Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
NT-Pro Brain Natriuretic Peptide: Is it a New Indicator of Brain Oedema?

Objective To assess the role of the N-terminal prohormone form of brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in patients with acute brain oedema. Methods This is a case control study. Twenty-two patients with acute brain oedema evidenced by computed tomography (CT) were recruited and compared to a control group of 30 healthy adult volunteers. Levels of NT-proBNP were measured in all patients at hospital admission and on the 12th and 24th hours after admission; as well as in a control group of 30 healthy blood donors. Results Twenty-two patients with brain oedema and 30 controls were included. There were significant differences between the brain oedema group and the control group on the NT-proBNP levels at admission time, on 12th or 24th hours after admission. There was no significant difference in NT-proBNP levels at admission time with the severity of brain oedema evidenced by CT. When we considered the relationship between mannitol usage and NT-proBNP levels, we found a significant difference between brain oedema severity and NT-proBNP level according to brain oedema severity after anti-oedema treatment, for 12th and 24th hours NT-proBNP levels. Conclusions There is a possible association between brain oedema and elevated serum NT-proBNP levels. (Hong Kong j.emerg.med. 2014;21:167-171)
The Effect of Paternalistic Leadership Perception on Employee Silence

In this study, information about the concepts of paternalist leadership and employee silence is presented and the perspectives of the employees of the organization on paternalist leadership, whether there is a significant relationship between employee silence and paternalist leadership in organizations where the perception of paternalist leadership is dominant, has been examined. In this direction, it is aimed to reveal whether there is a relationship between the paternalistic leadership perception of administrative personnel working in higher education institutions and employee silence. The universe of the research carried out in the relational scanning model; The personnel working in the administrative staff at Yozgat Bozok University are the sample of the research; They are the administrative staff of Yozgat Bozok University, which consists of 382 people. The data obtained in the research were collected by the survey method. In organizations managed with a paternalistic leadership perception, the behavior of the employees is examined closely and it is investigated whether there is any interaction. As a result, it is understood that, in general, the sub-dimension of creating a family atmosphere in the workplace has a low level of negative relationship with other dimensions, and a low level of positive relationship between each other in other sub-dimensions between paternalistic leadership and employee silence levels.
Study of Coupler's Effect in Third Harmonic Section of LCLS-II SC Linac

The Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) is an X-ray Free Electron Laser (FEL) facility. The proposed upgrade of the LCLS facility is based on construction of 4 GeV superconducting (SC) linac which will use two stage bunch compression scheme to achieve ultra-short bunches with high peak current. In order to reduce non-linear effects in the first bunch compressor, third harmonic section is utilized to linearize longitudinal phase space of the beam. However, transverse phase space of beam may get distorted due to coupler RF kicks and coupler wake kicks resulting from the rotational asymmetry of 3.9 GHz cavity in presence of power and higher order modes (HOMs) coupler. In this paper, we discuss coupler's effects and analyse resulting emittance dilution in third harmonic section. Local compensation of coupler kicks using different orientations of cavities is also addressed.
Control of active lower limb prosthesis using human-in-the-loop scheme

Abstract In many cases robots are directly in touch with humans, this interaction is necessary to design control systems that take into account a human-machine relation. Particularly important is the case when humans share the control with a robot. So, in order to validate control schemes, it is necessary to test them in an environment where the human-machine interaction exists, what could be even dangerous for humans. We present a model of human useful to test controllers, and propose a scheme for human-in-the-loop under shared control. We test the model and the scheme in a lower limb prosthesis that implies naturally a human-machine interaction. Apart from this research, we propose an efficient and low-cost controller for the prosthesis, based on a sensory exoextension and a neuro-decoder consisting of a multilayer perceptrons. The results show the effectiveness of human model to emulate the human interaction.
Fish Hydrolysate Supplementation Prevents Stress-Induced Dysregulation of Hippocampal Proteins Relative to Mitochondrial Metabolism and the Neuronal Network in Mice

Over the past several decades, stress has dramatically increased in occidental societies. The use of natural resources, such as fish hydrolysates, may be an attractive strategy to improve stress management. Our previous study demonstrated the anxiolytic effects of fish hydrolysate supplementation in mice exposed to acute mild stress by limiting stress-induced corticosterone release and modulating the expression of a number of stress-responsive genes. Here, we explore hippocampal protein modulation induced by fish hydrolysate supplementation in mice submitted to acute mild stress, with the aim of better elucidating the underlying mechanisms. Hippocampi from the same cohort of Balb/c mice supplemented with fish hydrolysate (300 mg·kg−1 body weight) or vehicle daily for seven days before being submitted or not to an acute mild stress protocol (four groups, n = 8/group) were subjected to label-free quantitative proteomics analysis combined with gene ontology data mining. Our results show that fish hydrolysate supplementation prevented the observed stress-induced dysregulation of proteins relative to mitochondrial pathways and the neuronal network. These findings suggest that fish hydrolysate represents an innovative strategy to prevent the adverse effects of stress and participate in stress management.
A Sensorless Field Oriented Control of Induction Motor Using Ripple Currents in Space Phasor Based PWM Control

