Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Power Amplifier Design for Ultrasound Applications

A design analysis of the power amplifiers developed for ultrasound applications was conducted because ultrasound applications require different types of power amplifiers, which are one of the most critical electronic components in ultrasound systems. To generate acoustic signals using transducers, which are among the most important mechanical devices in ultrasound systems, an appropriate output voltage, current, or power signal must be produced by a power amplifier. Therefore, an appropriate design analysis of the power amplifier must be conducted to obtain the optimal performance from a transducer. In addition, because of new ultrasound research trends, such as ultrasound systems with other imaging modalities and wireless ultrasound systems, the selection of an appropriate power amplifier could improve the performance of an ultrasound system with other imaging and therapy modalities. This paper describes the design parameters of a power amplifier, including the gain, bandwidth, harmonic distortion, and efficiency. Each power amplifier has specific applications and limitations. Therefore, this review will assist design engineers and ultrasound researchers who need to develop or use power amplifiers in ultrasound applications.
Opportunities, Challenges and Strategies for Developing Electric Vehicle Energy Storage Systems under the Carbon Neutrality Goal

Developing electric vehicle (EV) energy storage technology is a strategic position from which the automotive industry can achieve low-carbon growth, thereby promoting the green transformation of the energy industry in China. This paper will reveal the opportunities, challenges, and strategies in relation to developing EV energy storage. First, this paper clarifies the strategic value and potential of developing EV energy storage under the carbon neutrality goal. Second, this paper demonstrates strategic opportunities and challenges during the development. Third, this paper proposes methods for creating a good market environment and business models. Finally, this paper suggests that relevant policies and regulations should be formulated and charts the course of technology development. The results show that EV energy storage technology has potential in terms of technology, the scale of development, and the user economy. The proposal of the carbon neutrality goal, the increasing market share of EVs, lower-cost and higher-efficiency batteries, etc., have all further accelerated the development of EV energy storage. The EV energy storage field should focus on developing battery technology, make advancements toward delivering longer cycle lives and improving the safety and availability of battery materials, and ramp up the R&D efforts with respect to developing vehicle-to-grid (V2G) management technologies. Simultaneously, it is necessary to create a business ecosystem centered on V2G operating platforms, constituting a process to which various players can contribute and achieve mutually beneficial results. It is also essential to formulate top-level strategic plans across industries and organizations, develop an electricity-trading mechanism as soon as possible, and promote the implementation of technical standards related to EV energy storage.
Evaluation of eating habits and practice of physical activity in colorectal cancer patients in the active phase of treatment

Colorectal cancer is one of the most prevalent in men and women, and its development is associated with several risk factors, such as a sedentary lifestyle, obesity, alcohol consumption, and eating habits. This study aimed to present the results of applying the questionnaire on eating habits and physical activity from the Food Guide: how to have a healthy diet in the first chemotherapy session, after signing the consent form, and eight weeks after the first application. All patients with colorectal cancer under active treatment from July to December 2022 were invited to participate in the study. The Ethics Committee approved this project. During the research, patients underwent a new monitoring model that included the use of a chatbot and wearable device for eight weeks. The model aimed to ensure greater patient engagement with their treatment through interactions about symptoms and adverse effects, eating habits, and physical activity practice. As a result, there was a statistical reduction in the consumption of alcoholic beverages and fast foods and a statistical increase in fruit consumption. In addition, the findings indicate that the model contributed to a greater practice of physical activity by patients. For future work, we suggest applying this model to patients with other types of cancer to assess and extend the benefits of the model in different contexts of cancer treatment.
Fully Online Matching with Stochastic Arrivals and Departures

We study a fully online matching problem with stochastic arrivals and departures. In this model, each online arrival follows a known identical and independent distribution over a fixed set of agent types. Its sojourn time is unknown in advance and follows type-specific distributions with known expectations. The goal is to maximize the weighted reward from successful matches. To solve this problem, we first propose a linear program (LP)-based algorithm whose competitive ratio is lower bounded by 0.155 under mild conditions. We further achieve better ratios in some special cases. To demonstrate the challenges of the problem, we further establish several hardness results. In particular, we show that no online algorithm can achieve a competitive ratio better than 2/3 in this model and there is no LP-based algorithm (with respect to our proposed LP) with a competitive ratio better than 1/3. Finally, we demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of our algorithm numerically.
Improving Facial Expression Recognition Through Data Preparation and Merging

