Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of Anisakis Allergenic Proteins on Fish-Borne Food Safety Risks

Anisakis (mainly Anisakis spp . ) is a global public health and socio-economic concern. The infective third stage larva (L3) of these nematodes, which may be present in the muscle of fish and squid, is the etiological agent of an underestimated, emerging fish-borne zoonotic disease called anisakiasis (or anisakidosis). With the globalization of the seafood industry and the diversification of eating habits, anisakiasis is distributed worldwide, which seriously threatens human health. However, the risk of humans acquiring anisakiasis in developed countries with the habit of raw fish consumption appears to be underestimated. Current knowledge of Anisakis as a food-borne parasite with special focus on Anisakis larvae infection in marine fish, life cycle, geographical distribution, epidemiology, allergenic protein residue of A. simplex , are critically reviewed. Research on residues from allergenic proteins of Anisakis remained in processed fish products and their health risks to susceptible consumers are discussed for prevention and control of this parasite. Anisakis is ubiquitous in the world’s oceans, but there are differences in the number and species of this nematode with geographical location. Conventional thermal processing like freezing, heating, smoke curing and non-thermal processing such as salting and pressure have shown potential effects on elimination or reduction of food allergenic proteins, however, similar effects on residual Anisakis allergenicity are unknown. Potential harm or risk of these parasitic allergenic proteins to consumers is scarce in the published literature. Further research on assessment and technical control of Anisakis allergenic proteins in fish-borne food is proposed for fish food safety in aquatic industry.
Time‐domain reconstruction of lossy objects using dipole antennas

An iterative time‐domain algorithm for reconstructing three‐dimensional (3D) lossy objects using microwave data transmitted and collected by dipole antennas is presented. The electromagnetic and adjoint fields are calculated using the finite‐difference time‐domain (FDTD) method. Numerical examples show the algorithm can rebuild simultaneously from noise‐free and noisy data the permittivity and conductivity of a 3D lossy object settled in a lossless background. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 44: 238–243, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.20598
Risk and resilience: strategies for security

Traditional approaches to security and safety are being challenged by ever-increasing complexity in today's socio-economic systems. New vulnerabilities are arising for many reasons: demographic shifts, trans-boundary networks, modern business practices, new systemic risks, and reliance on closely coupled infrastructure systems, among others. In such circumstances there needs to be greater allowance for uncertainty, and a different balance of proactive and reactive risk management. Decision-makers in both governments and the private sector require more comprehensive strategies that combine active management of specific risks with enhancement of generic resilience in society. Security will depend increasingly on community attributes such as social capital, informal communication networks, and organisational culture. As a general strategy for managing complex risks, this paper recommends a multilayered approach involving systems planning, risk management, resilience building, and adaptive responses.
Pulse width-modulated switching strategy for the dynamic balancing of zero-sequence current for a dual-inverter fed open-end winding induction motor drive

Three-level inversion can be achieved with dual two-level inverters feeding an open-end winding induction motor. A space vector-based pulse width-modulated (PWM) switching scheme is proposed, which achieves three-level inversion using all the space vector locations with a single DC power supply. The zero-sequence current is reduced by reducing the zero-sequence voltage to zero, in the average sense, within a sampling time interval. The proposed PWM scheme balances the zero-sequence current dynamically, simply with a relocation of the effective time within a sampling time interval. The switching frequency of the inverters is also reduced to half as only one inverter is switched while the other is clamped in a sampling time interval. Also, the proposed PWM scheme employs only the three instantaneous phase reference voltages obviating the necessity of sector identification and lookup tables.
A novel finite element method for the modeling of multiple reflections in photonic integrated circuits

