Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
In Vitro Generated Dendritic Cells of Leukemic Origin Predict Response to Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation in Patients With AML and MDS

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. Allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT) is the treatment of choice for many patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome. The presentation of leukemic or allospecific antigens by malignant blasts is regarded as a crucial trigger for an effective allogeneic immune response. Conversely, insufficient stimulatory capacity by the leukemic blasts is thought to be a relevant escape mechanism from cellular immunotherapy (alloSCT). Our purpose was to test, whether the ability of malignant blasts to differentiate in vitro toward dendritic cells of leukemic origin (DCleu) is associated with clinical outcome. We isolated leukemic blasts from peripheral blood or bone marrow of AML and myelodysplastic syndrome patients before alloSCT (n=47) or at relapse after alloSCT (n=22). A panel of 6 different assays was used to generate DCleu in vitro. Results were correlated with clinical outcome. DCleu could be generated from all 69 samples. Significantly higher mean frequencies of DCleu were found in clinical long-term responders versus nonresponders to SCT (76.8% vs. 58.8%, P=0.006). Vice versa, the chance for response to SCT was significantly higher, if a DCleu+/dendritic cells (DC) ratio of >50% could be reached in vitro (P=0.004). Those patients were characterized by a longer time to relapse (P=0.04) and by a higher probability for leukemia-free survival (P=0.005). In vitro generation of DC and DCleu from leukemic blasts correlated with the clinical outcome. This observation may support a role of leukemic antigen presentation by “leukemia-derived DC” for the stimulation of an allogeneic immune response in AML.
Photovoltaic energy processing for utility connected system

In this work, the study of a system for exploitation of the energy provided from photovoltaic panels is presented. Through this system the energy is converted, adapted and injected into the electric utility grid. In this way an amount of electrical energy consumed by one given customer is produced, having the advantage that it can be installed easily in the proper place of consumption, dispensing the use of a transmission system. The current has sinusoidal shape in the system output, taking as reference the electric grid, obtaining low total harmonic distortion, thus the quality of the electric energy is preserved. Moreover, other requirements are achieved, as the galvanic isolation between the panels and the utility grid, and the protection against energy failure. The power stages, the control strategy, the system's operation principle, the simulation and experimental results acquired with the prototype constructed in laboratory are presented.
Electrical and physical modeling of contact defects due to fretting

When the two members of an electrical contact are driven in low-amplitude alternating motion relative to each other, the resulting tribological phenomena may cause an interface to become poorly conductive. If the contact carries low-level signals such as a pulse train, and reaches this stage of degradation, it may deform the signals enough to make them unusable. The present article first describes an experiment in which a signal transmitted through a vibrating contact is compared with an undistorted reference. It is then shown, using theory supported by experiment, that a faulty contact can be modeled by an equivalent resistor and capacitor in parallel. We then attempt to develop a physical model of a contact interface as a third body of variable thickness and find analytical expressions for the contact resistance and capacitance, providing a basis for analyzing the experimental results. This analysis shows that, for the faults observed, the contact interface probably consists of an insulating layer with or without a metallic bridge of very small lateral dimensions passing through it. >
DRIVER PERCEPTION OF POTENTIAL PEDESTRIAN CONFLICT

The objective of this study was to provide information about drivers needs and preferences for the characteristics of pedestrian detection systems that would be useful to the designers of cars and of pedestrian detection systems. In this study, we varied parameters that determine a pedestrians path relative to a moving vehicle, and we collected subjects responses to determine to what extent pedestrian alerts are likely to be perceived as important in various situations. In a laboratory setting, subjects were shown video clips of a pedestrian taken from a drivers point of view and were asked to rate how much a driver would need to monitor the pedestrian.
Load modelling in commercial power systems using neural networks

Power system load modelling is of vital importance in power flow, transient stability and voltage stability studies. It is, however, a very difficult task because load representation is qualitatively different in many aspects. Conventional approaches employ mathematical models to represent the steady and dynamic characteristics of various loads. With the advent of neural computing, attempts have constantly been made to address this problem by using this new technique. This paper discusses the applications of neural networks to the representation of the aggregation of busbar loads which are comprised of mixed but known composition. <<ETX>>
Study of Employee Satisfaction towards e-HRM system

