Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Convergence of a numerical algorithm for calculating optimal output feedback gains

A sequential numerical algorithm is described which obtains gains minimizing a broad class of performance indexes, including the standard LQ case. The primary contribution is a proof that the algorithm converges to a local minimum under nonrestrictive assumptions. Numerical examples illustrate the theory. The second example demonstrates an important LQ design technique which permits the designer to prespecify the feedback structure, subject to the requirement of output feedback stabilizability.
The Development of Methods for Estimating and Compensating Frequency and Time Offset in 6G DFT-s-OFDM Technology Communication Systems

The paper considers methods for estimating and compensating for Carrier Frequency Offset and Symbol Time Offset in order to improve accuracy of the synchronization in communication systems using DFT-s-OFDM technology for data transmission, which is expected to be an effective way to combat the high value of the peak to average power ratio and out-of-band emissions with low computational complexity of signal processing algorithms in current 4G and 5G New Radio communication systems, as well as future 6G communication systems. The paper provides some results of a study that was carried out in order to check the eligibility of contemporary methods for estimating and compensating Carrier Frequency Offset and Symbol Time Offset influences, as well as the errors caused by CFO and STO. The paper delivers the data about the study describing the use of the Kronecker Product in order to achieve better estimation and compensation results for current methods for Carrier Frequency Offset.
Clinical Applications of B-Flow Ultrasound: A Scoping Review of the Literature

Coded excitation ultrasound investigations have the potential to augment the resolution, increase the efficiency, and expand the possibilities of noninvasive diagnostic imaging. B-Flow ultrasound, a type of digitally encoded imaging, was developed more than 20 years ago with the aim to optimize the visualization of blood flow. It has been investigated for a plethora of applications so far. A scoping review regarding its clinical applications was conducted based on a systematic literature research. B-Flow has been investigated in various anatomic locations and pathologies. However, previous research is limited by small sample sizes, the rare occurrence of elaborate study designs, the reliance on subjective reports and qualitative data, as well as several potential biases. While results are in general promising, it should therefore still be considered an emerging technology. Nevertheless, the limitations can be addressed in future research and the potential to expand its applications make B-Flow an interesting candidate for further investigations.
On Almost Sure Stability of a Viscoelastic Column Under Random Loading

Abstract This paper is concerned with the problem of the stability of the motion of viscoelastic columns subjected to a longitudinal force. This force is a random wide-band stationary process. The relaxation kernels of the column's material are represented by the sums of exponents. The column is simply supported at the ends and perturbation of the initial conditions is assumed in the form of one half-wave of a sine function. The application of Liapunov's direct method to the indicated problem is considered. Sufficient conditions for almost sure stability conditions are obtained for both elastic and viscoelastic columns.
High-Quality SiO2/Si Interface Formation and Its Application to Fabrication of Low-Temperature-Processed Polycrystalline Si Thin-Film Transistor

Improvement of SiO2/Si interface quality and its effect on the performance of low-temperature-processed polycrystalline silicon thin-film transistors (poly-Si TFTs) are investigated. Two gate SiO2 formation conditions for realizing the density of interface states (Dit) at mid-gap of 1.4×1011 and 4.1×1010 cm-2eV-1 were applied to a 425°C TFT fabrication process using electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). By reducing Dit, reduction of threshold voltage from 1.97 to 1.12 V, reduction of sub-threshold swing from 303 to 250 mV/decade and increase of mobility from 196 to 309 cm2V-1s-1 were observed. The analysis of TFT characteristics indicated the decrease of both deep and shallow level trap states. As a result, not only threshold voltage and sub-threshold swing, but also the mobility of the poly-Si TFT was significantly improved. The results indicate that low-temperature process technologies for forming a high-quality SiO2/Si interface are important for next-generation high-performance poly-Si TFTs.
On the ferroelastic phase transition of LiNH4SO4: a Brillouin scattering study and theoretical modelling

Brillouin spectroscopy was used to study the elastic properties of LiNH4SO4 in the vicinity of the ferroelastic first-order transition occurring at approximately 285 K. Eleven acoustic modes were observed in the temperature range from 273 to 293 K. Their sound velocities and the temperature dependences of the corresponding elastic constants were calculated from the measured frequency shifts. The measured elastic constants exhibited step-like discontinuities at the transition temperature and were interpreted using a symmetry-adapted Landau free-energy expansion. The order parameter for the ferroelectric phase transition at 460 K was chosen to be an infrared-active soft mode; while for the ferroelastic phase transition at 285 K, a two-component soft mode from the X point of the Brillouin zone was chosen. Both of these order parameters are coupled to polarisation and strains.
Novel intervertebral space release for the treatment of moderate and severe degenerative scoliosis

