Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Treatment Outcomes between Right- and Left-sided Colorectal Adenocarcinoma after Adjuvant Chemotherapy

Objective: The survival outcomes of patients with metastatic colorectal adenocarcinoma based on tumor laterality has already been established based on large-scale retrospective studies. As for the non-metastatic disease, the data is much more conflicting. Local data in this population is also scarce. In this study, we determined the difference in survival of right-sided versus left-sided colorectal cancer patients after surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy. Patients and Methods: This retrospective study analyzed a total of 124 patients who were diagnosed with early to locally advanced (stage I to IVA) colorectal adenocarcinoma and underwent definitive surgery and adjuvant systemic treatment per physician’s preference. The patients were stratified according to the primary tumor laterality: Right-Sided Colon cancer (RCC) and Left-sided Colon cancer (LCC). The primary outcome being investigated is the disease-free survival (DFS) at 3 years and 5 years. Secondary outcomes are overall survival (OS) at 3 years and 5 years, and site of disease recurrence across laterality.Results: The findings did not show a significant difference in the 3-year and 5-year DFS between RCC and LCC after surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy (3-year DFS: 50.0% in the RCC group and 54.3% in the LCC group; P=.671; 5-year DFS: 36.7% in the RCC group and 36.2% in the LCC group, P=.474). The OS difference was also not significant at 3 years and 5 years (3-year OS: 68.8% in the RCC group and 73.9% in the LCC group, P=.572; 5-year OS: 31.3% in the RCC group and 26.1% in the LCC group, P=.474). The overall recurrence rate was not significantly different in both groups (65.6% in the RCC group and 66.3% in the LCC group; P=.944). Majority of the recurrences were at a distant site in both groups (61.1% in the RCC group and 69.6% in the LCC group; P=.501) and the most common were in the lungs, and liver. Conclusion: The survival outcome of non-metastatic colorectal adenocarcinoma was not significantly different between RCC and LCC after surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy. The outcome was also similar after stratification of the population into early and locally advanced disease. More diverse clinical characteristics other than tumor location may be prognostic of disease-free and survival outcomes in the non-metastatic setting of colorectal cancer. Further studies with a larger sample size are needed to validate the correlation of survival to the specific stage and anatomic location.
Assessment of an application on a detoxification process of groundnut press cake for aflatoxins by ammoniation

Abstract Following a request from the European Commission, the EFSA Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM) provided a scientific opinion on an application for a detoxification process of groundnut press cake for aflatoxins by ammoniation. Specifically, it is required that the feed decontamination process is compliant with the acceptability criteria specified in the Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/786 of 19 May 2015. The CONTAM Panel assessed the data provided by the feed business operator with respect to the efficacy of the process to remove the contaminant from groundnut press cake batches and on information demonstrating that the process does not adversely affect the characteristics and the nature of the product. Although according to the literature the process may be able to reduce aflatoxin levels below the legal limits, the Panel concluded that the proposed decontamination process, on the basis of the experimental data submitted by the feed business operator, cannot be confirmed for compliance with the acceptability criteria provided for in Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/786 of 19 May 2015. The Panel recommended sufficient sample testing before and after the process, under the selected conditions, to ensure that the process is reproducible and reliable and to demonstrate that the detoxification is not reversible. In addition, genotoxicity testing of extracts of the treated feedingstuff and of the identified degradation products would be necessary. Finally, information on the transfer rate of AFB1 to AFM1 excretion in milk for animals fed the ammoniated product, in comparison to the starting material and on the ammoniation process changes of the nutritional values of the feed material should be provided.
Integrated Software Safety Analysis Method for Digital I&C Systems

The digitalized Instrumentation and Control (I&C) system of Nuclear power plants can provide more powerful overall operation capability, and user friendly man-machine interface. The operator can obtain more information through digital I&C system. However, while I&C system being digitalized, three issues are encountered: 1) software common-cause failure, 2) the interaction failure between operator and digital instrumentation and control system interface, and 3) the non-detectability of software failure. These failures might defeat defense echelons, and make the Diversity and Defense-in-Depth (D3) analysis be more difficult. This work developed an integrated methodology to evaluate nuclear power plant safety effect by interactions between operator and digital I&C system, and then propose improvement recommendations. This integrated methodology includes component-level software fault tree, system-level sequence-tree method and nuclear power plant computer simulation analysis. Software fault tree can clarify the software failure structure in digital I&C systems. Sequence-tree method can identify the interaction process and relationship among operator and I&C systems in each D3 echelon in a design basis event. Nuclear power plant computer simulation analysis method can further analyze the available backup facilities and allowable manual action duration for the operator when the digital I&C fail to function. Applying this methodology to evaluate the performance of digital nuclear power plant D3 design, could promote the nuclear power plant operation safety. The operator can then trust the nuclear power plant than before, when operating the highly automatic digital I&C facilities.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
Operating range in a Multi Cylinder HCCI engine using Variable Compression Ratio

