Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Minimum Number of Good (Healthy) Porcelain or Glass Insulator Units in a String for Live Work

This paper deals with the matters that impact the dielectric status of porcelain and glass insulators in a string containing broken and/or defective units that will be exposed to switching overvoltage. Flashover voltages are shown to depend on the position and number of defective units in the string. Complete understanding of all aspects of these issues is essential prior to working on a string of insulators containing defective units. Definitions of insulator defects are proposed for the special application to live working.
Vehicle Association and Tracking in Image Sequences Using Feature-Based Similarity Comparison

Object association and tracking have attracted great attention in the computer vision. In this paper, we present an object association and tracking method for monitoring multiple vehicles on the road based on objects' visual features and the similarity comparison between them. First, we identify vehicles using the difference operation between the current frame in CCTV image sequences and the referential images that are stored in a database, and then extract various features from the vehicles identified. Finally, we associate the objects in the current frame with those in the next frames using similarity comparison, and track multiple objects over a sequence of CCTV image frames. Empirical study using CCTV images shows that our method has achieved the considerable effectiveness in tracking vehicles on the road.
Coronary ostial assessment of myeloperoxidase level correlated to severity of coronary artery disease

Background: Myeloperoxidase participates in proatherogenic biological activities related to the evolution of cardiovascular disease including initiation, propagation, and acute complications of atherosclerotic process. Aim of study: We aimed to identify the relationship between myeloperoxidase (MPO) level at the ostium of coronary arteries and severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) . Methods: Our study population was divided into two groups: group A and B. Group A included 43 patients with non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) who underwent coronary angiography. Group B included 43 subjects free from CAD as proved by stress ECG or stress thallium study. MPO level was assessed by coronary osteal sampling of CAD group and peripheral venous sampling of both groups. The severity of CAD was studied using the Gensini & CASS scores. Results: There was a signifi cant difference in MPO level between both groups (p = 0.002) . Serum MPO was correlated to coronary artery disease as evaluated using Gensini score (p = 0.002) & CASS score (p = 0.05). Peripheral venous sample of MPO correlated with coronary osteal samples in CAD group. Conclusions: Serum MPO was correlated to severity of coronary artery disease. The peripheral venous level of MPO refl ected the osteal coronary levels of MPO. Coronary ostium is a simple, accessible and reliable site for coronary sampling. Klíčová slova: Akutní koronární syndrom Myeloperoxidáza Skórovací systém Gensini Vzorky krve z koronárních tepen
Performance characterization of a silicon strip detector for spectral computed tomography utilizing a laser testing system

A new silicon strip detector with sub-millimeter pixel size operated in single photon-counting mode has been developed for use in spectral computed tomography (CT). An ultra fast application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) specially designed for fast photon-counting application is used to process the pulses and sort them into eight energy bins. This report characterizes the ASIC and detector in terms of thermal noise (0.77 keV RMS), energy resolution when electron-hole pairs are generated in the detector diode (1.5 keV RMS) and Poissonian count rate with retained count rate linearity and energy resolution (200 Mcps•mm-2). The performance of the photon-counting detector has been tested using a picosecond pulsed laser system to inject energy into the detector, simulating x-ray interactions. The laser testing results indicate a good energy-discriminating capability of the detector, assigning the pulses to higher and higher energy bins as the intensity of the laser pulses are increased.
Diversity Variation of Silica-Scaled Chrysophytes Related to Differences in Physicochemical Variables in Estuaries of Rivers in an Arctic Watershed

The present study examined the taxonomic diversity of silica-scaled chrysophytes in the estuaries of the Arctic watershed of Yakutia in the context of global climate change, as these aquatic organisms are highly sensitive to environmental changes. Previously, 41 species of silica-scaled chrysophytes were recorded in the waters of Yakutia. In the present study, we supplemented this list with 55 species. We observed a high species richness (82 taxa) of silica-scaled chrysophytes in the study area. Of these, eight species were recorded in the waters of Russia for the first time. At present, the study area represents the northernmost habitat for most species observed during the study. The diversity of silica-scaled chrysophytes in Arctic rivers is comparable to or even greater than the diversity of chrysophycean flora at the middle latitudes. Most of these chrysophytes are represented by polyzonal and ubiquitous species. During 2008–2010, we noted increased relative numbers of boreal species in northern waters compared with data obtained during the previous 30 years. Overall, the species richness of silica-scaled chrysophytes in the studied rivers increased with increase in water transparency, temperature, and magnesium ion concentration, but decreased with increase in surfactant concentration. The origin of samples from a certain river; distance of the sampling site from the estuary; water temperature, transparency, and colour; and concentration of carbon dioxide, magnesium ions, total iron, surfactants, and oil products affect the species composition of silica-scaled chrysophytes in the study area. Our findings are fundamental to evaluate the current status of Arctic aquatic microflora and its further monitoring in the context of anthropogenic and climatic impacts.
Cigarette Smoking and Schizophrenia: Etiology, Clinical, Pharmacological, and Treatment Implications

