Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Precise air time determination of athletic jumps with low-cost MEMS inertial sensors using multiple attribute decision making

Commercial devices for real-time sports performance measurement are available. The small size and low cost of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) inertial measurement units (IMUs) are exploited in these devices to make their body mountable and affordable for the general public. These devices are widely used in sports such as skiing, snowboarding and mountain biking to measure the air time (AT) of aerial athletic jumps in real time. AT is considered as an important performance variable. However, the performance of currently used real-time athletic jump AT determination algorithms using MEMS IMUs are unsatisfactory in terms of accuracy and reliability. In this study, a new algorithm for AT determination with a head-mounted MEMS IMU is proposed. The algorithm has a probabilistic approach using multiple attribute decision making. The concept of jump characteristic points and a novel method used in this algorithm, namely preceding and following acceleration difference, are introduced. The field experiment results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm comprehensively out-performs the commercial algorithms used in two state-of-the-art sport performance measurement devices. The proposed algorithm exhibits an average error of 0.033 s (4.8%), whereas the two commercial algorithms demonstrate average errors of 0.111 s (8.4%) and 0.538 s (39.7%).
Comparative Performance of Genomic Methods for the Detection of Pyrazinamide Resistance and Heteroresistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Pyrazinamide is an important component of both drug-susceptible and drug-resistant tuberculosis treatment regimens. Although approximately 50% of rifampin-resistant isolates are also resistant to pyrazinamide, pyrazinamide susceptibility testing is not routinely performed due to the challenging nature of the assay. ABSTRACT Pyrazinamide is an important component of both drug-susceptible and drug-resistant tuberculosis treatment regimens. Although approximately 50% of rifampin-resistant isolates are also resistant to pyrazinamide, pyrazinamide susceptibility testing is not routinely performed due to the challenging nature of the assay. We investigated the diagnostic accuracy of genotypic and phenotypic methods and explored the occurrence of pyrazinamide heteroresistance. We assessed pyrazinamide susceptibility among 358 individuals enrolled in the South African EXIT-RIF cohort using Sanger and targeted deep sequencing (TDS) of the pncA gene, whole-genome sequencing (WGS), and phenotypic drug susceptibility testing. We calculated the diagnostic accuracy of the different methods and investigated the prevalence and clinical impact of pncA heteroresistance. True pyrazinamide susceptibility status was assigned to each isolate using the Köser classification and expert rules. We observed 100% agreement across genotypic methods for detection of pncA fixed mutations; only TDS confidently identified three isolates (0.8%) with minor variants. For the 355 (99.2%) isolates that could be assigned true pyrazinamide status with confidence, phenotypic DST had a sensitivity of 96.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 93.8 to 99.3%) and specificity of 100% (95% CI, 100 to 100%), both Sanger sequencing and WGS had a sensitivity of 97.1% (95% CI, 94.6 to 99.6%) and specificity of 97.8% (95% CI, 95.7 to 99.9%), and TDS had sensitivity of 98.8% (95% CI, 97.2 to 100%) and specificity of 97.8% (95% CI, 95.7 to 99.9%). We demonstrate high sensitivity and specificity for pyrazinamide susceptibility testing among all assessed genotypic methods. The prevalence of pyrazinamide heteroresistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates was lower than that identified for other first-line drugs.
Predicting miRNA-Disease Association Based on Improved Graph Regression