Abstract A scheme for sensorless flux estimation for the induction motor drives is presented in this paper, where the flux information is derived from the current ripple. The scheme measures the stator current phasor deviation to determine the back emf vector position during the zero vectors of the inverter. The position of the rotor flux is detected indirectly by computing the position of the motor back emf, which is orthogonal to the rotor flux position. The space vector PWM generates a current ripple pattern in the machine current, which depends upon the ripple voltage and equivalent stator leakage inductance. For high speed operation when the time duration for the zero vector switching states are small, an indirect method for estimation of flux position is proposed, where the effect of active voltage vectors on the stator ripple current is eliminated by creating a virtual short circuit at the motor terminals. This is achieved by linear transformation of the fundamental components of two immediate current space phasor deviations within a switching period. The whole scheme is implemented in a space phasor based PWM drive with constant inverter switching frequency. The position of the back emf is estimated for both high speed and low speed by implementing the proposed method in a TMS320LF2407 DSP based board.
Performance analysis of a solar seawater desalination using an ultra-black nylon flocking material

Solar-driven seawater desalination has emerged as a promising strategy to solve the global water crisis with green energy. In this paper, an ultra-black nylon flocking photothermal material was developed and applied as a solar evaporator. The theoretical analysis of high-efficiency interfacial evaporation was introduced. The performance of the evaporator in terms of evaporation rate and salt resistance was evaluated through the experimental verification method. With the intro- duction of the ultra-black nylon flocking material, the evaporation efficiency increased by 76.06% for seawater desalination. In the long-term stability test, the average evaporation rate was above 1.20 kg/m 2 h. Evaporation and condensation experiments were further carried out using a small solar distiller. The results showed that installing ultra-black nylon flocking material in traditional disc-type solar distiller could increase the water production from the original 2.8 to 7.76 kg/m 2 d. Without the condensation chamber, the amount of vapor evaporating out to the ambient envi- ronment was up to 10.24 kg/m 2 d. Thus, facilitating the steam condensation while improving the evaporation efficiency is of great significance to the broad application of solar desalination.
Doping Concentrations Analysis on The Performance of Vertical Strained-SiGe Impact Ionization MOSFET Incorporating Dielectric Pocket (VESIMOS-DP)

The Vertical Strained SiGe Impact Ionization MOSFET incorporating Dielectric Pocket (VESIMOS-DP) has been successfully developed and analyzed in this paper. The effect of doping concentration for both Source and Drain (S/D) as well as body doping concentration to the performance of VESIMOS-DP in terms of subthreshold slope (S), threshold voltage (VTH) and drain current has been observed in this paper. An inverse proportional of S and VTH value was found when S/D doping concentration increased. It is notable that for S/D doping concentration above 1019 atoms/cm3, there is a significant increase in S values which is not recommended as the switching speed getting higher distracting performance of the device. However, too low S/D doping concentration is not essential as it didn’t show any significant improvement on the performance of the device. It is also revealed that with low body doping concentration, the device suffers tremendous Parasitic Bipolar Transistor (PBT) effect that prevents the device from switched off. Thus, optimum doping concentration is imperative to obtain superb device characteristic. Due to the DP layer, a stable VTH =1.35V obtained due to the vicinity of DP layer near the drain end has reduced charge sharing between the source and drain. The slight different and consistency of VESIMOS-DP subthreshold value (S = 19 mV/dec) has given advantages for incorporating DP layer near the drain end. In many aspects, it is revealed that the incorporation of DP has enhanced the electrical performance and suppressed PBT effect of IMOS in the nanometer regime for future development of nanoelectronic device. KeywordsIMOS; Dielectric Pocket; VESIMOS; VESIMOS-DP; Parasitic Bipolar Effects; nano-electronics; Strained
Marsobot: design and performance characterization of a low-cost, ground-based multispectral camera on an open source rover