Recent data suggests that the prevalence of smoking in schizophrenia remains high. While reports suggest that smoking increases the risk of developing schizophrenia, the potential causative role of smoking in this relationship needs further investigation. Smokers with schizophrenia are more likely to have more intense positive symptoms and lower cognitive function, but diminished intensity of extrapyramidal side effects than nonsmoking patients with schizophrenia. They were also more likely to exhibit aggressive behaviour compared to nonsmokers, which could suggest higher levels of baseline aggression. The significant cost associated with regular tobacco expenditure can detract from investment in key domains. Large-scale trials have shown that pharmacotherapy for smoking cessation is effective and does not worsen the risk of developing neuropsychiatric symptoms compared to placebo. Electronic cigarette use among schizophrenia patients is high, and there is emerging evidence supportive of its efficacy. Future improvements include large-scale trials assessing the utility, efficacy, and safety of electronic cigarettes in schizophrenia patients.
Environmental sustainability: a value cycle research agenda

This article considers how adopting an environmentally sustainable agenda impacts on the management of an organisation's supply chain and highlights areas for future research. The article argues that the current fragmented/functional approach to sustainability and the conceptualisation of the supply chain as a bounded unidirectional flow of value does not provide the holistic approach that is required to meet the sustainability needs of tomorrow's business. A value cycle paradigm that facilitates the development of a multi-disciplinary research approach is developed and used to examine the extant literature for the principal issues that will need to be addressed. Future research concerned with developing environmentally sustainable business models must focus on the identification and management of the information flows at the interfaces between the customer, marketing, design, operations, logistics and external agents in the supply network. New networks required to support more sustainable forms of consumption will necessitate a fundamental reassessment of how and where value is added, consumed and recovered. In contemporary businesses, environmental sustainability is becoming a strategically important objective requiring holistic multi-disciplinary approaches. The extent to which the sustainability agenda extends conventional business models is demonstrated providing insights into areas of the value cycle that require further research.
Parameters in Bridge Restrainer Design for Seismic Retrofit

The primary objective of this study was to determine the effects of changing (1) the cross-sectional area of restrainers; and (2) the restrainer gap on the nonlinear seismic response of a representative bridge with several hinges. The computer program NEABS-86 was used in the nonlinear analyses. The focus of the study was the relative displacements at the hinges, restrainer stresses, and abutment forces. The input earthquake, the number of restrainers at each hinge, the restrainer gap, and the hinge gap were varied. It was found that restrainer forces can become critical in cold weather, when the restrainer gap is minimum. It is recommended that the design should be based on cases with and without restrainer gaps to encompass all the critical forces, stresses, and displacements.
Vardenafil Activity in Lung Fibrosis and In Vitro Synergy with Nintedanib

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) remains an intractably fatal disorder, despite the recent advent of anti-fibrotic medication. Successful treatment of IPF, like many chronic diseases, may benefit from the concurrent use of multiple agents that exhibit synergistic benefit. In this light, phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5-Is), have been studied in IPF primarily for their established pulmonary vascular effects. However, recent data suggest certain PDE5-Is, particularly vardenafil, may also reduce transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) activation and extracellular matrix (ECM) accumulation, making them a potential target for therapy for IPF. We evaluated fibroblast TGF-β1-driven extracellular matrix (ECM) generation and signaling as well as epithelial mesenchymal transformation (EMT) with pretreatment using the PDE5-I vardenafil. In addition, combinations of vardenafil and nintedanib were evaluated for synergistic suppression of EMC using a fibronectin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Finally, the effects of vardenafil on fibrosis were investigated in a bleomycin mouse model. Our findings demonstrate that vardenafil suppresses ECM generation alone and also exhibits significant synergistic suppression of ECM in combination with nintedanib in vitro. Interestingly, vardenafil was shown to improve fibrosis markers and increase survival in bleomycin-treated mice. Vardenafil may represent a potential treatment for IPF alone or in combination with nintedanib. However, additional studies will be required.
A Proportional Analysis on Mobile Agent and Modified Tabu Search Algorithm for Routing in Wireless Adhoc Networks