Recently, as a growing number of associations between microRNAs (miRNAs) and diseases are discovered, researchers gradually realize that miRNAs are closely related to several complicated biological processes and human diseases. Hence, it is especially important to construct availably models to infer associations between miRNAs and diseases. In this study, we presented Improved Graph Regression for miRNA-Disease Association Prediction (IGRMDA) to observe potential relationship between miRNAs and diseases. In order to reduce the inherent noise existing in the acquired biological datasets, we utilized matrix decomposition algorithm to process miRNA functional similarity and disease semantic similarity and then combining them with existing similarity information to obtain final miRNA similarity data and disease similarity data. Then, we applied miRNA-disease association data, miRNA similarity data and disease similarity data to form corresponding latent spaces. Furthermore, we performed improved graph regression algorithm in latent spaces, which included miRNA-disease association space, miRNA similarity space and disease similarity space. Non-negative matrix factorization and partial least squares were used in the graph regression process to obtain important related attributes. The cross validation experiments and case studies were also implemented to prove the effectiveness of IGRMDA, which showed that IGRMDA could predict potential associations between miRNAs and diseases.
Learning to teleoperate an upper-limb assistive humanoid robot for bimanual daily-living tasks

Objective. Bimanual humanoid platforms for home assistance are nowadays available, both as academic prototypes and commercially. Although they are usually thought of as daily helpers for non-disabled users, their ability to move around, together with their dexterity, makes them ideal assistive devices for upper-limb disabled persons, too. Indeed, teleoperating a bimanual robotic platform via muscle activation could revolutionize the way stroke survivors, amputees and patients with spinal injuries solve their daily home chores. Moreover, with respect to direct prosthetic control, teleoperation has the advantage of freeing the user from the burden of the prosthesis itself, overpassing several limitations regarding size, weight, or integration, and thus enables a much higher level of functionality. Approach. In this study, nine participants, two of whom suffer from severe upper-limb disabilities, teleoperated a humanoid assistive platform, performing complex bimanual tasks requiring high precision and bilateral arm/hand coordination, simulating home/office chores. A wearable body posture tracker was used for position control of the robotic torso and arms, while interactive machine learning applied to electromyography of the forearms helped the robot to build an increasingly accurate model of the participant’s intent over time. Main results. All participants, irrespective of their disability, were uniformly able to perform the demanded tasks. Completion times, subjective evaluation scores, as well as energy- and time- efficiency show improvement over time on short and long term. Significance. This is the first time a hybrid setup, involving myoeletric and inertial measurements, is used by disabled people to teleoperate a bimanual humanoid robot. The proposed setup, taking advantage of interactive machine learning, is simple, non-invasive, and offers a new assistive solution for disabled people in their home environment. Additionnally, it has the potential of being used in several other applications in which fine humanoid robot control is required.
Role of New and Renewable Energies in Future Energy Systems

World energy demand and production are certain to increase in the foreseeable future. In the Developing Countries, growth will be faster than in the industrialized countries. The energy growth will be linked to population increases in the Developing Countries and further economic development throughout the world. On a global scale there are enough conventional energy sources for centuries to come to meet the increasing demand. However, there are several challenges tying ahead. Firstly the energy sector is encountering difficulties because increased production and consumption levels entail higher levels of pollution and eventually climatic changes, with possibly disastrous consequences. Secondly, it is important to secure energy at acceptable cost and prices to avoid negative impacts on economic growth. The criteria for assessing the actual cost of energy are in each case the fuel cycle cost, i.e. the total cost to society rather than just the market price. Thirdly, there is the dimension of social ethics.
Thymol and carvacrol supplementation in poultry health and performance

Abstract Background Thymol and carvacrol as natural essential oils and phenol compounds are components derived from some medicinal plants, such as thyme and oregano species. Objectives The increasing demands in organic and healthy meat and egg consumption in human society have made it necessary to consider alternative natural compounds for the replacement of chemical compounds in poultry production. The chemical compounds can remain in meat and eggs and cause complications in human health. Therefore, these natural compounds can be fed with a higher safety in poultry production with specific effects. In this regard, the role of thymol and carvacrol as natural compounds in the poultry production has been discussed in the review. Methods In this study, by searching for keywords related to thymol and carvacrol in poultry production in Google Scholar database, the articles related to different aspects of the biological effects of these two phytogenes in poultry production were selected and analyzed. Results A review of previous studies has shown that thymol and carvacrol possess a wide range of biological activities, including antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, modulating of immunity response and regulating of the gut microbial population. Also, in meat type chickens can promote growth and influence feed utilization. The beneficial effect of this compound was evaluated in hepatic toxicity and demonstrated as a hepatoprotective compound in chickens. Furthermore, these compounds can affect the behavior of layers and influence egg composition, eggshell thickness, and the sensory quality of eggs. Conclusion It seems that with the increasing demand for healthy protein products, these compounds can be used to improve performance as a substitute alternative for chemical compounds in healthy poultry farms.
Iron deficiency and high-intensity running interval training do not impact femoral or tibial bone in young female rats