ABSTRACT Open source, low cost sensors, and robotic systems have developed to the point of being able to produce meaningful, repeatable results in real-life applications. We developed a low-cost, open source multispectral camera mounted on a small custom-built robotic rover. We compared the performance of our camera with a commercial multispectral camera and a laboratory spectrometer using minerals commonly found on Mars that exhibited different reflectance values in visible and near-infrared wavelengths. Our camera performed favourably when compared to the commercial instruments. It is a very cost effective solution for operating in extreme situations, where damage to instruments is possible. Our total system of rover and sensor would, therefore, be very useful for operating in delicate and inaccessible environments where damage to the area under investigation and to human observers is of concern.
Transcriptional Regulation of Solute Carrier Drug Transporters

Facilitated transport is necessitated for large size, charged, and/or hydrophilic drugs to move across the membrane. The drug transporters in the solute carrier (SLC) superfamily, mainly including organic anion-transporting polypeptides, organic anion transporters, organic cation transporters, organic cation/carnitine transporters, peptide transporters, and multidrug and toxin extrusion proteins, are critical facilitators of drug transport and distribution in human body. The expression of these SLC drug transporters is found in tissues throughout the body, with high abundance in the epithelial cells of major organs for drug disposition such as intestine, liver, and kidney. These SLC drug transporters are clinically important in drug absorption, metabolism, distribution, and excretion. The mechanisms underlying their regulation have been revealing in recent years. Epigenetic and nuclear receptor–mediated transcriptional regulation of SLC drug transporters has particularly attracted much attention. This review focuses on the transcriptional regulation of major SLC drug transporter genes. Revealing the mechanisms underlying the transcription of these critical drug transporters will help us understand pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, ultimately improving drug therapeutic effectiveness while minimizing drug toxicity. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT It has become increasingly recognized that solute carrier drug transporters play a crucial and sometimes determinative role in drug disposition and response, which is reflected in decision making during not only clinical drug therapy but also drug development. Understanding the mechanisms accounting for the transcription of these transporters is critical to interpret their abundance in various tissues under different conditions, which is necessary to clarify the pharmacological response, adverse effects, and drug-drug interactions for clinically used drugs.
Finite element formulation of Timoshenko tapered beam-column element for large displacement analysis based on the exact shape functions

ABSTRACT A numerical formulation was carried out in this paper to produce the tangent stiffness matrix for two-nodal tapered Timoshenko beam-column elements for geometrically nonlinear analysis. The proposed solution is based on the exact shape functions and their derivatives describing the non-uniformity of the element properties. The section properties were presented as exponential functions with tapering indices to illustrate the variations in section properties along the tapered element length. The model is applicable for elements with different solid and hollow cross-sections. The proposed formulation is embedded into a Visual Basic code to carry out the analysis accompanied by many examples for validating its accuracy and efficiency. The model results are compared with those of commercial software and cited references that showed high accurate results with a small number of elements.
Stance Phase Gait Training Post Stroke Using Simultaneous Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and Motor Learning-Based Virtual Reality-Assisted Therapy: Protocol Development and Initial Testing

Gait deficits are often persistent after stroke, and current rehabilitation methods do not restore normal gait for everyone. Targeted methods of focused gait therapy that meet the individual needs of each stroke survivor are needed. Our objective was to develop and test a combination protocol of simultaneous brain stimulation and focused stance phase training for people with chronic stroke (>6 months). We combined Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) with targeted stance phase therapy using Virtual Reality (VR)-assisted treadmill training and overground practice. The training was guided by motor learning principles. Five users (>6 months post-stroke with stance phase gait deficits) completed 10 treatment sessions. Each session began with 30 min of VR-assisted treadmill training designed to apply motor learning (ML)-based stance phase targeted practice. During the first 15 min of the treadmill training, bihemispheric tDCS was simultaneously delivered. Immediately after, users completed 30 min of overground (ML)-based gait training. The outcomes included the feasibility of protocol administration, gait speed, Timed Up and Go (TUG), Functional Gait Assessment (FGA), paretic limb stance phase control capability, and the Fugl–Meyer for lower extremity coordination (FMLE). The changes in the outcome measures (except the assessments of stance phase control capability) were calculated as the difference from baseline. Statistically and clinically significant improvements were observed after 10 treatment sessions in gait speed (0.25 ± 0.11 m/s) and FGA (4.55 ± 3.08 points). Statistically significant improvements were observed in TUG (2.36 ± 3.81 s) and FMLE (4.08 ± 1.82 points). A 10-session intervention combining tDCS and ML-based task-specific gait rehabilitation was feasible and produced clinically meaningful improvements in lower limb function in people with chronic gait deficits after stroke. Because only five users tested the new protocol, the results cannot be generalized to the whole population. As a contribution to the field, we developed and tested a protocol combining brain stimulation and ML-based stance phase training for individuals with chronic stance phase deficits after stroke. The protocol was feasible to administer; statistically and/or clinically significant improvements in gait function across an array of gait performance measures were observed with this relatively short treatment protocol.
Simple foot strike angle calculation from three-dimensional kinematics: A methodological comparison