Structured Abstract Purpose: Today technology underpins all the HR functions and can increase their effectiveness. After an in-depth study of the journey of traditional HR towards e-HRM, it can aptly be said that e-HRM helps to create competitive advantage and align the HR function more closely with corporate strategy. The present study finds a relationship between various demographic variables and level of satisfaction of employees (referred as End-users in the study) towards e-HRM system of their respective organizations. Methodology: Research has been carried out in NCR of India. A sample of 182 (‘End-users’) respondents was taken into consideration. The data has been collected through a well drafted pre-tested questionnaire from three organizations which are in ‘List of top Indian organizations’ for the years 2010 and 2011. Findings: The results show that tenure, work experience and age has a significant relationship with the ‘level of satisfaction’ towards the e-HRM system for ‘End-users’ of selected organizations. However, there is no significant relationship of the ‘level of satisfaction’ with gender for ‘End-users’ of selected organizations. Limitations: The research work also suffers from some limitations. The sample size is small. As the survey conducted is only confined to National Capital Region, results may vary if research is conducted in other parts of the world. Originality: It is an original research work by the researcher wherein the questionnaire has been developed by the researcher and its reliability and validity has been established. Keywords: HR, e-HRM, End-users, Level of satisfaction.
SAW devices and their wireless communications applications

Due to the superior performance of SAW filters, combined with additional features, e.g., impedance transformation, balun functionality, and integration of two or even three filter functions into one package, SAW filters have become the key components in mobile communication and multimedia applications. More cost-effective and miniaturized designs are effectively supported by reducing overall component count and PCB space used.
A Survey of the Current Status of Force-Feedback Manipulator

This paper is a survey on research status of the force-feedback master manipulator for teleoperation at home and abroad. The conclusion includes three aspects: mechanism configuration, control strategy and the model of people’s arms. The authors compared different theories already developed. Then they present the strengths and weaknesses of each theory. The conclusion is significant in pointing the direction for future study.
Does COVID-19 infection increase the risk of pulmonary embolism in ambulatory patients with deep vein thrombosis

Objectives Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can lead to systemic coagulation activation and thrombotic complications including venous thromboembolism. This study compares the development of pulmonary embolism, post-thrombotic syndrome, and clinical outcomes of COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients with deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Methods One hundred and eight patients diagnosed with acute deep vein thrombosis (DVT) between June 2020 and February 2021 in our institution were included in this retrospective study. Thirty-nine patients had been previously diagnosed with COVID-19 and specified as the COVID-19 group. Sixty-nine patients did not have COVID-19 and specified as the non-COVID-19 group. Mean ages of both groups were 64.3 ± 15.8 and 60.1 ± 19.7 years, respectively (p = .37). Results The median duration from the onset of the COVID-19 to diagnosis of DVT was 22 (2–120) days in the COVID-19 group. The patients of two groups were mostly treated outpatient at rates of 94.9% vs 94.2%, respectively (p = .88). Pulmonary embolism was seen in six patients (15.4%) in the COVID-19 group and in three patients (4.3%) in the non-COVID-19 group (p = .04). Kaplan–Meir curves showed that patients with COVİD-19 had significantly higher pulmonary embolism than those without COVID-19 (p = .015). The recurrence rate of DVT was 2.6% in the COVID-19 group (n = 1), and 4.3% in the non-COVID-19 group (n = 3), indicating no statistically significant difference (p = .63). Mortality was seen in six patients (15.4%) in the COVİD-19 group, and in seven patients (10.1%) in the non-COVID-19 group. According to the Kaplan–Meir method, 10 months survival rates were 73.9 ± 10% in the COVID-19 group, and 66.3 ± 12.8% in the non-COVID-19 group with no statistical significance (p = .218). Conclusions Our data draw attention to the fact that deep vein thrombosis should not be considered a safe and self-limited condition. Efficient preventive measures such as mobilization and prophylactic drug use should be considered to prevent DVT during the management of COVID-19.
Estimation of Biomass Availability in Panglao Island Using SENTINEL-2 MSI

Remote Sensing (RS) technology using SENTINEL-2 Multispectral Instrument (MSI) imagery was used in the estimation of residual biomass’ available energy potential. The estimation was done in Panglao Island, within the province of Bohol, Philippines. Estimation of biomass availability was processed using Geographical Information System (GIS) software incorporating the calculation of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) to extract information on land resources and its spatial distribution. It was found that the majority of vegetation cover on the island is in the form of perennial woody plants and coconut trees. Coconut production on the island of Panglao contributed 1.26% of the total cultivation area for the province based on processed captures of Sentinel-2 imagery. The residue concentration amounted to 2,865 tons of coconut residues based on the RPR method. This amount of residues can be translated to 52.92 TJ of theoretical energy potential. The result of this study may serve as a baseline for the locality to consider the utilization of agricultural residues such as coming from coconut trees to support the use of indigenous resources for energy generation.
An Optimal Macroprudential Policy Mix for Segmented Credit Markets