Abstract In the USA, as many as 20 % of recruits sustain stress fractures during basic training. In addition, approximately one-third of female recruits develop Fe deficiency upon completion of training. Fe is a cofactor in bone collagen formation and vitamin D activation, thus we hypothesised Fe deficiency may be contributing to altered bone microarchitecture and mechanics during 12-weeks of increased mechanical loading. Three-week old female Sprague Dawley rats were assigned to one of four groups: Fe-adequate sedentary, Fe-deficient sedentary, Fe-adequate exercise and Fe-deficient exercise. Exercise consisted of high-intensity treadmill running (54 min 3×/week). After 12-weeks, serum bone turnover markers, femoral geometry and microarchitecture, mechanical properties and fracture toughness and tibiae mineral composition and morphometry were measured. Fe deficiency increased the bone resorption markers C-terminal telopeptide type I collagen and tartate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b (TRAcP 5b). In exercised rats, Fe deficiency further increased bone TRAcP 5b, while in Fe-adequate rats, exercise increased the bone formation marker procollagen type I N-terminal propeptide. In the femur, exercise increased cortical thickness and maximum load. In the tibia, Fe deficiency increased the rate of bone formation, mineral apposition and Zn content. These data show that the femur and tibia structure and mechanical properties are not negatively impacted by Fe deficiency despite a decrease in tibiae Fe content and increase in serum bone resorption markers during 12-weeks of high-intensity running in young growing female rats.
Skeletal muscle‐adipose cocultured tissue fabricated using cell‐laden microfibers and a hydrogel sheet

The emerging interest in skeletal muscle tissue originates from its unique properties that control body movements. In particular, recent research advances in engineered skeletal muscle tissue have broadened the possibilities of applications in nonclinical models. However, due to the lack of adipose tissue, current engineered skeletal muscle tissue has the limitation of satisfying in vivo‐like position and proportion of intermuscular fat. Adipose tissue within the skeletal muscle affects their functional properties. Here, a fabrication method for cocultured tissue composed of skeletal muscle and adipose tissues is proposed to reproduce the functional and morphological characteristics of muscle. By implementing prematured adipose microfibers in a myoblast‐laden hydrogel sheet, both the accumulation of large lipid droplets and control of the position of adipose tissue within the skeletal muscle tissue becomes feasible. The findings of this study provide helpful information regarding engineered skeletal muscle, which has strong potential in drug screening models.
Ergonomics, human factors, engineering, and gerontechnology: From ´accommodation´ to robust design

Human factors engineering, also known as ergonomics, is a broad field focused on the fit between people, tools, tasks, and environments. Traditional approaches to solving ergonomics problems have focused on 'normal' populations. There are several reasons, including diversity of the older age group, why this approach is flawed when dealing with older adults. Robust engineering techniques from the broader field of engineering hold promise for coming up with design solutions that will benefit older and younger people alike.
A systolic array processor for MVDR beamforming

The authors describe a novel systolic array which can efficiently compute the minimum variance distortionless response (MVDR) from an array of antenna receiver elements in a rapidly changing signal environment. The MVDR beamforming problem amounts to minimising, in a least squares sense, the combined output from an antenna array subject to K independent linear equality constraints each of which corresponds to a chosen 'look direction' The constraints are independent in the sense that, for each new vector of received data samples, it is necessary to compute the minimum array output subject to each constraint in turn. This involves the solution of K independent, but closely related, least squares minimisation problems.
Diagnosis of Bearing Faults of Induction Motors by Spectral Analysis of Stator Currents