The complex transverse waveguide geometries of integrated photonic devices warrant the application of intricate Numerical Methods when modelling these types of Planar Lightwave Circuits (PLC). To aggravate the problem, difficulties also arise when dealing with back-reflections at interfaces, counter-propagating signals and other associated losses. Routines such as the Finite Element Method (FEM) and Finite Difference Method (FDM) are utilised in simulating the propagation of light through the core waveguide structures of these PLCs. In this paper a novel FEM reliant upon device cross-sectional symmetry is proposed, developed and discussed in regards to its advantages in precision over other procedures. Upon completion of this analysis, the propagation constant and effective refractive indices are known and extensions may be employed to accurately model propagation through the device and outline any reflections or losses that may ensue. A clear and concise review of some of the foremost available schemes is also presented here. These techniques, such as the Bidirectional Eigenmode Propagation Method (BEP) and the Beam Propagation Method (BPM) will be discussed and an effective and precise 3-dimensional model is presented. Due to the myriad of available techniques and algorithms, a comparative study is drawn, listing the advantages and failures of the major methods while suggesting improvements to their application. Necessary considerations such as simulation time and the trade-off between computer memory requirements and accuracy of the solution are also acknowledged.
Whisker Formation on Electronic Materials

The filamentary growths of single crystals on material surfaces are termed whiskers. They are seen to nucleate and grow on certain electronic materials either from vapour and liquid phases or by a process induced by residual stresses in electroplated surfaces. Whisker growth does not depend on the existence of an electric field and surfaces prone to their growth may nucleate and form whiskers as a result of exposure to a space environment. This paper includes a detailed examination of tin whiskers which were found to have 1 to 4 micron diameters and lengths exceeding 2 mm. Some were found to carry currents between 22 and 32 mA before burning out. Conductive whiskers can cause extensive short circuit damage to spacecraft electronics particularly as miniature devices progressively employ closer spacings between conductors. Several modes of whisker growth on spacecraft electronic materials (molybdenum, tungsten, Kovar, tin) have been observed and are described. Tin, cadmium and zinc surfaces can support stress‐induced whisker growth and it is recommended that these metal finishes are excluded from spacecraft design and possibly replaced by a tin‐lead alloy.
A Novel Volcano Smoke Antenna with Optimal Shape

The design of a novel volcano smoke antenna for UWB indoor applications is presented. The design method is based on a general description for the geometry of UWB monopole antennas which is capable of producing most possible shapes for these antennas. It is also compatible with different optimization methods. In addition to a volcano smoke antenna, this method is used to design two optimized monopole antennas with flat and shaped grounds. The optimization of antennas is carried out by applying a hybrid procedure which begins with a GA global search and completes with a local search. The optimization process aims at minimizing the reflection coefficient of antennas over the operating band while reducing the time-domain distortion of radiated pulses. For Shaped ground and volcano smoke antennas, the reduction of variations in the energy pattern has been added to the optimization goals. The numerical results show the reliability and effectiveness of the whole process. These results also show considerable improvement regarding the size and operational characteristics of the antenna in comparison with similar antennas reported in the literature. The operational characteristics of shaped ground and volcano smoke antennas show that by shaping the ground, better performance could be achieved with smaller radiating elements and ground planes.
Sero-prevalence of HCV among HIV infected adult patients attending Comprehensive Care Center at Kenyatta National Hospital

Objective The objective of the study was to assess the prevalence of Hepatitis C virus infection and associated risk factors amongst HIV/AIDS adult patients in a sub-Saharan setting. Results Two hundred and forty (240) HIV/AIDS patients were recruited from Comprehensive Care Center at KNH.A total of 21 days were spent in the recruitment. The mean age of the participants was 41 years with a standard deviation of 11. The ages ranged between 18 years and 76 years. Majority of the participants were between 30 and 50 years of age. 70% of recruited participants were residing in Nairobi, 16% in Kiambu, 4% in Machakos, 3% in Kajiado and 7% in other counties. 72% of all recruited participants were females, whereas males accounted for 28%. The Prevalence of HCV among Adult HIV/AIDS was 0%. Among risk factors assessed, sexually transmitted infections accounted for 20.4% of all risk factors. None of the participants had a history of intravenous drug use.
Quality relationships: partnering in the construction supply chain

Subcontractors and suppliers are playing an increasingly important role in project construction – it is not uncommon for as much as 90 per cent of a project to be undertaken by subcontractors. The result of this increased involvement is that main contractors are now concentrating their efforts on managing subcontractors rather than employing direct labour. Outlines an approach to partnering developed by a European conglomerate which is being employed throughout the UK. Commences with an overview of recent studies into the UK construction industry concentrating on partnering, quality and lean production. The second part discusses the context of these points from a quality, general and construction project management perspective. A form of benchmarking is described and the actual partnering approach is detailed. Finally, the paper identifies the main points relating to quality as perceived by the project participants, as well as some of the overall advantages of adopting this approach to partnering.
Graphene sensors: a review of recent developments