To investigate the clinical effectiveness and feasibility of novel intervertebral space release without Smith–Petersen osteotomy/pedicle subtraction osteotomy/Ponte osteotomy in the treatment of adults with moderate to severe degenerative scoliosis. The data of 49 patients with moderate to severe degenerative scoliosis treated with a novel intervertebral space release and balance correction technique from January 2010 to January 2016 and followed up until January 2021 were collected based upon pre-designated inclusive and exclusive criteria for retrospective analyses. The Japanese Orthopaedic Association score and coronal Cobb angle were employed for the assessment of clinical symptoms and scoliosis correction improvements. Forty-nine patients were followed for a median time of 5.2 (1–11) years. The Japanese Orthopaedic Association score was significantly increased from 9.45 ± 3.33 preoperatively to 19.65 ± 4.58 postoperatively (P < .001), and the coronal Cobb angle was significantly improved from 39. 95º ± 9. 04º preoperatively to 8. 28º ± 4. 21º (P < .001) after 1 year. There were no major complications occurred in patients. The novel intervertebral space release and balance correction at the original lesion and maximal unbalance site without vertebral osteotomy showed a promising clinical profile and may be considered as an alternative for the treatment of moderate to severe degenerative scoliosis.
Multitasking as a Personal Choice of the Mode of Activity in Russian Children and Adolescents: Its Relationship to Experimental Multitasking and its Effectiveness

Background A person’s ability to solve several tasks simultaneously, or within a limited amount of time, — i.e., multitasking — is becoming more and more highly valued in society, despite experimental data in cognitive science about the low effectiveness of such activity. But, in the modern world, the term multitasking has become increasingly used in another sense — that is, a personal choice to perform several tasks simultaneously even if a person could do them consecutively. Objective The aim of this study was to reveal the relationship between a personal preference for multitasking, its subjective effectiveness in children and adolescents, and their tendency for and efficacy of multitasking under experimental conditions. Design One hundred and fifty-seven (157) schoolchildren of different ages participated in the study, which called for responding to four windows on a screen, including texts (SMS) and video images, and reporting on their subjective multitasking and its efficacy. Results The majority of children and adolescents said (the older they were, the more likely) that sometimes, or often, they combine several tasks, and argued that their performance was effective. Conclusion The subjective perspective on multitasking and its effectiveness was more likely to be related to multitasking by carrying out several tasks simultaneously, than switching between tasks, and was not related to actual effectiveness when undertaking a variety of activities within a limited time period. In the case of distractions (for instance, incoming messages while undertaking tasks), they might be related to a decrease in effectiveness.
Monochorea after acute contralateral pontine infarction: A case report

Rationale: Chorea is a hyperkinetic movement characterized by random, brief, and involuntary muscle contractions. In stroke, a common cause of chorea, basal ganglia are anatomical locations that can cause chorea when a stroke occurs, and chorea is less frequently triggered by a stroke in other anatomical brain regions. Herein, we report a rare case of monochorea after acute contralateral pontine infarction. Patient concerns: A 32-year-old man visited the emergency room due to dysarthria and right hemiparesis that occurred approximately 6 hours and 30 minutes before the visit. A brain magnetic resonance image confirmed a diffusion restriction lesion in the left pons. The patient was initially diagnosed with acute infarction at the left pons and began to receive medical treatment with an antiplatelet agent and statin with admission. Diagnosis: Approximately 14 hours after the onset of the initial stroke symptoms, the patient complained of involuntary movement in the right arm for the first time. Intermittent, irregular involuntary movements were observed in the distal part of the right arm. This symptom was unpredictable and random, and a similar symptom was not observed in other parts of the patient’s body. Clinically, post-stroke monochorea was suspected. Interventions and outcomes: The symptom improved from day 5 without specific medical treatment for chorea. Lessons: The monochorea caused by the pontine lesion in this case was triggered by the direct lesions of the corticospinal tract, and its underlying pathophysiology remains unclear. However, abnormal movements can occur due to inadequate downstream activation or inhibition of the corticospinal tract, which is induced by functional abnormalities of the motor cortex. This case suggests that further investigation is needed on the mechanisms of direct corticospinal tract lesions for chorea.
The role of microRNAs in regulating inflammation and exercise-induced adaptations in rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenously generated single-stranded RNAs that play crucial roles in numerous biological processes, such as cell development, proliferation, differentiation, metabolism and apoptosis. They negatively regulate target gene expression by repressing translation of messenger RNA into a functional protein. Several miRNAs have been implicated in the development and progression of RA. They are involved in inflammatory and immune processes and are associated with susceptibility to RA and disease activity. They are also considered to be potential markers of disease activity or even therapeutic targets. Likewise, several miRNAs are affected acutely by exercise and regulate exercise-related adaptations in the skeletal muscle and cardiovascular system and aerobic fitness. Interestingly, some miRNAs affected by exercise are also important in the context of RA. Investigating these might increase our understanding of the effects of exercise in RA and improve exercise prescription and, potentially, disease management. In this review, we focus on the miRNAs that are associated with both RA and exercise and discuss their roles in (and potential interactions between) RA and exercise-induced adaptations.
Determinants and neonatal outcomes of preeclampsia among women living with and without HIV at a tertiary hospital in Zambia: a review of medical records

