Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
PET AIF estimation when available ROI data is impacted by dispersive and/or background effects

Objective. Blood pool region of interest (ROI) data extracted from the field of view of a PET scanner can be impacted by both dispersive and background effects. This circumstance compromises the ability to correctly extract the arterial input function (AIF) signal. The paper explores a novel approach to addressing this difficulty. Approach. The method involves representing the AIF in terms of the whole-body impulse response (IR) to the injection profile. Analysis of a collection/population of directly sampled arterial data sets allows the statistical behaviour of the tracer’s impulse response to be evaluated. It is proposed that this information be used to develop a penalty term for construction of a data-adaptive method of regularisation estimator of the AIF when dispersive and/or background effects maybe impacting the blood pool ROI data. Main results. Computational efficiency of the approach derives from the linearity of the impulse response representation of the AIF and the ability to substantially rely on quadratic programming techniques for numerical implementation. Data from eight different tracers, used in PET cancer imaging studies, are considered. Sample image-based AIF extractions for brain studies with: 18F-labeled fluoro-deoxyglucose and fluoro-thymidine (FLT), 11C-labeled carbon dioxide (CO2) and 15O-labeled water (H2O) are presented. Results are compared to the true AIF based on direct arterial sampling. Formal numerical simulations are used to evaluate the performance of the AIF extraction method when the ROI data has varying amounts of contamination, in comparison to a direct approach that ignores such effects. It is found that even with quite small amounts of contamination, the mean squared error of the regularised AIF is significantly better than the error associated with direct use of the ROI data. Significance. The proposed IR-based AIF extraction scheme offers a practical methodological approach for situations where the available image ROI data may be contaminated by background and/or dispersion effects.
Photochemistry and transport of carbon monoxide in the middle atmosphere

Abstract Two-dimensional model calculations of the photochemistry and transport of carbon monoxide in the stratosphere, mesosphere, and lower thermosphere are presented. Results are compared to available observations at midlatitudes, where both observation and theory suggest that mesospheric CO abundances are larger on average in winter than in summer. The calculations also indicate that extremely large densities of CO should be found in the polar night mesosphere and upper stratosphere, but at present no high-latitude data are available for direct comparison. However, it is suggested that such a latitudinal distribution implies that the midlatitude region can exhibit unusually large abundances of CO under conditions of large-scale planetary wave activity. Two midlatitude observations during late January 1982 am shown to be consistent with this possibility.
Stability Analysis of PI TCP/AQM Networks： A Parameter Space Approach

Abstract This work focuses on deriving the necessary and sufficient stability condition of transmission control protocol (TCP) network with a proportional-integral (PI) active queue management (AQM) scheme via a parameter space approach. First, a fluid-flow TCP s nonlinear model is converted into a linear time-delay system of neutral type. Second, the stability of the closed-loop system is characterized in terms of the network's and the controller s parameters. By simulation studies we investigate the boundary s relations of these two kinds of parameters in the parameter space and illustrate how PI controller s parameters affect the stability. Finally, different stability conditions are compared to show the less conservatism of our necessary- and sufficient-condition-based method, and simulation experiments by both Matlab and NS-2 are conducted to prove our claim.
Culex (Phenacomyia) lactator (Diptera: Culicidae) in southern Florida, USA: a new subgenus and species country record

The Culex subgenus Phenacomyia is a small and poorly studied group of three mosquito species native to the American tropics. Here, we report the first detections of established populations of Culex (Phenacomyia) lactator Dyar & Knab in three counties of southern Florida. Culex lactator was first detected in May 2018 in southern Miami-Dade County, and, at this locality, was collected in subsequent years from 2018 to 2022 as both adults and immatures. Larvae and adults were subsequently collected in 2022, ∼175 km northwest of the initial locality at nine sites in Collier and Lee Counties. Identification of specimens collected in these counties as Cx. lactator is supported by molecular analysis and morphological characters of the adult female, male genitalia, and larva. The host associations and vector competence of Cx. lactator have not been extensively studied, and the public health implications, if any, of the addition of this species to Florida's mosquito fauna are unclear. These collections represent the first detections of Cx. lactator, or any Phenacomyia species, in the United States, adding to a trend in which detections of established populations of mosquito species from the American tropics in Florida appear to be increasing.
The First-Water-Layer Evolution at the Graphene/Water Interface under Different Electro-Modulated Hydrophilic Conditions Observed by Suspended/Supported Field-Effect-Device Architectures