Homogenous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) is a promising part load combustion concept for future power train applications. Different approaches to achieve and control HCCI combustion are today investigated and compared, especially concerning operating range. The HCCI operating range for vehicle applications should at least cover contemporary emissions drive cycles. The operating range in terms of speed and load is investigated with a Naturally Aspirated (NA) four-stroke multi-cylinder engine with Port Fuel Injection (PFI). HCCI combustion control is achieved with Variable Compression Ratio (VCR) and inlet air preheating with exhaust heat. Both primary reference fuels and commercial gasoline are used in the tests. HCCI combustion with commercial gasoline is achieved over a load range from 0 to 3.6bar BMEP, and over a speed range from 1000 to 5000rpm. Maximum load is at 1000rpm and decreases with an approximately straight slope to zero at 5000rpm. NOx emissions are kept below 15ppm and the rate of pressure rise below 6bar/CAD throughout the operating range. Combustion efficiency is above 90% for all positive loads. High amounts of unburned HC as well as CO emissions decrease combustion efficiency to 70% at zero load. Brake efficiencies up to 33% are obtained.
Nonlinear Optics in Planar Silica-on-Silicon Disk Resonators

Optical frequency combs (OFCs) provide direct phase-coherent link between optical and RF frequencies, and enable precision measurement of optical frequencies. In recent years, a new class of frequency combs (microcombs) have emerged based on parametric frequency conversions in dielectric microresonators. Micocombs have large line spacing from 10's to 100's GHz, allowing easy access to individual comb lines for arbitrary waveform synthesis. They also provide broadband parametric gain bandwidth, not limited by specific atomic or molecular transitions in conventional OFCs. The emerging applications of microcombs include low noise microwave generation, astronomical spectrograph calibration, direct comb spectroscopy, and high capacity telecommunications. In this thesis, research is presented starting with the introduction of a new type of chemically etched, planar silica-on-silicon disk resonator. A record Q factor of 875 million is achieved for on-chip devices. A simple and accurate approach to characterize the FSR and dispersion of microcavities is demonstrated. Microresonator-based frequency combs (microcombs) are demonstrated with microwave repetition rate less than 80 GHz on a chip for the first time. Overall low threshold power (as low as 1 mW) of microcombs across a wide range of resonator FSRs from 2.6 to 220 GHz in surface-loss-limited disk resonators is demonstrated. The rich and complex dynamics of microcomb RF noise are studied. High-coherence, RF phase-locking of microcombs is demonstrated where injection locking of the subcomb offset frequencies are observed by pump-detuning-alignment. Moreover, temporal mode locking, featuring subpicosecond pulses from a parametric 22 GHz microcomb, is observed. We further demonstrated a shot-noise-limited white phase noise of microcomb for the first time. Finally, stabilization of the microcomb repetition rate is realized by phase lock loop control. For another major nonlinear optical application of disk resonators, highly coherent, simulated Brillouin lasers (SBL) on silicon are also demonstrated, with record low Schawlow-Townes noise less than 0.1 Hz^2/Hz for any chip-based lasers and low technical noise comparable to commercial narrow-linewidth fiber lasers. The SBL devices are efficient, featuring more than 90% quantum efficiency and threshold as low as 60 microwatts. Moreover, novel properties of the SBL are studied, including cascaded operation, threshold tuning, and mode-pulling phenomena. Furthermore, high performance microwave generation using on-chip cascaded Brillouin oscillation is demonstrated. It is also robust enough to enable incorporation as the optical voltage-controlled-oscillator in the first demonstration of a photonic-based, microwave frequency synthesizer. Finally, applications of microresonators as frequency reference cavities and low-phase-noise optomechanical oscillators are presented.
AlGaN/GaN epitaxy and technology

We present an overview on epitaxial growth, processing technology, device performance, and reliability of our GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) manufactured on 3- and 4-in. SiC substrates. Epitaxy and processing are optimized for both performance and reliability. We use three different gate lengths, namely 500 nm for 1–6 GHz applications, 250 nm for devices between 6 and 18 GHz, and 150 nm for higher frequencies. The developed HEMTs demonstrate excellent high-voltage stability, high power performance, and large DC to RF conversion efficiencies for all gate lengths. On large gate width devices for base station applications, an output power beyond 125 W is achieved with a power added efficiency around 60% and a linear gain around 16 dB. Reliability is tested both under DC and RF conditions with supply voltage of 50 and 30 V for 500 and 250 nm gates, respectively. DC tests on HEMT devices return a drain current change of just about 10% under IDQ conditions. Under RF stress the observed change in output power density is below 0.2 dB after more than 1000 h for both gate length technologies.
A new concept of voltage-collapse protection based on local phasors