This paper analyzes the design of simple macroprudential rules for bank and non-bank credit markets in a medium-scale dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model. In the model, mutual funds support corporate bond issuance by firms with access to capital markets; a banking sector supplies loans to the remaining producers. This model is used to study the optimal design of monetary and macroprudential rules and to address whether financial stability in the banking and bond markets is welfare improving. First, in response to aggregate productivity and financial shocks, the welfare-maximizing monetary policy rule implies near price stability, while the optimal macroprudential policy rule stabilizes bank credit and bond volumes. Second, there is no trade-off between price and financial stability. Third, if the central bank cannot correctly identify a sector-specific financial shock, responding optimally as if the shock affects both sectors, then welfare outcomes are negligibly worse than those under the optimal policy.
Preserving Brussels identity: Methodological principles for the retrofitting of city blocks

The form of Brussels Capital Region city blocks is part of the identity of the city. Preserving the built environment includes preserving the urban form while allowing them to adapt to the new necessities without losing this identity. The city block is not first defined as an architectural form but as a set of plots attached ensemble that acquire meaning because a dialectic relation with the surrounding roads grid [1] The urban block is formed by the complex dialogue between the distribution of properties, the constructions and the public spaces. This paper aims to stress the role of the city blocks as a main contributor to the heritage value of the city and present a set of methodological principles to approach their retrofitting. Under the scope of the project B³-Retrotool [2], several scenarios of retrofitting have been developed and assessed over three representative case studies. This research has pinpointed the importance of transforming the city-blocks as a basic unit of the urban matrix. Its originality is to identify new determinants in designing modern, economic and efficient city-blocks using a multi-criteria and multi-scale approach. Using different mapping tools, a thorough and new classification of the city blocks is provided based in their morphology and urban function. A series of so-called “retrofitting sheets” divided in energy and morphological approach will be presented to illustrate the results. The paper concludes by presenting these results integrated in a pre-assessment tool developed to provide a clear vision and comprehension of the city of Brussels from a bottom-up and top-down approach. It identifies priority city-blocks requiring an urgent retrofitting and proposes various retrofitting principles to enhance their energy and environmental performances while preserving its identity and cultural heritage.
Black-Box Modeling of RFIC Amplifiers for Linear and Non-linear Simulations

Behavioral modeling of RFIC amplifiers is presented, based on a novel approach that fits complex impedance dependent data for power compression, and Third Order Intercept (TOI) performance. An example, implemented in Agilent ADS, is shown for a commercially available RFIC amplifier operating in the 136 to 174 MHz range. Simulated to measured results are presented that demonstrate the ability to reliably re-create S-parameters, noise parameters, power compression, and intermodulation distortion behavior. The model also predicts noise and non-linear performance variation under source/load pull tuning.
An extension of the core product model for the maturity management of the digital mock up: use of graph and knowledge to describe mechanical parts

Reverse engineering (RE) of mechanical parts consists in creating a 3D virtual model using data that are often gathered by 3D measurement systems like laser scanners. The resulting point cloud is then transformed into a geometrical model. The purpose of RE activity is to make maintenance or redesign operations easier. The boundary of the literature is the component, isolated from its product assembly. Because of unreported on-field maintenance, a long time running in-use product may not reflect its digital mock-up (DMU) anymore. In order to maintain an efficient lifecycle, the changes made have to be considered. This paper focuses on the development of a knowledge-based RE methodology to support the DMU maturity management: to identify the maturity defaults, which correspond to unreported changes, in the CAD assembly model in order to make it matching the real product. That approach is supported by a core product model data model extension.
Bioremoval of Different Heavy Metals in Industrial Effluent by the Resistant Fungal Strain Aspergillus niger

Developing countries are increasingly concerned with pollution due to toxic heavy metals in the environment. Unlike most organic pollutants which can be destroyed, toxic metal ions released into the environment often persist indefinitely circulating and eventually accumulating throughout the food chain thus posing a serious threat to mankind. The use of biological materials for heavy metal removal or recovery has gained importance in recent years due to their good performance and low cost. Among the various sources, both live and inactivated biomass of organisms exhibits interesting metal binding capacities. Their complex cell walls contain high content of functional groups like amino, amide, hydroxyl, carboxyl, and phosphate which have been implicated in metals binding. In the present study, Aspergillus niger was used to analyze the metal uptake from an aqueous solution. The determination of Cu+2, Pb+2, Cd+2, Zn+2, Co-2 and Ni+2 in samples was carried out by differential Pulse Anodic Voltammetry (DPASV) and the Voltammograms. Production of oxalic acid was carried out by submerged fermentation. The organism used in the present study has the ideal properties to sequester toxic metals and grow faster.
A Low harmonic High Power Factor Half Bridge Resonant AC/DC Converter