Introduction pre-eclampsia, a pregnancy-specific condition that occurs after 20 weeks of gestation, is a significant public health problem. In the extant literature, there are still conflicting reports on whether Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and antiretroviral therapy (ART) affect preeclampsia rates. We, therefore, explored the determinants and neonatal outcomes of preeclampsia among pregnant women living with and without HIV. Methods we reviewed delivery registers and neonatal files from the 1st January 2018, to 30th of September 2019 for women who delivered at Women and Newborn Hospital. The logistic regression model estimated the odds of preeclampsia and described the neonatal outcomes. Results the prevalence of preeclampsia was 7.7% (95% confidence intervals: 6.8 to 8.7). On ART, pregnant women with HIV infection were less likely to develop preeclampsia than those without HIV infection (aOR=0.50; 95% CI: 0.32 to 0.80). However, neonates born to women with preeclampsia were more likely to be admitted to kangaroo mother care than neonates born to normotensive women, regardless of the HIV-exposure status. Conclusion overall, the prevalence of preeclampsia was 7.7%, but it was less common among HIV-infected pregnant women receiving ART. Neonates born from women with preeclampsia are at increased risk of adverse outcomes, including admission to kangaroo mother care. These findings underscore the need for healthcare workers to direct their efforts on early diagnosis and detection of preeclampsia in pregnant women to prevent poor outcomes.
Clinical effect of standardized nursing for lymphoma patients and the influencing factors of nosocomial infection

To analyze the clinical effect of standardized nursing for lymphoma patients and the influencing factors of nosocomial infection, a total of 360 diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients with disease recurrence or progression after first-line treatment were retrospectively selected from our hospital from January 2021 to July 2022. After standardized nursing, the overall infection rate of lymphoma patients was 2.50% (9/360), which was significantly lower than the overall infection rate of our hospital in 2021 (7.44%, 844/11342) (P < .05). The proportion of 3 kinds of pathogenic bacteria detected were G+ bacteria (33.5%), G− bacteria (53.3%), and fungi (13.2%). The pathogenic bacteria genus with the most G+ bacteria is Enterococcus, the pathogenic bacteria genus with the most G+ bacteria is Enterobacteriaceae, and the pathogenic bacteria with the most fungi is Candida albicans. Female infection rate was significantly higher than male (P < .05). There was no significant difference in nosocomial infection among different marital status/fertility status (P > .05). The nosocomial infection of patients with different hospitalization times was statistically significant (P < .05). The duration of hospitalization in the infected group was significantly higher than that in the non-infected group (P < .05). The clinical effect of standardized nursing for lymphoma patients is significant, and the influencing factors of nosocomial infection include patient gender, hospitalization frequency, and hospitalization duration.
Efficacy and Safety of Intra-Articular Botulinum Toxin A Injection for Knee Osteoarthritis

Background: Botulinum toxin A has the potential to be used for analgesia because of its anti-inflammatory effect. The utility of intra-articular injections of botulinum toxin A for knee osteoarthritis remains unclear. The aim of this study was to analyze the utility of such injections in knees with osteoarthritis. Methods: We conducted a literature search of 4 databases (Scopus, PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Europe PMC) up to September 10, 2022, using formulated keywords. Articles were included in the study if they had data on botulinum toxin A injection compared with the control group in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. Results were summarized using the standardized mean difference (SMD) and accompanying 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: Pooled analysis of data from 6 trials involving 446 patients with knee osteoarthritis revealed that, compared with placebo, intra-articular injection of botulinum toxin A was associated with greater reductions in early visual analog scale (VAS) pain (SMD, −0.63 [95% CI, −1.08 to −0.18], p = 0.007, I2 = 79%), late VAS pain (SMD, −0.57 [95% CI, −1.07 to −0.08], p = 0.02, I2 = 81%), early Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) (SMD, −0.84 [95% CI, −1.61 to −0.06], p = 0.03, I2 = 90%), and late WOMAC (SMD, −1.12 [95% CI, −1.91 to −0.32], p = 0.006, I2 = 93%) scores from baseline in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Conclusions: Intra-articular injection of botulinum toxin A may offer benefits in reducing pain and improving function in patients with knee osteoarthritis, with a relatively good safety profile. Larger randomized trials are warranted to confirm the results of our study. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level I. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
E-learning strategies from a bioinformatics postgraduate programme to improve student engagement and completion rate