The article is dedicated to investigate possibility of diagnostics bearing faults of induction motors by stator currents analysis. The main features of stator currents analysis are studied. The possibility of identifying air-gap eccentricity due to the working with damaged bearings by stator currents investigating is revealed. The recommendations of monitoring and configuration of a proper diagnosis of induction motor are provided.
Low noise W-band phase locked loops

The paper describes the problem of high stablity and low phase noise of a millimeter wave source by use of a phase locked loop. The phase noise of a MM-wave PLL source is L(1kHz)<-75 dBc/Hz, when carrier is 92.7 GHz. Spurious is lower than -55 dBc and the output power is higher than 10 dBm.
Reliability of pressure contacted intelligent integrated power modules

The pressure contact concept offers new opportunities for an advanced power module package technology. It is flexible with respect to the substrate size or material and it enables progress in system architecture by integration of intelligence and additional functions. The reliability of the pressure contact module is superior to the state-of-the-art base plate module. The load cycle lifetime exceeds the data known for base plate modules and improves the predictability due to a defined end-of-life limit.
How Did Safety-Net Reform Affect Early Adulthood among Adolescents from Low-Income Families?

In the 1990s, the US safety net was substantially reformed. We ask how those reforms collectively affected early-career outcomes among youths who were teens when the reforms took effect. We consider employment, safety-net participation, marriage, and childbearing between the ages of 18 and 32. We take a difference-in-difference approach, tracking adolescents from two generations roughly 20 years apart. In each generation, we compare two groups, one of which was more likely to have been affected by safety-net reform than the other. We find evidence that safety-net reform increased women’s labor supply and decreased marriage.
Workload Warriors: Lessons Learned from a Decade of Mental Workload Prediction Using Human Performance Modeling

For at least a decade, researchers at the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) have predicted mental workload using human performance modeling (HPM) tools, primarily IMPRINT. During this timeframe their projects have matured from simple models of human behavior to complex analyses of the interactions of system design and human behavior. As part of this maturation process, the researchers learned: 1) to develop a modeling question that incorporates all aspects of workload, 2) to determine when workload is most likely to affect performance, 3) to build multiple models to represent experimental conditions, 4) to connect performance predictions to an overall mission or system capability, and 5) to format results in a clear, concise format. By implementing the techniques they developed from these lessons learned, the researchers have had an impact on major Army programs with their workload predictions. Specifically, they have successfully changed design requirements for future concept Army vehicles, substantiated manpower requirements for fielded Army vehicles, and made Soldier workload the number one item during preliminary design review for a major Army future concept vehicle program. The effective techniques the ARL researchers developed for their IMPRINT projects are applicable to other HPM tools. In addition, they can be used by students and researchers who are doing human performance modeling projects and are confronted with similar problems to help them achieve project success.
ENHANCED IMC-PID CONTROLLER DESIGN WITH LEAD-LAG FILTER FOR UNSTABLE AND INTEGRATING PROCESSES WITH TIME DELAY

In this article, a design method for a PID controller is proposed based on IMC principles for control of open loop integrating and unstable first-order processes with time delay. The design is based on H2 optimal closed-loop transfer function for set point changes and step input disturbances. The method has one tuning parameter, and systematic guidelines are provided for the selection of this tuning parameter based on peak value of the sensitivity function. The performance of the designed controller is verified on various integrating and unstable processes, and it is observed that nominal and robust control performance is achieved with the proposed design method. Improved closed-loop performance was obtained when compared to other methods recently reported in the literature. Further, the proposed method provides good closed-loop performance even when there are large uncertainties in the process parameters.
Early and late signals of unexpected reward contribute to low extraversion and high disinhibition, respectively

