Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Gearing as a part of an Electric Machine Functionally - Study and optimization of a partitioned stator switched flux permanent magnet machine

The idea to couple a gear magnetically has been around for some time, and has gained increased interest in recent years. By manipulating air gap field harmonics, magnetic gearing has been shown to have comparative, or even better performance than its mechanical counterpart, while circumventing typical mechanical disadvantages. Recently, magnetic gearing has been integrated into Permanent Magnet motors to obtain ”pseudo” direct-drives that result in efficient high-torque density at low speed electrical machines. This thesis investigates such a promising machine topology, using the Finite Element Analysis tool COMSOL Multiphysics. The general magnetically geared Partitioned Stator Switched Flux Permanent Magnet machine was found to be able to meet the requested specifications of 200kNm and 4.2MW, with challenges being low power factor and high cogging torque. This machine is a very interesting concept that may be used for low-speed hightorque application when lower power factor can be managed(i.e. power electronics).
Compact model of ferroelectric-gate field-effect transistor for circuit simulation based on multidomain Landau–Kalathnikov theory

We report a new compact model for a ferroelectric-gate field-effect transistor (FeFET) considering multiple ferroelectric domain structures that can be thermally activated. The dynamics of the electric polarization and the thermal activation rate are calculated on the basis of the Landau–Khalatnikov (LK) theory. We implement this compact model in a circuit simulator, SmartSPICE, using Verilog-A language for analog circuit simulations. The device characteristics of FeFETs reported in experiments are well fitted by our compact model. We also perform the circuit simulation for the inverter utilizing FeFETs by using this compact model. Unlike normal inverters composed of MOSFETs, the switching speed of the inverter changes with the voltage pulse before the operation.
Leaf trait association in relation to herbivore defense, drought resistance, and economics in a tropical invasive plant.

PREMISE Exploring how functional traits vary and covary is important to understand plant responses to environmental change. However, we have limited understanding of the ways multiple functional traits vary and covary within invasive species. METHODS We measured 12 leaf traits of an invasive plant Chromolaena odorata, associated with plant or leaf economics, herbivore defense and drought resistance on 10 introduced populations from Asia and 12 native populations from America, selected across a broad range of climatic conditions, and grown in a common garden. RESULTS Species' range and climatic conditions influenced leaf traits, but trait variation across climate space differed between the introduced and native ranges. Traits that confer defense against herbivores and drought resistance were associated with economic strategy, but the patterns differed by range. Plants from introduced populations that were at the fast-return end of the spectrum (high photosynthetic capacity) had high physical defense traits (high trichome density), whereas plants from native populations that were at the fast-return end of the spectrum had high drought escape traits (early leaf senescence and high percentage of withered shoots). CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that invasive plants can rapidly adapt to novel environmental conditions. C. odorata showed multiple different functional trait covariation patterns and clines in the native and introduced ranges. Our results emphasize that interaction between multiple traits or functions should be considered when investigating the adaptive evolution of invasive plants. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Fungal insecticidal activity elevated by non-risky markerless overexpression of an endogenous cysteine-free protein gene in Beauveria bassiana.

BACKGROUND Fungal insecticides are notorious for slow kill action, an intrinsic trait that can be improved by genetic engineering of an exogenous or endogenous virulence factor. However, transgenic insecticides expressing exogenous toxin and herbicide-resistant marker genes may cause unexpected ecological risks and are hardly permitted for field release due to strict regulatory hurdles. It is necessary to improve biotechnology that can speed up fungal insect-killing action and exclude ecological risk source. RESULTS A markerless transformation system of Beauveria bassiana, a main source of wide-spectrum fungal insecticides, was reconstructed based on the fungal uridine auxotrophy (Δura3). The system was applied for overexpression of the small cysteine-free protein (120 amino acids) gene cfp previously characterized as a regulator of the fungal virulence and gene expression. Three cfp-overexpressed strains showed much faster kill action to Galleria mellonella larvae than the parental wild-type via normal cuticle infection but no change in vegetative growth and aerial conidiation. The faster kill action was achieved due to not only significant increases in conidial adherence to insect cuticle and total activity of secreted cuticle-degrading Pr1 proteases and of antioxidant enzymes crucial for collapse of insect immune defense but acceleration of haemocoel localization, proliferation in vivo and host death from mummification. CONCLUSION The markerless system is free of any foreign DNA fragment as a source of ecologic risk and provides a novel biotechnological approach to enhancing fungal insecticidal activity with non-risky endogenous genes and striding over the regulatory hurdles. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Understanding Patient Experiences, Opinions, and Actions Taken After Viewing Their Own Radiology Images Online: Web-Based Survey