A new algorithm for protection against voltage collapse is proposed. The algorithm makes use of the magnitudes and angles of the local phasors, i.e. bus voltages and load currents. The change in an apparent-power line flow during a time interval is exploited for computing the voltage-collapse criterion. The criterion is based on the fact that the line losses in the vicinity of the voltage collapse increase faster than the delivery of the apparent power and, at the voltage-collapse point, the losses consume all the increased power. The selected criterion equals 0 when a voltage collapse occurs. The proposed algorithm could be easily implemented in a numerical relay. The information obtained by the relay can be used at two levels - for the coordinated system-wide control action or for automatic action on the local level. The algorithm is simple and computationally very fast. It was tested on the IEEE 118-bus test system.
Study on the Perspective of Mechanical Properties and Corrosion Behaviour of Stainless Steel, Plain and TMT Rebars

In the present research, the effects of various alloying elements and microstructural constituents on the mechanical properties and corrosion behaviour have been studied for four different rebars. The microstructures of stainless steel and plain rebar primarily reveal equiaxed ferrite grains and ferrite-pearlite microstructures, respectively, with no evidence of transition zone, whereas tempered martensite at the outer rim, followed by a narrow bainitic transition zone with an internal core of ferrite-pearlite, has been observed for the thermomechanically treated (TMT) rebars. The hardness profiles obtained from this study display maximum hardness at the periphery, which decreases gradually towards the centre, thereby providing the classical U-shaped hardness profile for TMT rebars. The tensile test results confirm that stainless steel rebar exhibits the highest combination of strength (≈755 MPa) and ductility (≈27%). It has been witnessed that in Tafel plots, the corrosion rate increases for all the experimental rebars in 1% HCl solution, which is well expected because the acid solutions generally possess a higher corrosive environment than seawater (3.5% NaCl) due to their acidic nature and lower pH values. However, all the experimental results obtained from Tafel and Nyquist plots correlate well for both 1% HCl and 3.5% NaCl solutions.
HPLC determination of pKa value of benfotiamine

Abstract Physicochemical characteristics such as the dissociation constant (pKa) and lipophilicity parameter are very important for the properties of compounds and their determination is of great interest to the research field. They affect the solubility and permeability of the active pharmaceutical ingredients and respectively the penetration through the cellular membrane. The higher value of the lipophilicity parameter contributes to the better interaction of the investigated substances with the cellular membrane and boosts their biological action. Utilizing HPLC methods for the determination of such parameters helps to overlap challenges such as poor solubility and purity of the investigated substances. An analytical HPLC method for the determination of the pKa values and the lipophilicity parameter of benfotiamine is used in the current work. Graphical Abstract
A physics-based, analytical heterojunction bipolar transistor model, including thermal and high-current effects

A detailed, analytical model for predicting the DC and high-frequency performance of AlGaAs/GaAs graded heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) is presented. The model is developed based on the relevant device physics, such as current-induced base pushout and thermal effects. The current gain, cutoff frequency, and maximum frequency versus the collector current density, which is a function of the applied voltage as well as the corresponding temperature in the HBT, are calculated. The results suggest that the conventional HBT model, which assumes the HBT temperature is the same as that of the ambient, can overestimate the three figures of merit considerably when the collector current density is high. Furthermore, it is shown that the present model correctly explains such experimentally observed HBT high-current behavior as the rapid falloff of the current gain and cutoff frequency. The model predictions compare favorably with the results obtained from a model which solves numerically the Poisson and continuity equations coupled with the lattice heat equation. >
Modeling and inverse design of bio-inspired multi-segment pneu-net soft manipulators for 3D trajectory motion

A biological organism, such as an octopus tentacle or elephant trunk, exhibits complex 3D spatial trajectories. Although soft manipulators showing 2D in-plane deformations have been extensively studied and applied in many areas, the design method of soft manipulators with a mathematical model that can follow a particular 3D spatial trajectory remains elusive. In this paper, we present a methodology to automati-cally design bio-inspired multi-segment pneu-net soft manipulators that can match complex 3D trajectories upon single pressurization. The 3D motions can be characterized by a combination of twisting, bending, and helical deformations, which are enabled by the design of the soft segments with programmable chamber orientations. To inverse design the soft manipulators with trajectory matching, we develop an analytical framework that takes into account the material nonlinearity, geometric anisotropy, and varying loading directions. The spatial trajectory can be reconstructed by combining with a 3D rod theory. In this sense, multi-segment soft manipulators with trajectory matching are inversely designed by varying the geometric and material parameters. We further demonstrate the grasping of complex objects using the designed soft manipulators. The proposed methodology has immense potential to design soft manipulators in 3D space and broaden their application. to control the motion and maximize the displacement of the soft robot along a prescribed direction. The bending behaviors of soft ﬁber-reinforced actuators are investigated.
Assessment of the flood risk reduction alternatives in municipalities of the upper Myjava and Teplica rivers, Slovakia