Human emotions present a major challenge for artificial intelligence. Automated emotion recognition based on facial expressions is important to robotics, medicine, psychology, education, security, arts, entertainment and more. Deep learning is promising for capturing complex emotional features. However, there is no training dataset that is large and representative of the full diversity of emotional expressions in all populations and contexts. Current facial datasets are incomplete, biased, unbalanced, error-prone and have different properties. Models learn these limitations and become dependent on specific datasets, hindering their ability to generalize to new data or real-world scenarios. Our work addresses these difficulties and provides the following contributions to improve emotion recognition: 1) a methodology for merging disparate in-the-wild datasets that increases the number of images and enriches the diversity of people, gestures, and attributes of resolution, color, background, lighting and image format; 2) a balanced, unbiased, and well-labeled evaluator dataset, built with a gender, age, and ethnicity predictor and the successful Stable Diffusion model. Single- and cross-dataset experimentation show that our method increases the generalization of the FER2013, NHFI and AffectNet datasets by 13.93%, 24.17% and 7.45%, respectively; and 3) we propose the first and largest artificial emotion dataset, which can complement real datasets in tasks related to facial expression.
Evidence for external beam radiotherapy in mediastinal Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma - systematic review.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE Proton beam therapy (PBT) provides the opportunity for a more localized delivery of high energy protons and may reduce the damage to healthy tissues and vital organs. The aim of this review was to assess the effects of proton therapy for patients diagnosed with Hodgkin or non-Hodgkin lymphoma treated with mediastinal irradiation. REVIEW METHODS A systematic search of EMBASE, MEDLINE via OVID and Cochrane Library was conducted in May 2022 according to PRISMA guidelines to identify relevant data on the efficacy and toxicity of proton beam therapy for patients diagnosed with Hodgkin or non-Hodgkin lymphoma. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE STATE OF KNOWLEDGE Of 566 screened abstracts (430 after de-duplication) 11 studies with a total of 529 patients were included. All studies were case series published between 2011-2021. Median range of follow-up time was 15-63.6 months. The overall survival (OS) for 2 years varied from 91% - 98% for 5 of the included studies. Three of the included studies had favourable outcomes with 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) ranging from 73% - 94%. Skin reaction, oesophagitis and fatigue were found to be the most common grade 1 and grade 2 toxicities. No acute or late grade 4 and higher toxicities/adverse events were observed. SUMMARY There are data indicating that PBT may to be an effective treatment against mediastinal Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Because all the studies were case series, the authors of this review have little confidence in the evidence. There remains a need for well-designed randomized controlled trials to inform about the optimal approach to proton irradiation in HL and NHL.
Sur un problème à frontière libre

On considere un probleme elliptique semilineaire -Δu=g(u) H (u-u) dans Ω, u=h sur ∂Ω ou H est la fonction d'Heaviside, μ un parametre et Ω est la boule unite de R n avec n≥3. Sous des conditions convenables sur g, h et μ, nous montrons que le probleme admet deux solutions
The role of Trichoderma and Gliocladium fungi in the soil biocenosis of greenhouse cucumbers

The analysis was conducted on the general biogenicity and phylogenetic structure of fungi in the soil microbiome of greenhouse cucumbers grown as a monoculture and after the precursors of pepper and lettuce. The relationship between the following indicators has been proved: the total biological activity of the soil, the species composition of micromycetes, the development of Fusarium root rot, and yield. The effect of biological preparations based on strains of Trichoderma viride and Gliocladium virens antagonistic fungi on the development of Fusarium root rot, nematodes and yield of cucumbers was studied. The results of the experiment show that when cucumbers are grown after the precursor pepper and lettuce, the development of Fusarium root rot and nematodes does not exceed critical values. The introduction of Trichoderma and Gliocladium fungi into the soil in the form of a dry preparation with a titre 2.0 x 10 10 conidia/g when transplanting plants to a permanent place at a consumption rate of 40 kg/ha increases the yield of greenhouse cucumbers by 20-23%. The experiment is part of the study of the "soil exhaustion" syndrome and the possibilities of overcoming it. The obtained results will serve as bioindicators that can be used for preliminary diagnostics of the sanitary condition of degraded soils, selection of agrotechnical, breeding and protective measures of plants.
A review on molecular aspects of virus-vector relationship to the aphids