Background The ability for patients to directly view their radiology images through secure electronic portals is rare in the American health care system. We previously surveyed patients within our health system and found that a large majority wanted to view their own radiology images online, and we have since implemented this new feature. Objective We aim to understand patient experiences, opinions, and actions taken after viewing their own radiology images online. Methods We emailed a web-based survey to patients who recently viewed their radiology images via our electronic patient portal. Results We sent 1825 surveys to patients and received 299 responses (response rate 16.4%). Patients reported a favorable experience (258/299, 86.3% agree) viewing their radiology images online. Patients found value in reading their radiology reports (288/299, 96.3% agree) and viewing their images (267/299, 89.3% agree). Overall, patients felt that accessing and viewing their radiology images online increased their understanding of their medical condition (258/299, 82.9%), made them feel more in control and reassured (237/299, 79.2% and 220/299, 73.6%, respectively), and increased levels of trust (214/299, 71.6%). Only 6.4% (19/299) of the patients indicated concerns with finding errors, 6.4% (19/299) felt that viewing their images online made them worry more, and 7% (21/299) felt confused when viewing their images online. Of patients who viewed their images online, 45.2% (135/299) took no action with their images, 32.8% (98/299) saved a copy for their records, 25.4% (76/299) shared them with their doctor, and 14.7% (44/299) shared them with another doctor for a second opinion. A total of 9 patients (3%) shared their radiology images on Facebook, Instagram, or both, primarily to inform family and friends. Approximately 10.4% (31/299) of the patients had questions about their radiology images after viewing them online, with the majority (20/31, 65%) seeking out a doctor, and far fewer (5/31, 16%) choosing to ask a family member about their images. Finally, respondents viewed their images online using 1 or more devices, including computers, smartphones, tablets, or a combination of these devices. Approximately 26.7% (103/385) of the responses noted technical difficulties, with the highest incidence rate occurring with smartphones. Conclusions We report the first known survey results from patients who viewed their own radiology images through a web-based portal. Patients reported high levels of satisfaction and increased levels of trust, autonomy, reassurance, and medical understanding. Only a small minority of patients expressed anxiety or confusion. We suggest that patient access to radiology images, such as patient access to radiology reports, is highly desired by patients and is operationally practical. Other health care institutions should consider offering patients access to their radiology images online in the pursuit of information transparency.
Maternally transferred thyroid hormones and life‐history variation in birds

Abstract In vertebrates, thyroid hormones (THs) play an important role in the regulation of growth, development, metabolism, photoperiodic responses and migration. Maternally transferred THs are important for normal early phase embryonic development when embryos are not able to produce endogenous THs. Previous studies have shown that variation in maternal THs within the physiological range can influence offspring phenotype. Given the essential functions of maternal THs in development and metabolism, THs may be a mediator of life‐history variation across species. We tested the hypothesis that differences in life histories are associated with differences in maternal TH transfer across species. Using birds as a model, we specifically tested whether maternally transferred yolk THs covary with migratory status, developmental mode and traits related to pace‐of‐life (e.g. basal metabolic rate, maximum life span). We collected un‐incubated eggs (n = 1–21 eggs per species, median = 7) from 34 wild and captive bird species across 17 families and six orders to measure yolk THs [both triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4)], compiled life‐history trait data from the literature and used Bayesian phylogenetic mixed models to test our hypotheses. Our models indicated that both concentrations and total amounts of the two main forms of THs (T3 and T4) were higher in the eggs of migratory species compared to resident species, and total amounts were higher in the eggs of precocial species, which have longer prenatal developmental periods, than in those of altricial species. However, maternal yolk THs did not show clear associations with pace‐of‐life‐related traits, such as fecundity, basal metabolic rate or maximum life span. We quantified interspecific variation in maternal yolk THs in birds, and our findings suggest higher maternal TH transfer is associated with the precocial mode of development and migratory status. Whether maternal THs represent a part of the mechanism underlying the evolution of precocial development and migration or a consequence of such life histories is currently unclear. We therefore encourage further studies to explore the physiological mechanisms and evolutionary processes underlying these patterns.
Effects of dietary restriction on cognitive function: a systematic review and meta-analysis

