Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Transition to Parenthood after Unexplained Infertility: Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

Prevalence rates of infertility show that one in every six couples worldwide have experienced fertility problems; however, there is still a relatively high chance of spontaneous conception for couples with unexplained infertility. Nevertheless, most existing research has focused on the infertility experience leading up to potential parenthood, rather than the actual parenting experience itself. Hence, this paper presents an in-depth exploration of the lived experiences and personal meaning of becoming parents of individuals affected by unexplained infertility. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and transcripts were subjected to Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Four themes emerged: perception of fragility of life, father's embodied emotional connection with child, becoming a parent—identity shift, and imprint of infertility on relationships with a partner. The findings emphasize clinicians’ and researchers’ awareness of the need to process couple's grief and highlight the importance of addressing romantic relationship issues, experienced during the infertility period to facilitate couples transitioning to parenthood.
The Future of Brand Personality: Systematic Review and Research Agenda

The main purpose of this paper was to report a literature review that synthesized and organized the current knowledge on brand personality, with the goal of drawing a research agenda on the construct, setting directions for future investigations. We combined a systematic review with bibliometric analysis to evaluate 351 articles about brand personality published between 2015 and 2019. The current research on brand personality has a background in psychology studies, using the appropriation of personality construct to understand the functioning of consumers’ minds. The current literature encompasses six research tracks, namely: 1) brand-related outcomes, 2) consumer-related outcomes, 3) scale development, 4) experiments and metrics, 5) tourism, and 6) conceptualizations. As a research agenda, we propose the development of theorizations on brand personality and investigations about its antecedents, the context of investigation, the stability of the construct and the brand personality in the context of social media.
Performance measurement of R&D is a vaccine for innovation capability: evidence from Indian manufacturing organisations

The purpose of this study is to explore the barriers and critical success factors that affect the R&D organisational performance in Indian manufacturing scenario. Reviewing the literatures on R&D performance measurement in manufacturing organisations, this paper first brings out a number of key factors contributing to the R&D organisational performance. Based on these factors, a questionnaire survey was conducted among the different manufacturing sectors. An analysis of the responses to the questionnaire survey, together with the use of principal component analysis and factor analysis, helped in framing five constructs: R&D productivity, TQM index, roadblocks to R&D, technical competency, and effectiveness of R&D. Using these constructs, seven hypotheses were developed and tested in the framework of structural equation modelling. The results indicate that technical competency and TQM index are the key drivers to encourage the performance of R&D, which enhance effectiveness of R&D in manufacturing sectors .
On-Line Monitoring System for Transformer Partial Discharge

On-line insulation monitoring of transformer and the fault diagnosis are effective means to avoid sudden accidents happening on the transformer, which are necessary to perform the condition based maintenance (CBM) of transformer. Partial discharge is often accompanied by the external signals of sound, light and electricity as well as some detectable physical phenomena such as characteristic gas and dielectric loss. The partial discharge defects inside the transformer can be found by detecting the external signals. The principle of electro-acoustic monitoring, its monitoring systems and the related judgment technologies are expounded, on the basis of which an outline design of the monitoring system is presented.
Short-chain fatty acids promote jejunal barrier function and caecal muscle contractibility in laying hens ex vivo

ABSTRACT 1. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) exert beneficial actions in the gut; nevertheless, information about the effect of SCFA on physiological responses in the small intestine of chickens is rare. 2. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of 1) different molar acetate:butyrate ratios (Ac:But; Experiment 1; 78.5% acetate and 7.3% butyrate versus 71.4% acetate and 14.0% butyrate) and 2) SCFA concentrations (Experiment 2; final concentration in chambers: 70.5 versus 141 µmol SCFA/ml buffer) on the jejunal and caecal contractibility and jejunal barrier function in laying hens. The change in muscle contractibility due to the SCFA was measured in mid-jejunal and caecal segments (n = 4 each per hen) from four laying hens using the organ bath system after precontraction with acetylcholine for 15 min. Changes in short-circuit current (ISC) and transepithelial tissue conductivity (GT) as indicators for net ion flux and barrier function, respectively, were measured in mid-jejunal tissue (n = 3/hen and treatment), mounted into Ussing chambers. 3. In Experiment 1, the addition of SCFA, irrespective of the Ac:But ratio, decreased jejunal muscle tension (P < 0.05), jejunal GT as well as caused a less negative ISC (P < 0.05). In Experiment 2, the increasing SCFA concentrations increased the caecal muscle contraction and jejunal ISC by 75.6% while decreasing the GT by up to 19.6% (P < 0.05). 4. In conclusion, results demonstrate that increasing butyrate proportions and SCFA concentrations stimulate caecal muscle contraction, thereby increasing caecal mixing and emptying in vivo. Jejunal ISC and GT support a strong SCFA sensing capacity in the jejunum, as both, more butyrate and higher SCFA, increased mucosal ion uptake and barrier function.
Temporal Changes In Cyclin D-CDK4/CDK6 And Cyclin E-CDK2 Pathways: Implications For The Mechanism of Deficient Decidualization In An Immune-Based Mouse Model of Unexplained Recurrent Spontaneous Abortion