Abstract Motivation E-learning is the standard solution adopted in transnational study programmes for which multiple face-to-face learning places are not an option. Bioinformatics is compatible with e-learning because its resource requirements are low. Online learning, however, is usually associated with high dropout rates because students start from a very low computational level and/or they need support to conduct practical analyses on their own. Results In this article, we analyse the academic results of an online bioinformatics educational programme based on learning communities. The programme has been offered by the Spanish Pablo de Olavide University for more than 5 years with a completion rate of close to 90%. Learning bioinformatics requires technical and operational competencies that can only be acquired through a practical methodology. We have thus developed a student-centred and problem-based constructivist learning model; the model uses faculty and peer mentoring to drive individual work and retain students. Regarding our innovative learning model, the recruitment level (i.e. the number of applicants per available places and international origin), the results obtained (i.e. the retention index and learning outcomes) as well as the satisfaction index expressed by students and faculty lead us to regard this programme as a successful strategy for online graduate learning in bioinformatics. Availability and implementation All data and results for this article are available in the figures and supplementary files. The current syllabus (Supplementary File S7) and other details of the course are available at: https://www.upo. es/postgrado/Diploma-de-Especializacion-Analisis-Bioinformatico and https://www.upo. es/postgrado/Master-Analisis-Bioinformatico-Avanzado. Supplementary information Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics Advances online.
MODIS solar reflective calibration traceability

Long-term climate data records often consist of observations made by multiple sensors. It is, therefore, extremely important to have instrument overlap, to be able to track instrument stability, to quantify measurement uncertainties, and to establish an absolute measurement scale traceable to the International System of Units (SI). The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) is a key instrument for both the Terra and Aqua missions, which were launched in December 1999 and May 2002, respectively. It has 20 reflective solar bands (RSB) with wavelengths from 0.41 to 2. 2μm and observes the Earth at three nadir spatial resolutions: 0.25km, 0.5km, and 1km. MODIS RSB on-orbit calibration is reflectance based with reference to the bi-directional reflectance factor (BRF) of its on-board solar diffuser (SD). The SD BRF characterization was made pre-launch by the instrument vendor using reference samples traceable directly to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). On-orbit SD reflectance degradation is tracked by an on-board solar diffuser stability monitor (SDSM). This paper provides details of this calibration chain, from pre-launch to on-orbit operation, and associated uncertainty assessments. Using MODIS as an example, this paper also discusses challenges and key design requirements for future missions developed for accurate climate studies.
The Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Maternal Cohort Study: Its Purpose and Findings

In the decade following its identi®cation (Wells et al., 1987), the eect of the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) epidemic on animal health has been severe, with approximately 1 million cattle in Great Britain (Anderson et al., 1996) being infected with the aetiological agent of the disease and 167 595 having survived to develop clinical signs of BSE by May 30th, 1997. The potential consequences for human health remain uncertain (Gore, 1996; Collinge et al., 1996) but substantial damage to the European agricultural industry has been caused by the decline in public con®dence in the safety of beef and beef products (Meat Hygiene Service, 1996). A major concern is the possibility that BSE might be transmitted vertically (from dam to calf during pregnancy, at birth or just after birth). In the absence of detailed knowledge of a biological mechanism or mechanisms for transmission, this might indicate the presence of infectivity in a wider range of body tissues than has been hitherto detected (Fraser et al., 1992; Wells et al., 1994; Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, 1996). It is important to note, however, that vertical transmissionÐeven at relatively high levelsÐcannot, on its own, ensure the long-term persistence of any infection in a stable or declining population. Hence, concerns that the existence of vertical transmission may cause BSE to become endemic in British cattle in the long term are unfounded. However, the presence of vertical transmission
Stabilization of a passively mode-locked laser by continuous wave optical injection

We investigate numerically and experimentally the properties of a passively mode locked quantum dot semiconductor laser under the influence of cw optical injection. We demonstrate that the waveform instability at high pumping for these devices can be overcome when one mode of the device is locked to the injected master laser and additionally show spectral narrowing and tunability. Experimental and numerical analyses demonstrate that the stable locking boundaries are similar to these obtained for optical injection in CW lasers. © 2010 American Institute of Physics.
An efficiency result for the empirical characteristic function in stationary time-series models

It is shown under general conditions that arbitrarily high asymptotic efficiencies can be obtained when the parameters of a stationary time series are estimated by fitting the characteristic functions of the process to their empirical versions. A consistency and a central limit result are also given. On considere ľestimation des parametres d'une serie chronologique stationnaire via ľajustement de la fonction caracteristique du processus a sa version empirique. On montre que, sous des conditions non restrictives, une efficacite asymptotique arbitrairement grande peut ětre atteinte. Un resultat a propos de la convergence et un theoreme de limite centrale sont aussi presentes.