Purpose – This paper aims to provide details of recent developments in nanosensors based on graphene. Design/methodology/approach – Following an introduction, this paper first considers some of the motivations for using graphene in sensors. It then describes a selection of recently reported graphene nanosensors for detecting physical variables, gases, chemical species and biological agents. Finally, brief conclusions are drawn. Findings – Graphene exhibits a number of unique properties that make it an intriguing candidate for use in sensors. Research is still at a relatively early stage, but prototype sensors have been demonstrated which respond to numerous physical, molecular and biological variables. Originality/value – This paper provides a timely review of the use of graphene in sensors.
Neural adjustments in antagonist muscles during a submaximal fatiguing contraction

The concurrent activation of agonist and antagonist muscles, which is commonly referred as coactivation, is thought to increase joint stability during contractions. The degree of coactivation depends on the task being performed and varies during the course of a fatiguing contraction (Kellis, 1998). This observation suggests that coactivation must be continuously adjusted by the nervous system during a fatiguing contraction so that the performance of the agonist muscle is not impeded. Although a decrease in coactivation during the course of a sustained contraction would extend the time to task failure, this would be accompanied by a decrease in joint stability. Conversely, an increase in coactivation may contribute to the loss of force-generating capacity associated with fatigue (Psek & Cafarelli, 1993). The purpose of the present study was to examine the involvement of spinal mechanisms in the control of coactivation during a submaximal fatiguing contraction sustained until failure.
Extraction of Purkinje Fiber Network from the Image

The purkinje fiber network (PFN) is a very important conduction system in the endocardial surface of the ventricle, whose structure is crucial in ventricular physiopathologics. Traditional medical imaging methods, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT), fail to reveal the PFN information well. Another kind of method is to construct the PFN by the modeling method. i.e. modeling using the fractal structure of the endocardial surface photographs. However, among steps of the construction, PFN is extracted by the threshold value of the gray scale before the visualization, which needs the gray scale modification at some points to differentiate them from background points. In this work, we have proposed a semi-automated method for extracting PFN from the fractal structure in the left ventricle, which is proved to be feasible and efficient in the visualization and simulation of the heart, and is more adaptive to the extraction of the canine left ventricular purkinje fiber network from the fractal structure.
Adaptive Fuzzy PID Force Control for a Prosthetic Hand

An adaptive fuzzy proportional-integral-derivative (PID) force control strategy for a prosthetic hand is presented. The classical PID controller is also applied on the prosthetic hand as comparison. The parameters of PID controller are firstly tuned by Cut and Try method. Then a fuzzy logic system is used to adjust those parameters on line. Real-time force control experiments are realized on LabVIEW and PXI (PCI eXtensions for Instrumentation) real-time (RT) platforms. A rigid object and a compliant object are grasped by the prosthesis respectively to test the performance of controllers. Experimental results indicate that the adaptive fuzzy PID force controller is more effective than PID controller.
Effects Of Touch Key Size And Separation On Menu-Selection Accuracy

Two experiments were performed to assess the effects of touch key design parameters on menu-selection error rates, The first experiment determined that the optimal design consisted of touch keys 10,16-mm high, either 10,16- or 20, 2- wide, and separated vertically by less than 10,16 mm, The second experiment extended the investigation by including the effects of viewing angle, These latter results replicated the first experiment, but also favored the 2012-mm wide key for off-axis viewing conditions, In both experiments, the horizontal separation between touch keys did not affect menu-selection accuracy; however, subjective selection favored a 20.32-mm horizontal separation.
Compensating for dead time degradation of PWM inverter waveforms