ABSTRACT Background Potential positive link between cognitive function and dietary restriction has been widely concerned. The present study describes a systematic review and preliminary meta-analysis to assess the efficacy of dietary restriction on cognitive function. We classified dietary restrictions as Calories Restriction (CR) and Intermittent Fasting (IF). Method This systematic review and meta-analysis conducted following the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Statement (PRISMA) Checklist, Databases including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the cognition effectiveness of dietary restriction from database inception to Sep 2021. Result Eleven RCTs met the inclusion criteria in the systematic review and meta-analysis. The overall effect of dietary restriction on cognitive function is SMD = 0.22 (95% CI: 0.09–0.34, p < 0.01). The effect on global function SMD = 0.35 (95% CI: 0.04–0.65, p < 0.05) and memory SMD = 0.18 (95% CI: 0.00–0.35, p = 0.05) is significant. MCI showed the best effectiveness SMD = 0.36 (95% CI: 0.05–0.68, p < 0.05), followed by the normal weight population SMD = 0.28 (95% CI: 0.03–0.52, p < 0.05) and overweight population SMD = 0.20 (95% CI: 0.06–0.34, p < 0.01). No statistically significant difference showed between IF and CR (p > 0.05). Conclusion Our study demonstrated that dietary restriction has varying degrees of positive effect on cognitive function in overweight/normal-weight people and MCI. However, it should be cautious when generalizing to other populations. Additional high-quality, large-scale, cohort and intervention studies are needed to further assess the effectiveness of dietary restriction on cognition.
Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop? The Role of Inhibitory Control and Callous-Unemotional Traits in Childhood Conduct Problems and Aggression

ABSTRACT Disruptive behaviors such as conduct problems and aggression are some of the most prevalent childhood psychological concerns. The etiology of disruptive behaviors is heterogenous and the relationships between the myriad risk factors that contribute to these problems are not yet fully understood. This study examined the relationship between inhibitory control and callous-unemotional traits (CU traits) with conduct problems and aggression in a community sample of children (aged 6 to 11 years). Caregivers (n= 148) completed a survey assessing a range of known risk factors (including hyperactivity and inattention). Children were found to display more conduct problems and aggression if they had greater difficulties with inhibitory control and a higher number of CU traits. Interestingly, when children had CU traits, inhibitory control difficulties exacerbated the severity of conduct problems (but not aggression). Differences in severity between conduct problems and aggression highlight the unique relationships between risk factors such as inhibitory control and CU traits, and lay the groundwork for future studies to explore the trajectories of this relationship.
Neuropharmacological effects of honey in lipopolysaccharide-induced neuroinflammation, cognitive impairment, anxiety and motor impairment

ABSTRACT Objectives: Honey contains phenolic acids and flavonoids, which are significant in developing drugs against neuroinflammation. The study was designed to evaluate the ameliorative potential of honey in lipopolysaccharides-induced neuroinflammation. Methods: Thirty male Wistar rats were divided into six groups, namely: the control group (10 mL/kg vehicle), the LPS only group (250 µg/kg), the honey (0.26, 0.31 and 0.36 g/kg) and the ibuprofen (100 mg/kg). LPS (250 µg/kg i.p) was administered for 7days followed by the treatment with honey and Ibuprofen for another 7days. Animals were assessed for memory impairment and anxiety levels using a Novel object recognition test (NORT), elevated plus maze (EPM), and open field test (OFT). Brain levels of pro-inflammatory cytokine level, acetylcholinesterase activity, and oxidative stress were determined. The neuronal alteration was assessed histologically using cresyl fast violet staining of the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and striatum. Results: Honey (0.31 and 0.36 g/kg) significantly ameliorated LPS-induced memory impairment on NORT and increased time spent in the open arm and increased the locomotor activity in the OFT. Honey significantly (p < 0.05) reduced LPS-induced elevation of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). It significantly reduced malondialdehyde and nitrite levels in mice brains and reversed depletion of reduced glutathione levels. Honey attenuated LPS-induced elevation of acetylcholinesterase activity in rat brains. Cresyl violet staining showed the restoration of neuronal organization and Nissl body distribution in the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex and striatum compared to the LPS only group. Discussion: Honey effectively ameliorated LPS-induced poor cognitive performance, anxiety, motor coordination responses to neuroinflammation, and oxidative stress.
An alternative method for estimating total impervious area in catchments using high-resolution colour aerial photography

Estimation of total impervious area (TIA) is a pre-requisite for ecohydrological research to allow for a direct prediction on stream ecosystem health within catchments. This paper presents an alternative to using multi-spectral imagery for estimating TIA at a catchment scale, by using high-resolution colour aerial photography. The method was applied to a number of catchments in South East Queensland, Australia, some of which were gauged and some of which were part of an Ecosystem Health Monitoring Program (EHMP). The results from this method were compared to TIA estimates, for some of the same catchments, that were derived through three other techniques, i.e. manual digitization of geo-referenced aerial photos, Brisbane City Council data derived from image analysis using Landsat TM imagery and rainfall runoff depth relationship. The high-resolution colour aerial photography method compared favourably to the other techniques with standard deviations of TIA (%) ranging between 0.8% and 8%. The major constraints were shading effects, particularly on roads and grassed areas, and from the similarity in colours between some surface types, some of which can be reduced by appropriate selection of signature colours and multiple iterations of a supervised classiﬁcation. It was concluded that while infra-red spectral wavebands could help considerably, the high-resolution colour photography could be applied with conﬁdence to derive catchment-scale TIA estimates.
Strategic planning in SMEs, a Review of the English and French Literature