Plant viruses are transmitted through insects, mites, nematodes, and protists. Arthropods as vectors are used by 88% of plant viruses to move from one host to another. Insects are the most prevalent vectors, with aphids accounting for half of all insect-vectored viruses. Aphids have been meticulously developed to serve as vectors. Transforming virions into plant cells is facilitated bypiercing–sucking mouthparts that do not cause irreversible damage. With the ability to reproduce asexually, aphid populations can grow incredibly, amplifying disease epidemics and accelerating the spread of viruses over short and vast distances. Aphids significantly reduce crop productivity by spreading numerous plant viruses. Being obligate intracellular pathogens, viruses rely heavily on vectors to spread and survive. Aphids are responsible for the majority of economically significant plant virus transmission and cause heavy crop loss worldwide. Aphids feed on the plant as insect pathogens and carry plant pathogens such as Viruses. Either persistent circulation, non-circulation or not persistently, they spread viruses. The process of plant virus transmission by insects has changed over time and is significantly impacted by the biology and morphology of insects. Much research during the last century has offered an in-depth understanding of the molecular mechanisms underpinning virus-vector interactions. The present review discusses the molecular interaction of the virus–vector relationship by Aphids. This will provide a clue to the scientific community to successfully combat aphid infestation in agriculture.
Superconformal Higher Spin Theory in Three Dimensions

This thesis aims at constructing a superconformal higher spin theory in three spacetime dimensions. Such theories are of great interest, for instance, since they are believed to appear in the tensionless limit of string theory. They can also directly be related to theories of quantum gravity expressed as string and M-theories on AdS spaces, via the AdS/CFT correspondence. The construction of the superconformal higher spin theory employed in this thesis relies heavily on both the Cartan formalism of supergravity and gauge theory. After these have been introduced, both the conformal and superconformal algebras are constructed. These are then quantized in a way that enables a convenient extension to their respective higher spin version. The corresponding superconformal higher spin theory can either be formulated as a Chern-Simons gauge theory, or as a higher spin theory expressed in the unfolded formalism. By utilizing this, the field equations of the theory are derived using the equation of motion from respective approach, the zero field strength equation and the unfolded equation. By studying the consistent spin 2 truncation of the theory, the first steps towards a deeper understanding of the relation between the two approaches are taken. Finally, it is discussed how the constructed superconformal higher spin theory might also lead to new insights regarding the AdS/CFT correspondence and how this, in turn, can be used to obtain results in string and M-theory.
A Boolean algebraic framework for association and pattern mining

Data mining and sequential mining analysis are considered as crucial components of strategic control over a broad variety of disciplines in business, science and engineering. Data mining has been defined as the non- trivial extraction of implicit, previously unknown and potentially useful information from data. Association mining is one of the important sub-fields in data mining, where rules that imply certain association relationships among a set of items in a transaction database are discovered. In Sequence mining, data are represented as sequences of events, where order of those events is important. Finding patterns in sequences is valuable for predicting future events. In many applications such as the WEB applications, stock market, and genetic analysis, finding patterns in a sequence of elements or events, helps in predicting what could be the next event or element. At the conceptual level, association mining and sequence mining are two similar processes but using different representations of data. In association mining, items are distinct and the order of items in a transaction is not important. While in sequential pattern mining, the order of elements (events) in transactions (sequences) is important, and the same event may occur more than once. In this paper, we propose a new mapping function that maps event sequences into itemsets. Based on the unified representation of the association mining and the sequential pattern, a new approach that uses the Boolean representation of input database D to build a Boolean matrix M. Boolean algebra operations are applied on M to generate all frequent itemsets. Finally, frequent items or frequent sequential patterns are represented by logical expressions that could be minimized by using a suitable logical function minimization technique.
Effects of Two Environmental Enrichment Methods on Cognitive Ability and Growth Performance of Juvenile Black Rockfish Sebastes schlegelii

Simple Summary The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of two environmental enrichment methods on the growth and cognitive ability of Sebastes schlegelii. The main results showed that seven weeks of environmental enrichment affected their growth performance negatively, but the growth-related indicators were affected positively. Additionally, the cognitive abilities of individuals in the enrichment groups were significantly enhanced compared with those of individuals in the control group. These phenomena revealed that the S. schlegelii reared in two types of enrichment environments showed stronger learning and cognitive ability. The results can provide a reference for improving the efficiency of stock enhancement projects for this species. Abstract A widely used approach to restoring marine fishery resources is stock enhancement using hatchery-reared fish. However, artificial rearing environments, which are often lacking in enrichment, may negatively affect the cognition, welfare, and adaptive capacity to new environments of juvenile fish, thereby leading to low post-release survival rates. This study examined the effects of habitat and social enrichment on the growth performance and cognitive ability of Sebastes schlegelii. Following seven weeks of environmental enrichment, a T-maze experiment was conducted, and the telencephalon and visceral mass of the fish were sampled to measure the growth (growth hormone: GH; insulin-like growth factor-1: IGF-1; and somatostatin: SS) and cognitive abilities (brain-derived neurotrophic factor: BDNF; and nerve growth factor: NGF)-related indicator levels. The results indicated that, although the final body length, final body weight, and specific growth rate of both enrichment groups were lower than those of the control group, both methods of enrichment had a positive impact on growth-related factors (increased GH, increased IGF-1, and decreased SS). The enrichment groups demonstrated a stronger learning ability in the T-maze test, and the levels of BDNF and NGF in the telencephalon were significantly higher in the enrichment groups than those in the control group. Additionally, there was a significant interaction between the two enrichment methods on the NGF level. This study confirms that a more complex and enriching environment is beneficial for cultivating the cognitive abilities of cultured juvenile S. schlegelii, and the result can provide a reference for the improvement of the stock enhancement of this species.
Elements of risk analysis for collision of oil tankers