The output voltage waveforms of a bridge inverter using some form of modulation strategy, such as pulse width modulation (PWM), are not the same as the ideal modulated waveforms because of the effect of ‘dead time’. This is the short period of time that is allowed to elapse for safety reasons between switching one device in an inverter leg off and the other device on. It has been found that the dead time causes a reduction in the fundamental component of the output voltage and introduces low order harmonics which are not intrinsically present in the ideal modulated waveforms.In variable speed drive systems the reduction in fundamental voltage causes a reduction in the torque. Furthermore, with synchronous modulation strategies there is a step change in torque when a ‘gear change’ takes place. In uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems the low order harmonics are difficult to remove, with the result that the fundamental output voltage is contaminated.Methods of compensating for dead time are proposed and investigated and it is shown that its effects can be substantially eliminated. Tests with a compensated variable speed drive, using an inverter fed induction motor, demonstrate that the torque perturbations at a gear change are now negligible. Similarly, in a UPS application the low order harmonics are found to be removed from the filtered output voltage when dead time compensation is introduced.
Calculation of inductances and torque of an axially laminated synchronous reluctance motor

This study focuses on the calculation of inductances and torque of a synchronous reluctance machine having an axially laminated anisotropic rotor. Two techniques based on the winding function (WF) theory are used for the computations. One technique, of the conventional type, uses analytical expressions representing the airgap and the winding whereas the other uses the developed model of rotor and stator geometry shapes with winding placement positions. The second procedure does not make the assumption that the windings are sinusoidally distributed and includes all harmonics while avoiding the cumbersome integrations associated with the conventional WF procedure. The effects of stator slots and rotor axial lamination insulations introduce noticeable distortions in the inductances and torque plots. The results, transformed to rotor reference frame, yielded cross-coupling inductance components. Saturation is modelled by considering the airgap length as a variable, depending on the airgap flux. The results obtained with both WF procedures are compared with results of finite-element calculations and an acceptable correlation is observed.
Four decades of lean: a systematic literature review

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a systematic review of four decades of scholarly lean literature and identify phases of lean while highlighting core knowledge and voids from within the scholarly lean literature.Design/methodology/approach – The methodology applied to better understand lean over the past four decades was a systematic review of literature, as described by Machi and McEvoy in The Literature Review: Six Steps to Success.Findings – This literature review has synthesized and categorized four decades of scholarly literature, along with influential books from credible researchers and practitioners of lean, in an effort to decipher the lean thinking paradigm from jargon to a commonly‐shared language. In total, five themes evolved from the analysis starting with the Discovery phase (1970‐1990), Dissemination phase (1991‐1996), Implementation phase (1997‐2000), Enterprise phase (2001‐2005), and the most recent phase of Performance (2006‐2009). Research limitations/implications – The.
Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting and Dissipation on Structural Damping

This article aims to provide a comparative study on the functions of piezoelectric energy harvesting, dissipation, and their effects on the structural damping of vibrating structures. Energy flow in piezoelectric devices is discussed. Detailed modeling of piezoelectric materials and devices are provided to serve as a common base for both analyses of energy harvesting and dissipation. Based on these foundations, two applications of standard energy harvesting (SEH) and resistive shunt damping (RSD) are investigated and compared. Furthermore, in the application of synchronized switch harvesting on inductor (SSHI), it is shown that the two functions of energy harvesting and dissipation are coexistent. Both of them bring out structural damping. Further analyses and optimization for the SSHI technique are performed.
Seismic hazard estimates for sites in the stable Canadian craton

We address the challenging and economically important problem of seismic hazard estimation at low probabilities for stable cratonic regions such as central Canada which are characterized by very low seismicity rates. At low probabilities, large uncertainties in the seismicity rates result in calculated seismic hazards that are not negligible for practical purposes and may have significant implications for design and retrofit of critical structures such as hydroelectric and tailings dams. We examine the statistics of earthquake magnitude recurrence in such regions and their implications for hazard estimates at low probabilities. Recommendations for low-probability ground motions are provided that are related to the design life of the facilities.Key words: seismic hazard, earthquake, uniform hazard spectrum, stable interior craton, central Canada, dam.
Distributed control of an electrically powered hip orthosis

This paper describes the provisional control system and architecture used for a powered orthosis, designed to assist in the rehabilitation of those having a lower limb disability. The device consists of a jointed support frame to which are attached two direct drive electrical actuators, providing assistance with hip motion. Each actuator has its own micro control unit, these in turn being networked to a central microcontroller providing overall control. The flexibility inherent in this scheme will allow for the possible implementation of various modes of operation, including ultimately an adaptive capability which will allow the users' performance to be continuously monitored with the controller's parameters made suitably compliant. The initial control schemes and the anticipated future control requirements are discussed. < >