This paper examines the English and French literature relating to the nature and value of strategy and planning within the small firm. It seeks to follow the literature trail that has emerged since the publication in the mid-1980s of a benchmark paper on planning and strategy in small firms by Robinson and Pearce. The literature review found that despite the passage of 24 years the no discernable pattern or generic theory relating to the value of planning or how such planning should take place within small firms has emerged. The need for future research to address these issues is discussed.
Quantum‐Engineered Devices Based on 2D Materials for Next‐Generation Information Processing and Storage

As an approximation to the quantum state of solids, the band theory, developed nearly seven decades ago, fostered the advance of modern integrated solid‐state electronics, one of the most successful technologies in the history of human civilization. Nonetheless, their rapidly growing energy consumption and accompanied environmental issues call for more energy‐efficient electronics and optoelectronics, which necessitate the exploration of more advanced quantum mechanical effects, such as band‐to‐band tunneling, spin–orbit coupling, spin–valley locking, and quantum entanglement. The emerging 2D layered materials, featured by their exotic electrical, magnetic, optical, and structural properties, provide a revolutionary low‐dimensional and manufacture‐friendly platform (and many more opportunities) to implement these quantum‐engineered devices, compared to the traditional electronic materials system. Here, the progress in quantum‐engineered devices is reviewed and the opportunities/challenges of exploiting 2D materials are analyzed to highlight their unique quantum properties that enable novel energy‐efficient devices, and useful insights to quantum device engineers and 2D‐material scientists are provided.
Supporting the pandemic response and timely access to COVID-19 vaccines: a case for stronger priority setting and health system governance in Nigeria

Abstract Priority setting and health system governance are critical for optimising healthcare interventions and determining how best to allocate limited resources. The COVID-19 pandemic has buttressed the need for these especially now that vaccines are available to curb the spread of the disease. In many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), vaccine coverage remains low, due in large part to sub-optimal priority setting and health system governance which has led to inequities in access and has fuelled vaccine hesitancy. An analysis of the situation in Nigeria identified key issues that have affected the health system response to COVID-19 and impeded timely access to the vaccine. These include weak vaccine procurement strategies, limited evidence on strategies for prioritising recipients and approaches for rolling out mass vaccination programmes for the entire population, lack of a communication strategy to reduce the incidence of vaccine hesitancy and failures to proactively address vaccine hesitancy through the implementation of vaccination programmes. Nigeria and other many other LMICs are still facing the prospect of subsequent and potentially worsening waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. Without effective priority setting, there is a risk that the country will not accelerate vaccine rollout quickly enough to achieve high coverage rates that will ensure herd immunity. In the context of existing weaknesses in health system governance, there is an urgent need to strengthen priority settings in Nigeria and identify and implement context-specific solutions that can improve vaccine coverage for the population.
Packaging, Purification, and Titration of Replication-Deficient Semliki Forest Virus-Derived Particles as a Self-Amplifying mRNA Vaccine Vector

Background: Self-amplifying mRNA is the next-generation vaccine platform with the potential advantages in efficacy and speed of development against infectious diseases and cancer. The main aim was to present optimized and rapid methods for SFV-PD SAM preparation, its packaging, and titer determination. These protocols are provided for producing and harvesting the high yields of VRP-packaged SAM for vaccine studies. Methods: pSFV-PD-EGFP plasmid was linearized and subjected to in vitro transcription. Different concentrations of SFV-PD SAM were first transfected into HEK-293 and BHK-21 cell lines, and EGFP expression at different time points was evaluated by fluorescent microscopy. Replicon particle packaging was achieved by co-transfection of SFV-PD SAM and pSFV-Helper2 RNA into BHK-21 cells. The VRPs were concentrated using ultrafiltration with 100 kDa cut-off. The titers of replicon particles were determined by RT-qPCR. Results: In vitro transcribed SAM encoding EGFP was successfully transfected and expressed in HEK-293 and BHK-21 cell lines. Higher levels of EGFP expression was observed in BHK-21 compared to HEK-293 cells showing more stable protein overexpression and VRP packaging. Using ultrafiltration, the high yields of purified SFV-PD-EGFP particles were rapidly obtained with only minor loss of replicon particles. Accurate and rapid titer determination of replication-deficient particles was achieved by RT-qPCR. Conclusion: Using optimized methods for SAM transfection, VRP packaging, and concentration, high yields of SFV-PD VRPs could be produced and purified. The RT-qPCR demonstrated to be an accurate and rapid method for titer determination of replication deficient VRPs.