ABSTRACT A simple and accurate method of determining foot strike angle (FSA) during running can simplify data collections and validations of wearable sensors. The purpose of this study was to determine the validity of two simplified methods for estimating FSA and foot angle (throughout the ground contact) from three-dimensional kinematics. Markers were placed on the heel and head of the second metatarsal (HEEL-TOE) or on the lateral side of the head of the fifth metatarsal (HEEL-MET5). When compared to the reference foot segment, the HEEL-TOE method performed similarly with a minimal mean difference (0.28° [0.19°,0.36°], p < 0.001), a high Pearson’s r (r = 0.994; p < 0.001), and low bias (−0.20°±1.05°). Alternatively, the HEEL-MET5 method underestimated FSA: mean difference = 4.28° [4.07°,4.91°] (p < 0.001), Pearson’s r = 0.968 (p < 0.001), and bias = −4.58°±2.61°. Throughout the contact phase, significant SPM cluster regions were identified, indicating that the HEEL-MET5 method underestimated the angle of the foot for all foot strike patterns in the first 23–34% of the stance (p < 0.025). This study supports the idea that the HEEL-TOE method can be used as a simplified method for determining FSA from 3D kinematics. Researchers should proceed with caution when employing the HEEL-MET5 method, as it is likely underestimating FSA due to foot inversion in the early stance phase.
TMEM106A transcriptionally regulated by promoter methylation is involved in invasion and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma

Expression of transmembrane protein 106A (TMEM106A) has been reported to be dysregulated in several types of cancers. However, the role of TMEM106A in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is still unknown. In the present study, we demonstrate that TMEM106A is markedly downregulated in HCC compared with normal liver tissue. In particular, tumor-specific DNA methylation of TMEM106A is frequently observed in tumor tissues from HCC patients. Immunohistochemistry and pyrosequencing reveal a significant relationship between TMEM106A methylation and downregulation of protein expression. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis reveals that methylation of TMEM106A in tumor samples is different from that in non-malignant adjacent tissues of HCC patients. Moreover, HCC patients with TMEM106A hypermethylation have a poor clinical prognosis. 5-Aza-2′-deoxycytidin treatment of hypermethylated TMEM106A in highly metastatic HCC cells increases the expression of TMEM106A. Functional assays reveal that overexpression of TMEM106A significantly suppresses the malignant behavior of HCC cells in vitro and decreases tumorigenicity and lung metastasis in vivo. Mechanistically, TMEM106A inhibits epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) of HCC cells through inactivation of the Erk1/2/Slug signaling pathway. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that TMEM106A is an inhibitor of HCC EMT and metastasis, and TMEM106A is often transcriptionally downregulated by promoter methylation, which results in reduced levels of TMEM106A protein and predicts poor survival outcomes for HCC patients.
Formant dynamics and durations of um improve the performance of automatic speaker recognition systems

We assess the potential improvement in the performance of MFCC-based automatic speaker recognition (ASR) systems with the inclusion of linguistic-phonetic information. Likelihood ratios were computed using MFCCs and the formant trajectories and durations of the hesitation marker um, extracted from recordings of male standard southern British English speakers. Testing was run over 20 replications using randomised sets of speakers. System validity (EER and Cllr) was found to improve with the inclusion of um relative to the baseline ASR across all 20 replications. These results offer support for the growing integration of automatic and linguistic-phonetic methods in forensic voice comparison.
Active Distribution Networks with Microgrid and Distributed Energy Resources Optimization Using Hierarchical Model

Distribution networks have undergone a series of changes, with the insertion of distributed energy resources, such as distributed generation, energy storage systems, and demand response, allowing the consumers to produce energy and have an active role in distribution systems. Thus, it is possible to form microgrids. From the active grid’s point of view, it is necessary to plan the operation considering the distributed resources and the microgrids connected to it, aiming to ensure the maintenance of grid economy and operational safety. So, this paper presents the proposition of a hierarchical model for planning the daily operation of active distribution grids with microgrids. In this case, the entire grid operation is optimized considering the results from the microgrid optimization itself. If none of the technical constraints, for example voltage levels, are reached, the grid is optimized, however, if there are some violations in the constraints feedback is sent to the internal microgrid optimization to be run again. Several scenarios are evaluated to verify the iteration among the controls in a coordinated way allowing the optimization of the operation of microgrids, as well as of the distribution network. A coordinated and hierarchical operation of active distribution networks with microgrids, specifically when they have distributed energy resources allocated and operated in an optimized way, results in a reduction in operating costs, losses, and greater flexibility and security of the whole system.