Interfacial water molecules affect carrier transportation within graphene and related applications. Without proper tools, however, most of the previous works focus on simulation modeling rather than experimental validation. To overcome this obstacle, a series of graphene field-effect transistors (GFETs) with suspended (substrate-free, SF) and supported (oxide-supported, OS) configurations are developed to investigate the graphene–water interface under different hydrophilic conditions. With deionized water environments, in our experiments, the electrical transportation behaviors of the graphene mainly originate from the evolution of the interfacial water-molecule arrangement. Also, these current–voltage behaviors can be used to elucidate the first-water layer at the graphene–water interface. For SF-GFET, our experimental results show positive hysteresis in electrical transportation. These imply highly ordered interfacial water molecules with a separated-ionic distributed structure. For OS-GFET, on the contrary, the negative hysteresis shows the formation of the hydrogen-bond interaction between the interfacial water layer and the SiO2 substrate under the graphene. This interaction further promotes current conduction through the graphene/water interface. In addition, the net current–voltage relationship also indicates the energy required to change the orientation of the first-layer water molecules during electro-potential change. Therefore, our work gives an insight into graphene–water interfacial evolution with field-effect modulation. Furthermore, this experimental architecture also paves the way for investigating 2D solid–liquid interfacial features.
The effect of temperature on the magnetization reversal mechanism in sintered PrFeB

To understand the effects of nucleation fields and intergranular dipolar interactions on the magnetization reversal mechanism, recoil curves from the major hysteresis loop have been measured on a sample of sintered PrFeB as a function of temperature from 150 to 300 K. At room temperature the reversible magnetization behavior indicates a reversal mechanism of nucleation of domain walls whose motion after nucleation is resisted by dipolar fields. As the temperature is reduced, the coercivity, and hence the nucleation field, is observed to increase while the dipolar fields, dependent on microstructure and saturation magnetization, remain approximately constant. These temperature-dependent changes in the relative magnitudes of the dipolar field and nucleation field cause the reversible magnetization behavior to change from domain wall motion to rotation. This change in behavior is attributed to the supposition that at temperatures where the nucleation field exceeds the dipolar field, once nucleated, domain walls are swept out of the material.
How effective are interventions in optimizing workplace mental health and well-being? A scoping review of reviews and evidence map

Objectives Mental well-being is critical to quality of life. Workplace mental well-being is crucial to ensure employee health, satisfaction, and performance. Mental ill-health is a global challenge, costing workplaces $17 billion per year. Workplaces have realized the need for investment in interventions to promote mental health and well-being in their workforce. However, given their limited resources, workplace personnel responsible for program implementation need evidence-based guidance on which interventions influence which outcomes. Methods This study employed a scoping review methodology in order to produce an evidence map and includes reviews of workplace mental well-being interventions. The search strategy focused on peer-reviewed articles with the primary aim of investigating workplace mental health interventions. Reviews were assessed for quality using AMSTAR 2. The evidence map includes interventions (rows) and outcomes (columns), with the relative size of the reviews underpinning each intersection represented by circles and the direction of evidence represented by color. Results Eighty reviews were deemed eligible from 4795 citations. The resulting evidence map includes 17 intervention types designed to influence 12 outcomes. Interventions with the highest quality evidence were mindfulness, education and information provision, and individual psychological therapies. The most common outcomes were burnout / stress reduction and mental well-being. Interventions tended to focus on individual level factors rather than organizational or system-level factors. Conclusion The evidence-base for workplace mental health interventions is broad and extensive. There is an apparent knowledge-to-practice gap, presenting challenges to implementing workplace mental health programs (ie, what interventions have the highest quality evidence). This study aims to fill the gap by providing an interactive evidence-map. Future research should look to fill the gaps within the map including the lack of organization and system level factors and especially economic evaluations.
Ultra-low noise high electron mobility transistors for high-impedance and low-frequency deep cryogenic readout electronics

We report on the results obtained from specially designed high electron mobility transistors at 4.2 K: the gate leakage current can be limited lower than 1 aA, and the equivalent input noise-voltage and noise-current at 1 Hz can reach 6.3 nV/Hz1∕2 and 20 aA/Hz1∕2, respectively. These results open the way to realize high performance low-frequency readout electronics under very low-temperature conditions.
Sleep apnea in end-stage renal disease patients: risk factors and mortality