This paper presents a model for risk analysis for ship-ship collisions with emphasis on tankers. New adaptations of pre-existent physical models are presented. Probability of an accident is estimated with use of the MDTC model, which combines molecular collision theory and ship manoeuverability. Consequences of an accident are expressed in monetary terms, and costs of an oil spill due to an accident are considered. Neither loss of life nor structural damages were considered in the risk model. The costs are assessed with a model that is modified from procedures adopted by International Maritime Organization (IMO). Also an innovative model for deformation energy estimation in ship-ship collisions is presented. The presented study concerns selected area in The Gulf of Finland (GOF), which is one of the most densely trafficked sea areas in the world. The model input data is derived from Automatic Identification System (AIS). The Monte Carlo simulation method is applied to simulate number of collision scenarios depending on the encountering type. compensation figures approximate reasonably the real spill costs, this approach is well recognized, commonly adopted (Kontovas and Psarafitis 2008), robust and easy to use, and therefore it is utilized. The paper also introduces an innovative model for assessment of deformation energy released during ship-ship collision. The deformation energy in a collision scenario is calculated by applying method that Zhang proposed in his work (Pedersen and Zhang 1998), (Zhang 1999). The variables needed to apply Zhang’s method are based on data transmitted by ships via Automatic Identification System (AIS). The Monte Carlo simulation method is applied to simulate a number of collision scenarios depending on the encountering type. This model may be helpful to estimate the extent of the damages in a ship-ship collision and to calculate the size of the possible spill resulting thereafter. Presented study concerns waterways junction between Helsinki and Tallinn. A high number of passenger vessels operating on North-South route, between the two capitals is recorded every day. While on the crossing East-West route dense traffic of tankers and cargo vessels is observed. 2 COLLISION PROBABILITY MODELLING The collision probability prediction model presented in this paper is based on a molecular collision model enhanced by a model of ship dynamics,
Deviations in Thyroid and its Regulatory Hormone Profile in Workers Exposed to Welding Fumes

This study evaluates health risks manifested by the exposure of welding fumes to the labourers working in welding environments. Welding fumes, are the complexes of fluorides, silicates and metal oxides, cause burns, eye damage, hormonal imbalance, organ damage and cataracts. In order to check the changes caused by fumes on thyroid gland, a study was planned to evaluate the variations in thyroid regulatory hormone levels in workers occupationally exposed to welding fumes. For this purpose, blood sampling of the welders (n=24) having exposure to welding fumes was done from different sites in city Lahore, whereas, blood samples of healthy controls (n=24) were collected from University of the Punjab, Lahore. Thyroid (T3 and T4) and its regulatory hormone (TSH) assessment was executed by ELISA. Independent student “t” test at confidence interval of 95% and P < 0.05 was applied. A non-significant decrease of both hormones i.e. T3 and T4 was found in the subjects under study as compared to controls. Levels of TSH in blood serum of workers showed a non-significant increase than healthy controls. Elevated TSH and reduced T3 and T4, although, statistically non-significant, predict chances of hypothyroidism due to chronic exposure to welding fumes. Welders are, therefore, recommended to adopt prophylactic measures and safer techniques in order to avoid direct hazardous exposure to welding fumes
Low Phase Noise Differential and Push-Pull Oscillators Based on SIW Multiport Network

In this brief, a differential oscillator and a push-pull oscillator are proposed using multiport network based on circular substrate integrated waveguide (CSIW) techniques, respectively. The CSIW four-port network operated in TE102 mode is exploited in the feedback loop of the developed oscillator. It can not only be served as a frequency-stabilized element, but also realize differential signal output. Moreover, two CSIW cavities are combined together to construct a three-port network, which can be employed to achieve a push-pull oscillator design. By adopting the single-layered CSIW multiport network, it can avoid the use of additional active devices and ensure the consistency of differential outputs, simultaneously. For validation, the prototypes of the differential and push-pull oscillators are designed, fabricated and measured. The proposed push-pull oscillator exhibits an output power of −0.38 dBm with a low-phase-noise performance of −142.3 dBc/Hz at a frequency offset of 1 MHz. The corresponding suppression of the second harmonic signal is more than 30 dBc.