Abstract Like socio-economic status and cognitive abilities, personality traits predict important life outcomes. Traits that reflect unusually low or high approach motivations, such as low extraversion and high disinhibition, are linked to various forms of mental disorder. Similarly, the dopamine system is theoretically linked to approach motivation traits and to various forms of mental disorder. Identifying neural contributions to extremes of such traits should map to neural sources of psychopathology, with dopamine a prime candidate. Notably, dopamine cells fire in response to unexpected reward, which suggests that the size of non-invasive, scalp-recorded potentials evoked by unexpected reward could reflect sensitivity in approach motivation traits. Here, we evaluated the validity of evoked electroencephalography (EEG) responses to unexpected reward in a monetary gain/loss task to assess approach motivation traits in 137 participants, oversampled for externalizing psychopathology symptoms. We demonstrated that over the 0–400 ms period in which feedback on the outcome was presented, responses evoked by unexpected reward contributed to all theoretically relevant approach motivation trait domains (disinhibition, extraversion and the behavioural activation system); and did so only at times when dopamine responses normally peak and reportedly code salience (70–100 ms) and valuation (200–300 ms). In particular, we linked “dopaminergic” salience and valuation to the psychopathology-related constructs of low extraversion (social anxiety) and high disinhibition (impulsivity) respectively, making the evoked potential components biomarker candidates for indexing aberrant processing of unexpected reward.
Large-scale identification of RBP-RNA interactions by RAPseq refines essentials of post-transcriptional gene regulation

Over the past decade, thousands of putative human RNA binding proteins (RBPs) have been identified and increased the demand for specifying RNA binding capacities. Here, we developed RNA affinity purification followed by sequencing (RAPseq) that enables in vitro large-scale profiling of RBP binding to native RNAs. First, by employing RAPseq, we found that vertebrate HURs recognize a conserved RNA binding motif and bind predominantly to introns in zebrafish compared to 3’UTRs in human RNAs. Second, our dual RBP assays (co-RAPseq) uncovered cooperative RNA binding of HUR and PTBP1 within an optimal distance of 27 nucleotides. Third, we developed T7-RAPseq to discern m6A-dependent and - independent RNA binding sites of YTHDF1. Fourth, RAPseq of 26 novel non-canonical RBPs revealed specialized moonlighting interactions. Last, five pathological IGF2BP family variants exhibited different RNA binding patterns. Overall, our simple, scalable and versatile method enables to fast-forward RBP-related questions. Graphical Abstract HIGHLIGHTS RAPseq reveals in vitro-derived RBP-RNA interactomes the vertebrate-conserved HUR binding motif adapted to species-unique RNA features co-RAPseq and T7-RAPseq uncover binding cooperativity and modification dependencies non-canonical RBPs have specialized RNA interactomes
Structural Basis for Mis18 Complex Assembly: Implications for Centromere Maintenance

The centromere, defined by the enrichment of CENP-A (a Histone H3 variant) containing nucleosomes, is a specialised chromosomal locus that acts as a microtubule attachment site. To preserve centromere identity, CENP-A levels must be maintained through active CENP-A loading during the cell cycle. A central player mediating this process is the Mis18 complex (Mis18α, Mis18ý and Mis18BP1), which recruits the CENP-A specific chaperone HJURP to centromeres for CENP-A deposition. Here, using a multi-pronged approach, we characterise the structure of the Mis18 complex and show that multiple hetero- and homo-oligomeric interfaces facilitate the hetero-octameric Mis18 complex assembly composed of 4 Mis18α, 2 Mis18ý and 2 Mis18BP1. Evaluation of structure-guided/separation-of-function mutants reveals structural determinants essential for Mis18 complex assembly and centromere maintenance. Our results provide new mechanistic insights on centromere maintenance, highlighting that while Mis18α can associate with centromeres and deposit CENP-A independently of Mis18ý, the latter is indispensable for the optimal level of CENP-A loading required for preserving the centromere identity.