Sleep apnea (SA) is highly prevalent in the end-stage renal disease (ESRD) population. However, the impact of SA on mortality in ESRD is unclear. This study investigates the relationship between SA and mortality in ESRD. The United States Renal Data System was queried in a retrospective cohort study to identify ESRD patients aged 18–100 years who initiated hemodialysis between 2005 and 2013. Diagnoses of SA and comorbidities were determined from International Classification of Disease-9 codes and demographic variables from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Form-2728. Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the association of SA with mortality controlling for multiple variables. Of 858,131 subjects meeting inclusion criteria, 587 were found to have central SA (CSA) and 22,724 obstructive SA (OSA). The SA cohort was younger and more likely to be male and Caucasian compared to the non-SA cohort, with more diagnoses of tobacco and alcohol use, hypertension, heart failure, and diabetes. Both CSA (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 1.42, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.29–1.56) and OSA (aHR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.32–1.37) were associated with increased mortality. Other variables associated with increased mortality included age, dialysis initiation with a catheter or graft, alcohol use, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. Factors associated with decreased mortality included female sex, black race, Hispanic ethnicity, diagnosis of heart failure or diabetes, and an ESRD etiology of glomerulonephritis or polycystic kidney disease. Since a diagnosis of either OSA or CSA increases mortality risk, early identification of SA and therapy in this ESRD population may improve survival.
Appropriate initial conditions for asymptotic descriptions of the long term evolution of dynamical systems

Abstract A centre manifold or invariant manifold description of the evolution of a dynamical system provides a simplified view of the long term evolution of the system. In this work, I describe a procedure to estimate the appropriate starting position on the manifold which best matches an initial condition off the manifold. I apply the procedure to three examples: a simple dynamical system, a five-equation model of quasi-geostrophic flow, and shear dispersion in a channel. The analysis is also relevant to determining how best to account, within the invariant manifold description, for a small forcing in the full system.
Associations between plant-based diets, plant foods and botanical supplements with gestational diabetes mellitus: a systematic review protocol

Introduction Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is one of the most common health complications during pregnancy. Medical nutrition therapy is the mainstay of treatment for GDM, however, there is no current consensus on optimal dietary approaches to prevent or control hyperglycaemia in pregnancy. The aim of this systematic review is to assess the relationships between plant-based dietary patterns, plant foods and botanical dietary supplements with GDM and maternal glycaemic biomarkers. Methods and analysis A predefined search strategy was used on 16 June 2021, to search PubMed, Embase and CINAHL Plus with Full Text (EBSCOhost), as well as ClinicalTrials.gov, for studies published as original articles in English. Articles will be included if they are human observational studies or clinical trials and will be excluded if they are review articles or conference abstracts. We will use Cochrane’s risk of bias tools for interventions that are parallel arm (Risk of Bias tool for randomised trials version 2 (RoB 2)) and single arm, non-randomised intervention studies (Risk of Bias In Non-randomised Studies-of Interventions (ROBINS-I)). For observational, case–control and cross-sectional studies, we will use the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute’s quality assessment tools. Data will be synthesised in a narrative format describing significant results as well as presenting the results of the quality assessment of studies. Ethics and dissemination This systematic review does not require ethical approval as primary data will not be collected. The review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and disseminated electronically and in print. PROSPERO registration number CRD42022306915.
The Effect of Guided Imagery on Postoperative Pain Management in Patients Undergoing Lower Extremity Surgical Operations

Guided imagery distracts patients from disturbing feelings and thoughts, positively affects emotional well-being, and reduces pain by producing pleasing mental images. This study aimed to determine the effects of guided imagery on postoperative pain management in patients undergoing lower extremity surgery. This randomized controlled study was conducted between April 2018 and May 2019. This study included 60 patients who underwent lower extremity surgery. After using guided imagery, the posttest mean Visual Analog Scale score of patients in the intervention group was found to be 2.56 (1.00 ± 6.00), whereas the posttest mean score of patients in the control group was 4.10 (3.00 ± 6.00), and the difference between the groups was statistically significant (p <.001). Guided imagery reduces short-term postoperative pain after lower extremity surgery.
Dynamic output feedback sliding mode control for nonminimum phase linear systems with disturbance attenuation

A sliding mode control algorithm using output information only is developed in this paper for a linear system with mismatched disturbance. The nominal system is allowed to be nonminimum phase. A scheme designed to combine the output‐dependent integral sliding surface with a reduced‐order observer is proposed. Utilizing an H∞ control analytical technique, once the system is in the sliding mode, the proposed algorithm can guarantee robust stabilization and sustain the nature of performing disturbance attenuation when the solution to one algebraic Riccati inequality can be found. A controller is designed to satisfy the reaching and sliding condition in line with the reduced‐order observer. Finally, a numerical example is explained to show the applicability of the proposed scheme.
Flow patterns and wave characteristics of falling liquid films.

