnamamides evaluated. The inhibitory effect of N-trans-caffeoyltyramine was verified by determining the melanin content and tyrosinase activity in melanoma after treating the cells with synthetic compounds. Thus, N-trans-caffeoyltyramine isolated from hemp seed extract could be useful in cosmetics as a skin-whitening agent.
A low‐loss wideband suspended coaxial transmission line

This paper presents a transmission‐line structure suitable for micromachining technology. The structure is an air‐filled square coaxial cable, which is very low loss and has been designed in order to utilise current manufacturing processes. This transmission line demonstrates that such a structure can be designed to cover very wide bandwidth. As the cable is air filled, the centre conductor needs to be supported and this is accomplished by attaching quarter‐wavelength stubs to the ground. The design method of such a cable is presented in detail and the results of an X‐band component are presented. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 43: 93–95, 2004; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.20386
Smart Charging of Electric Vehicles Considering SOC-Dependent Maximum Charging Powers

The aim of this work is to schedule the charging of electric vehicles (EVs) at a single charging station such that the temporal availability of each EV as well as the maximum available power at the station are considered. The total costs for charging the vehicles should be minimized w.r. t. time-dependent electricity costs. A particular challenge investigated in this work is that the maximum power at which a vehicle can be charged is dependent on the current state of charge (SOC) of the vehicle. Such a consideration is particularly relevant in the case of fast charging. Considering this aspect for a discretized time horizon is not trivial, as the maximum charging power of an EV may also change in between time steps. To deal with this issue, we instead consider the energy by which an EV can be charged within a time step. For this purpose, we show how to derive the maximum charging energy in an exact as well as an approximate way. Moreover, we propose two methods for solving the scheduling problem. The first is a cutting plane method utilizing a convex hull of the, in general, nonconcave SOC–power curves. The second method is based on a piecewise linearization of the SOC–energy curve and is effectively solved by branch-and-cut. The proposed approaches are evaluated on benchmark instances, which are partly based on real-world data. To deal with EVs arriving at different times as well as charging costs changing over time, a model-based predictive control strategy is usually applied in such cases. Hence, we also experimentally evaluate the performance of our approaches for such a strategy. The results show that optimally solving problems with general piecewise linear maximum power functions requires high computation times. However, problems with concave, piecewise linear maximum charging power functions can efficiently be dealt with by means of linear programming. Approximating an EV’s maximum charging power with a concave function may result in practically infeasible solutions, due to vehicles potentially not reaching their specified target SOC. However, our results show that this error is negligible in practice.
Editorial: Assessment and adaptation to climate change impacts in cold regions

Global interest in water research has increased rapidly in recent years, with climate change being one of the key drivers. Many water issues have been prioritised on the political agenda. This research spans a wide spectrum of themes, including but not limited to climate change impacts on hydrology and hydraulic processes; lack of access to safe drinking water and sanitation; increase in water-related disasters such as floods and droughts. Therefore, the discipline of climate changerelated water research is more important than ever. The cold regions, including polar and some parts of the temperate regions, have been an emerging research topic in recent years. This is mainly motivated by significant climate changes and the unprecedented observed changes in different components of the ecosystems of these regions (e.g. temperature, rainfall, snowfall, heat and moisture advection, freezing and thawing processes, surface and groundwater flow regimes, soil formation, water quality, ecological and biogeochemical processes) (Førland 2007; IPCC 2014; Hanssen-Bauer et al. 2017; Bui et al. 2020). With the rapid population and economic growth, and technological advancements in many of the countries located in these regions, assessing the responses of these regions to recent and future climate changes has become increasingly important in order to support adaptation strategies and plan and design more efficient and reliable sustainable mitigation measures.
In the flow with MEMS

Presents an overview of MEMS technology where we look at the different micromachining techniques and the CMOS fabrication process. Next we provide general information about flow sensors, including common applications. We will then analyze the structures used for MEMS flow sensors along with their associated CMOS circuits which can integrate the flow sensor into a smart flow-sensor system.
The Role of Plant Hormones in the Interaction of Colletotrichum Species with Their Host Plants

Colletotrichum is a plant pathogenic fungus which is able to infect virtually every economically important plant species. Up to now no common infection mechanism has been identified comparing different plant and Colletotrichum species. Plant hormones play a crucial role in plant-pathogen interactions regardless whether they are symbiotic or pathogenic. In this review we analyze the role of ethylene, abscisic acid, jasmonic acid, auxin and salicylic acid during Colletotrichum infections. Different Colletotrichum strains are capable of auxin production and this might contribute to virulence. In this review the role of different plant hormones in plant—Colletotrichum interactions will be discussed and thereby auxin biosynthetic pathways in Colletotrichum spp. will be proposed.
Clinical Demonstrations of Controlled-Release Tablets Constructed by the Combined Usage of Shellac and Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose

A new tablet system was examined for an intestinal delivery system using hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and shellac. HPMC was incorporated into the inside of the tablet, and shellac was coated on the surface, which was evaluated for its controlled-release property through several dissolution tests, firstly in vitro and then via two kinds of clinical studies with healthy volunteers. The clinical studies were originally designed by employing X-ray photography for the movements of the tablets in the gastrointestinal tract and an electronical device to easily analyze the absorption profile of glucose, a model compound. It was found that the dissolution of the tablet was strongly suppressed in a simulated gastric fluid (pH 1.2) and subsequently started to disintegrate in a simulated intestinal fluid (pH 6.8). The first human study with X-ray photography revealed that the model tablets could pass through the stomach without disintegrating. The controlled release of the tablets was further confirmed via analyses of the AUC, Cmax, and Tmax for the blood glucose concentration with other volunteers. The AUC and Cmax were significantly reduced by using our system, thus concluding that the delivery system combined with the addition of HPMC and a shellac coating unequivocally leads to controlled release in the human gastrointestinal tract.
Generalised analysis of switched-capacitor step-down quasi-resonant converter

Conventional switched-capacitor converter circuits have a high current stress because of the short circuit when charging and discharging the capacitors. A novel switched-capacitor quasi-resonant step-down converter family with a generalised analysis that can improve the current stress problem is presented. Measured efficiency is high and all the circuits can operate under zero-current switching.
Cooperative protein allosteric transition mediated by a fluctuating transmission network

Allosteric communication between distant protein sites represents a key mechanism of biomolecular regulation and signal transduction. Compared to other processes such as protein folding, however, the dynamical evolution of allosteric transitions is still not well understood. As example of allosteric coupling between distant protein regions, we consider the global open-closed motion of the two domains of T4 lysozyme, which is triggered by local motion in the hinge region. Combining extensive molecular dynamics simulations with a correlation analysis of interresidue contacts, we identify a network of interresidue distances that move in a concerted manner. The cooperative process originates from a cogwheel-like motion of the hydrophobic core in the hinge region, which constitutes a flexible transmission network. Through rigid contacts and the protein backbone, the small local changes of the hydrophobic core are passed on to the distant terminal domains and lead to the emergence of a rare global conformational transition. As in an Ising-type model, the cooperativity of the allosteric transition can be explained via the interaction of local fluctuations.
Improved stereo instrumental track recovery using median nearest-neighbour inpainting

Several algorithms have been proposed for vocal removal which operate by nding the position of the vocals in the stereo eld and removing the time-frequency bins associated with that position. However, in many cases, there will be other instruments such as drums and bass guitar present in the same position. These instruments will be removed along with the vocals and so adversely aect the sound quality of the recovered instrumental track. We present a method for estimating the missing information in the removed time-frequency bins, while still suppressing vocals, allowing recovery of an improved stereo instrumental track.