Flood risk management often uses multi-criteria analyses, which allow the most suitable alternatives for flood risk reduction to be chosen. We used the SAW (Simple additive weighting), AHP (Analytical hierarchy process) and TOPSIS (Technique for the order of preference by similarity to the ideal solution) methods to evaluate the alternatives in seven cadastral areas of the Upper Myjava and Teplica river basins. Economic, social, environmental, and technical criteria were chosen based on literature research. We compared the current situation (A0), alternatives proposed by watercourse administrators (A1), endangered inhabitants (A2), alternatives based on previous flood risk research (A3) and a combination of the previous (A5-A7). Most expensive alternatives include building new water structures, alternatives with lectures had the highest social impact and none of the alternatives had a significant effect on the environment. With three different sets of weights, we obtained 9 sets of results. In most cases, A3 was in the first place as the best alternative for flood risk reduction. With the TOPSIS method, the results were different. In cadastral areas where seven alternatives were compared, the A5 or A7 get first place. At the same time, we analysed the methods of selecting the most suitable alternative by watercourse managers, which showed a few shortcomings.
Poly-phase codes and optimal filters for multiple user ranging

A technique is introduced to select poly-phase codes and optimal filters of a pulse compression system that have specific temporal and frequency characteristics. In the particular problem under study, multiple vehicles are assigned unique codes and receiver filters that have nearly orthogonal signatures. Narrowband users, that act as interference, are also present within the system. A code selection algorithm is used to select codes which have low autocorrelation sidelobes and low cross correlation peaks. Optimal mismatched filters are designed for these codes which minimize the peak values in the autocorrelation and the cross correlation functions. An adjustment to the filter design technique produces filters with nulls in their frequency response, in addition to having low correlation peaks. The method produces good codes and filters for a four-user system with length 34 four-phase codes. There is considerable improvement in cross and autocorrelation sidelobe levels over the matched filter case with only a slight decrease in the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the system. The mismatched filter design also allows the design of frequency nulls at any frequency with arbitrary null attenuation, null width, and sidelobe level, at the cost of a slight decrease in processing gain. >
A review of continuum damage and plasticity in concrete: Part I – Theoretical framework

In the past few decades, extensive research on concrete modeling to predict behavior, crack propagation, microcrack coalescence by utilizing different approaches (fracture mechanics, continuum damage mechanics) were investigated theoretically and numerically. The presented paper aims to review the theoretical work of continuum concrete damage and plasticity modeling in part I of the work. The detailed theoretical work is presented with some of the supporting work related to multiscale modeling and phase-field modeling is also part of this paper. Few other applications related to rate-dependent models and fatigue in concrete are also discussed. In part II of this work, the review of numerical work limited to finite element is presented. Some open issues in concrete damage modeling and future research needed are also discussed in part II.
One-step optimal space vector PWM current regulation using a neural network

This paper presents the solution for an optimal deadbeat current regulator for use in a three-phase PWM inverter connected to an AC motor. A general solution to the one-step, least-squares current error problem with modulation index constraints is derived using a space vector formulation in conjunction with the modulation index cube. The control produces a deadbeat response when it is possible and the best approximation when it is not. The contours of constant modulation index with respect to the desired current adjustment naturally decompose into a simple, four-neuron-per-phase neural network. It is also shown that the use of this neural network will improve the performance of a standard PI regulator. The neural network is implemented using simple analog circuits. <<ETX>>
Apathy and residual neurological impairment are associated with community reintegration after mild stroke

ABSTRACT This study investigated the influence of apathy and positive social support on community reintegration after stroke. A prospective, correlational, cross-sectional design was used. 85 community dwelling participants with and without aphasia were included (≥ 18 years of age, first stroke, ≥ 6 months post-stroke). The Reintegration to Normal Living Index (RNL) measured poststroke participation. The Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES) and Positive Social Interaction domain of the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey assessed apathy and social support respectively. NIH Stroke Scale measured residual neurological impairment. Apathy, social support, and stroke impairment together were strongly associated with the RNL and accounted for 51% of total variance in the RNL. The AES and NIHSS were independent predictors of the RNL, though positive social interaction failed to reach significance. Persons with and without apathy differed significantly on the RNL. Therefore, stroke rehabilitation should address apathy as a potential target for intervention. Future research should determine factors that mediate the relationship between poststroke apathy and community reintegration.