Three-dimensional profiles of falling liquid films have been visualized and measured by a laser shadowgraphy and a laser interferometry which combines a holographic interferometry and a shearing interferometry. Three wave patterns are distinguished with falling water films: single roll waves, roll waves pushing small waves and roll waves which have peaks and U-shapes between them. Vertical cross sections of these wave patterns based on interferometric measurement are schematically described. The cross section of the last wave pattern is drastically changed in the horizontal direction, due to wave amplifications near peaks by interferences.
CDF formulation for solving an optimal reinsurance problem

An innovative cumulative distribution function (CDF)-based method is proposed for deriving optimal reinsurance contracts to maximize an insurer’s survival probability. The optimal reinsurance model is a non-concave constrained stochastic maximization problem, and the CDF-based method transforms it into a functional concave programming problem of determining an optimal CDF over a corresponding feasible set. Compared to the existing literature, our proposed CDF formulation provides a more transparent derivation of the optimal solutions, and more interestingly, it enables us to study a further complex model with an extra background risk and more sophisticated premium principle.
Regulation of PIEZO1 channels by lipids and the structural components of extracellular matrix/cell cytoskeleton

PIEZO1 is a mechanosensitive channel widely presented in eukaryotic organisms. Although the PIEZO family was discovered in 2010, main questions related to the molecular structure as well as to specific activation mechanisms and regulating pathways remain open. Two hypotheses of PIEZO1 gating were formulated: the first, as a dominant hypothesis, through the plasma membrane (force‐from‐lipids) and the second, via the participation of the cytoskeleton and the components of the extracellular matrix (ECM) (force‐from‐filaments). Many researchers provide convincing evidence for both hypotheses. It was demonstrated that PIEZO1 has a propeller‐like shape forming a membrane curvature within the lipid bilayer. That suggests the participation of lipids in channel modulation, and many studies demonstrate the critical role of lipids and compounds that modify the lipid bilayer in the regulation of PIEZO1 properties. At the same time, the components of ECM and cortical cytoskeleton can be affected by the membrane curvature and thus have an impact on PIEZO1 properties. In living cells, PIEZO1 properties are reported to be critically dependent on channel microenvironment that is on combinatorial influence of plasma membrane, cytoskeleton and ECM. Thus, it is necessary to understand which factors can affect PIEZO1 and consider them when interpreting the role of PIEZO1 in various physiological processes. This review summarizes the current knowledge about regulation of Piezo1 by lipids and the components of ECM and cytoskeleton.
Nutrition and food security in Nepal: a narrative review of policies

Abstract In the past few decades, the Nepali government has endorsed several nutritional policies, strategies, and guidelines. Given the lack of a comprehensive review of such policy documents, this review aims to describe the nutrition and food security policies and understand the existing policy gaps in Nepal. Findings from this study can be used to develop policies and programs to address Nepal's current and future nutritional needs. Policies relevant to nutrition and food security were identified by searching government websites and directly approaching relevant government ministries. Thematic analysis was conducted using framework methods under 8 predetermined themes: nutrition intervention, food security, food system, capacity building of human resources, nutrition education, nutrition governance, research, and monitoring and evaluation. The contents of each document reviewed were manually extracted in a spreadsheet stratified by the themes, and the findings were summarized for the respective themes. A total of 30 policy documents were reviewed. Most policies have focused on undernutrition; only a few have addressed overnutrition and diet-related noncommunicable diseases. Food security through a sustainable food system has been considered a key policy area in Nepal. Other areas in the food and nutrition policy landscape are capacity building for human resources, behavior change practices, nutrition governance, monitoring, and evaluation. Policy gaps have been identified in the quality and sustainability of nutrition programs; access to health care services; competent human resources for nutrition; intersectoral coordination and commitment; and support for monitoring, evaluation, and research activities. Most policies have tried to address a wide range of components of food and nutrition security; however, strategies focused on overnutrition and diet-related noncommunicable diseases are lacking. Several gaps are identified in this policy review; the findings can guide the policymakers to address these gaps via further policy development.
Lagrangian numerical simulation for solid-liquid two-phase flow in a curved duct

A multiway coupling Lagrangian model was developed and used to simulate the solid-liquid two-phase flow in a curved duct. Particle-wall collision and interparticle collision were included by hard sphere model and stochastic collision model. Comparison between experimental results and numerical simulation shows a reasonable agreement. The effects of liquid mean velocity, curvature radius and section shape of a curved duct on particle volume concentration distribution were investigated by this model and a new ideal for separation enhancement between liquid and solid was proposed.