A new resonant rectifier is introduced in this paper. Due to the suitability of operation in the lagging power factor mode, the series parallel CLL topology is utilized. The converter has been analyzed and simulation results have been obtained by using MATLAB. Control requirements have been identified and two new control schemes have been developed. The first scheme does not require any current sensor to improve the current drawn from the supply. The technique is to use a PI controller to maintain the output voltage constant, with an additional gain proportional to the rectified AC input voltage to create a fixed frequency modulation to improve the input current waveform. The second scheme uses a current sensor and forces both the output voltage and the input current to follow the corresponding desired references using two PI controllers. A laboratory prototype has been fabricated to realize the proposed converter topology along with the control schemes and satisfactory results have been found.
MBTI Personality Types of Project Managers and Their Success: A Field Survey

This paper describes a survey of 280 project managers that reveals both their personality types (via Myers-Briggs personality inventory) and their success in project management. The results show that a project manager's personality is better suited for functioning with partial data and under ambiguity than the rest of the population. These traits were found for both women and men. The conclusion is that project managers (females and males) have a unique personality-type distribution that distinguishes them from the general population. The findings can contribute to better understanding the traits that characterize the project management population, and their relationship to project success.
Characterization of molded underfill material for flip chip ball grid array packages

Flip chip technology has been utilized for more than 30 years in the field of electronic packages. It was developed to meet the requirements of excellent electrical performance, small device, high input/output (I/O) density and high speed. Underfill which is used to fill the gaps between solder bumps can enhance the fatigue life of solder bumps due to CTE mismatch between chip and substrate. Underfill materials usually need longer cure time to cure in process and with higher cost. Therefore, the molded underfill is studied to replace the capillary flow underfill for providing higher productivity, no particle setting and less expensive materials. The molded underfill material has to contain smaller filler size to fill the small gap between solder bumps and fast cured time. The development of molded underfill material is different from conventional underfill and molding compound material. The material characterization of molded underfill material was analyzed with various methods. The curing condition was measured by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). Thermo-gravimetrical analyzer (TGA) was used to study the weight loss of materials. Thermal mechanical analyzer (TMA) was used to investigate the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the cured materials. Dynamic mechanic analyzer (DMA) was used to measure the storage modulus of the cured materials. In this paper, the curing conditions and material properties such as CTE (coefficient of thermal expansion), T/sub g/ (glass transition temperature), storage modulus and weight loss were evaluated from the measurement results for molded underfill materials. The results were also compared with conventional underfill materials and molding compound materials.
Offsite Manufacturing Research: A Systematic Review of Methodologies Used

Abstract Debates regarding research methodologies in construction, engineering and management (CEM) literature are long-standing. However, in the growing literature on offsite manufacturing (OSM), such debates are lacking and some studies conflate different components of research methodologies such as research design, methods, data sources, data types, and analytical techniques. This study examines the components of research methodologies reported in the OSM literature and how they compare with the established relationships between the key components of research methodologies. We analyse 74 articles on OSM sampled from 26 journals and find that quantitative methods, case studies, primary data, bibliometric database and modelling are the most preferred methodological approaches. The methodological components reported also cohere with established relationships between components of research methodology, other than the relationship between research methods and data sources. The findings reveal a growing hybridisation of research designs, data sources and analytical techniques, which suggests that methodological plurality is emerging in the OSM literature. This re-echoes concerns regarding the dominance of quantitative methods and the limited use of theory in CEM research, and consequently highlights the need for diversity in methodologies to expand knowledge boundaries.
Hairpin-Line and Hybrid Hairpin-Line/Half-Wave Parallel-Coupled-Line Filters

A new class of microwave filters, hairpin-line and hybrid hairpin-line/half-wave parallel-coupled-line filters, is reported. This class of filters is particularly well suited for microstrip and TEM printed-circuit realizations because grounding of the filter resonators is generally not required. Hairpin-line filters have been divided into two types. The first (Type A) is characterized by having its input and output lines open-circuited at their ends. The Type A filter has been found to yield practical impedance levels for narrow to approximately 25-percent bandwidths. The second (Type B) is characterized by having its input and output lines short-circuited at their ends. However, because of space limitations, details of the Type B filter are not presented in this paper. Theoretical background and design equations for Type A bandpass filters are presented. Experimental data for several stripline filters of 5- and 20-percent bandwidths are given. Experimental results for two microwave-integrated-circuit (MIC) filters are discussed.