This Effective transmission of information is done by using efficient routing. The quality constraints have increased due to the variety of applications involved. This has paved the way for quality aware routing. While in the case of wireless networks, the requirements add up more, because it becomes mandatory that we maintain an updated network structure for efficient routing. This paper provides various methods that perform efficient topology discovery and route formulation, along with route maintenance. A new approach called Modified tabu search is proposed and compared with existing Mobile Agent approach. Both the methods are compared with each other by using the parameters such as drop rate, velocity (m/s), Packet Delivery Ratio and Total Over head. The experimental analysis of both the techniques implies that the proposed techniques overtook the Mobile Agent in all the terms.
Scarce fire activity in north and north-western Amazonian forests during the last 10,000 years

ABSTRACT Background Fire is known to affect forest biodiversity, carbon storage, and public health today; however, comparable fire histories from across forest regions in Amazonia are lacking. Consequently, the degree to which past fires could have preconditioned modern forest resilience to fire remains unknown. Aim We characterised the long-term (multi-millennial) fire history of forests in Amazonia to determine spatial and temporal differences in fire regimes. Methods We collated and standardised all available charcoal data extracted from continuously deposited lake sediments (n = 31) to reconstruct a ca. 10,000-year fire history for: (i) north and north-western, (ii) south-western, and (iii) eastern parts of Amazonia. Results Charcoal was found across Amazonia, but it was less abundant in the north and north-western regions. Regionally distinct periods of elevated charcoal deposition were identified at between ca. 4000 and 1500 (eastern), 3000–1000 (south-western) and 2500–2000 (north and north-western) years ago. Conclusions Forests in eastern and south-western Amazonia have been exposed to fire activity over recent millennia, while the forests in north and north-western Amazonia have grown under conditions largely free of fire activity. Consequently, we hypothesise that the forests in eastern and south-western Amazonia are preconditioned to be relatively more resilient to the threat of increased modern fire activity.
N-terminal prohormone B-type natriuretic peptide variability acts as a predictor of poor prognosis in patients with cardiorenal syndrome type 2

ABSTRACT This study aims to explore the effect of N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) variability (mean absolute difference of the log2 NT-proBNP level measured in hospital) on the prognosis of patients with cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) type 2. Patients with CRS type 2 were retrospectively included. The varied NT-proBNP indications were analyzed. They were NT-proBNP I(pre-treatment), NT-proBNP II(post-treatment), NT-proBNP II/I, ΔNT-proBNP, log2 (NT-proBNP) variability and mean log2 (NT-proBNP). A logistic regression model and survival curves (Kaplan–Meier analysis) were built to identify independent predictors associated with poor prognosis. The primary outcomes were major adverse renal and cardiac events. The secondary outcome was all-cause mortality. From 2012 to 2016, 136 patients were included in this study with 69 (50.7%) had high log2 (NT-proBNP) variability level. The optimal cutoff level for each NT-proBNP indication that predicts poor prognosis was calculated, and the area under curves ranged from 0.668 to 0.891 with different indications. Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed that there was significantly correlated with prevalence of primary outcomes and NT-proBNP variability. The hazard ratios (HRs) ranged from 1.67 to 6.61 with different indications. The multivariate regression analyses also identified the risk of the primary outcomes were associated with elevated NT-proBNP values, except NT-proBNP I. The odds ratio (ORs) ranged from 1.83 to 6.61 with different indications. When analyzing the relationship between NT-proBNP variability and all-cause mortality, the results were the same. NT-proBNP variability might serve as an independent predictor for poor prognosis and all-cause mortality in patients with CRS type 2.
Diastolic Cardiac Function by MRI—Imaging Capabilities and Clinical Applications

Most cardiac studies focus on evaluating left ventricular (LV) systolic function. However, the assessment of diastolic cardiac function is becoming more appreciated, especially with the increasing prevalence of pathologies associated with diastolic dysfunction like heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Diastolic dysfunction is an indication of abnormal mechanical properties of the myocardium, characterized by slow or delayed myocardial relaxation, abnormal LV distensibility, and/or impaired LV filling. Diastolic dysfunction has been shown to be associated with age and other cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension and diabetes mellitus. In this context, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has the capability for differentiating between normal and abnormal myocardial relaxation patterns, and therefore offers the prospect of early detection of diastolic dysfunction. Although diastolic cardiac function can be assessed from the ratio between early and atrial filling peaks (E/A ratio), measuring different parameters of heart contractility during diastole allows for evaluating spatial and temporal patterns of cardiac function with the potential for illustrating subtle changes related to age, gender, or other differences among different patient populations. In this article, we review different MRI techniques for evaluating diastolic function along with clinical applications and findings in different heart diseases.
TERRITORIAL COHESION OF MUNICIPALITIES IN POLAND IN 2005-2017 IN TERMS OF SYNTHETIC MEASURE, IN THE CONTEXT OF CONVERGENCE 
AND SPATIAL CLUSTERING

The concept of territorial cohesion has gained importance in the context of the development of the European Union’s regional policy, but definitions of the concept vary enormously. The article uses the concept of spatial development supporting economic and social aspects of cohesion and, on this basis, constructs a multidimensional index of territorial cohesion based on five dimensions (economic, demographic, infrastructural in two approaches and environmental) of the phenomenon. The measure was applied to the total population of municipalities (2175) in rural areas in Poland in the years 2005-2017. The aim of the study was to assess the territorial cohesion of municipalities in Poland in static and dynamic terms and use econometric tools to identify the potential convergence of cohesion and determine the effect of “catching up”, according to Jeffrey G. Williamson [1965], where municipalities with a higher level of cohesion are followed by municipalities with a lower level. The results of previous studies conducted at different regional levels indicate an increase in income polarization in rural areas and the creation of islands of convergence, where the regions with the highest and lowest wealth become similar intra-group but not inter-group. The results indicate a decrease in relative territorial cohesion in rural areas in Poland in 2005-2017 at a municipality level and a tendency to the formation of spatial clusters of entities with similar levels of the characteristic. They do not allow to confirm the view of convergence of cohesion between entities with different levels of the characteristic.
Comparative Assessment of the Impact of Electricity Consumption in Different Economic Sectors on the Economic Development of the EU Member States

Recently, the Member States of the European Union (EU) have found themselves in a controversial situation. On the one hand, national economic development is barely possible without increasing electricity consumption, whereas on the other we are facing increased use of natural resources (coal, oil, gas, wood), thermal effects, pollution and risks to human health. The European Green Deal is a response to the currently observed negative trends. The strategy aims to accelerate the economic development of the EU Member States, thus reducing electricity consumption. Objectives may include both the national economy and the electricity generation sector by applying advanced technologies and introducing innovations that increase output efficiency while reducing electricity costs. Assessing the current situation is vital for the successful implementation of the European Green Deal, i.e., by comparing the impact of electricity consumption on the economic development of the Member States. Thus, combining indicators for national economic development and the extent of electricity consumption into a single aggregate is necessary because electricity greatly affects economic development. The proposed methodology allows dividing the analysed EU Member States into three groups, in line with the degree of national economic development and the scope of electricity consumption in their economy sectors.
See and Avoid Using Onboard Computer Vision

The integration of unmanned aircraft into civil airspace is a complex issue. One key question is whether unmanned aircraft can operate just as safely as their manned counterparts. The absence of a human pilot in unmanned aircraft automatically points to a deficiency that is the lack of an inherent see-and-avoid capability. To date, regulators have mandated that an “equivalent level of safety” be demonstrated before UAVs are permitted to routinely operate in civil airspace. This chapter proposes techniques, methods, and hardware integrations that describe a “sense-and-avoid” system designed to address the lack of a see-and-avoid capability in UAVs.
New micromachined interdigital coplanar waveguide

A novel interdigital coplanar waveguide (CPW) has been designed and fabricated and its characteristics have been studied as a function of transmission line parameters. In this interdigital CPW, the ground conductors are thickened by micromachining techniques, which are helpful for reducing the interference between the adjacent parallel sections of center conductor. Within the frequency range from 5 to 20 GHz, the return loss of this structure has two minimal values whose positions change with the structural parameters. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 49: 1007–1010, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.22336
Evaluating the Friction Characteristics of Pavement Surface for Major Arterial Road

The performance of the pavement in terms of vehicle safety and tire wear is affected by the friction behavior of the pavement. To highlight the main characteristics that affect the production of better friction resistance of the pavement surface in this work. The micro-texture and macro-texture of the asphalt surface of Baghdad Airport highway were studied using two methods: (sand patch method and the British pendulum test). The sand patch was examined by drawing sand grains of a specific volume, while the micro-texture was analyzed using a BPT under dry and wet surface conditions. All data obtained from the two examinations were analyzed and modelled statistically using SPSS 25 software. Results show that skid resistance of pavement surface increase with the increase of MTD, this increase may be due to the increase of coarse aggregate which lead to increase the roughness of the pavement surface, this increase ranged between (96 - 91%). MTD decreases with the increase of traffic flow due to the friction between the road surface and the vehicle tires leading to increase of smoothness of the road surface. This is mean that MTD is highly affected by the traffic flow and this effectiveness ranged between (84-97%). Skid resistance also is highly affected by the traffic flow with an effectiveness ranged between (81-94%) for both pavement conditions. According to the regression analysis for friction and other parameters, it can be concluded that surface friction values are highly affected by cumulative traffic (asphalt mix deterioration) over time. Doi: 10.28991/cej-2021-03091775 Full Text: PDF