Deficient endometrial decidualization has been associated with unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (URSA). However, the underlying mechanism is poorly understood. Here, we aimed to investigate the temporal cytokine changes and the involvement of the cyclin D-cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)4/CDK6 and cyclin E-CDK2 pathways in the regulation of the G1 phase of the cell cycle during decidualization in a murine model of URSA. Serum and decidual tissues of URSA group and normal pregnant (NP) group mice were collected from gestation day 4 (GD4) to GD8. The embryo resorption and abortion rates were observed on GD8 and the decidual tissue status was assessed using hematoxylin and eosin staining. Cytokine levels in decidual tissues were analyzed using western blotting and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. We found that the embryo resorption rate was significantly increased in the URSA group compared to that in the NP group on GD8. The expression of the decidualization marker prolactin in the serum and decidual lysate of the URSA group was significantly decreased on GD6-8 compared to that of the NP group. Cyclin D, CDK4, CDK6, cyclin E, CDK2 and pRb levels in the URSA group mice were significantly lower compared to those in the NP group mice on GD6-8. Our results suggest that the hyperactivated cyclin D-CDK4/CDK6 and cyclin E CDK2 pathways inhibit the decidualization process on GD4, leading to deficient decidualization on GD8. Moreover, they clarify the role of cytokines in the cyclin D-CDK4/6 and cyclin E-CDK2 pathways during decidualization and provide new insight into URSA pathogenesis.
Micromachined Tactile Sensor Array for RTSA

This work presents a polymer-based tactile capacitive sensor capable of measuring joint reaction forces of reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA). The capacitive sensor contains a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) dielectric layer with an array of electrodes. The sensor was designed in such a way that four components of glenohumeral contact forces can be quantified to help ensure proper soft tissue tensioning during the procedure. Fabricated using soft lithography, the sensor has a loading time of approximately 400 ms when a 14.13 kPa load is applied and has a sensitivity of 1.24 × 10−3 pF/kPa at a load of 1649 kPa. A replica RTSA prothesis was 3D printed, and the sensor was mounted inside the humeral cap. Four static right shoulder positions were tested, and the results provided an intuitive graphical description of the pressure distribution across four quadrants of the glenohumeral joint contact surface. It may help clinicians choose a right implant size and offset that best fit a patient’s anatomy and reduce postoperative biomechanical complications such as dislocation and stress fracture of the scapula.
Coordinated implementation and processing of a unified chassis control algorithm with multi-central processing unit

Abstract This paper proposes a multi-core architecture for implementation of a unified chassis control (UCC) algorithm on a field programmable gate array (FPGA) which operates as a multi-core process. The proposed multi-core architecture aims to reduce the operating load and maximize the reliability for improving the performance of the UCC system. The proposed multi-core architecture supports distributed control with analytical and physical redundancy capabilities. The UCC algorithm used in this research consists of three parts: a supervisor, a main controller, and fault detection/isolation/tolerance control (FDI/FTC). These three components are implemented and evaluated with the multi-core process environment with the FPGA. An electronic control unit is configured by three MicroBlaze processors with FPGA, and a control area network (CAN) is also implemented for hardware-in-the-loop (HILS) evaluation. Three types of multi-core architectures, i.e. distributed processing, triple voting, and hybrid operation, are implemented to investigate the performance and reliability. A vehicle simulator and brake HILS are used to evaluate the proposed multi-core architectures. From the test results, it is shown that all of the proposed multi-core systems have better performance and improved reliability compared with the single core system. In particular, the hybrid operation architecture shows better reliability and performance compared with the other two multi-core architectures, distributed processing and triple voting.
On the antenna efficiencies for the dielectric leaky‐wave antennas with a sinusoidal metallic diffraction grating coupled from the broad and the narrow face of the dielectric

The antenna efficiencies of dielectric leaky‐wave antennas (DLWA) with sinusoidal metallic diffraction grating for the couplings from the narrow and the broad faces of the dielectric line are compared. It is observed that the narrow face‐coupled DLWA does not exhibit stop‐band behavior giving the opportunity of a wideband operating range while the broad face‐coupled DLWA gives much higher antenna efficiency out of the resonance region. The effects of the geometrical parameters on the antenna efficiency are also investigated. As a common property for both coupling types, choosing a larger teeth depth/amplitude or more number of periods of the sinusoidal grating provides higher antenna efficiency. On the other hand, for the broad face coupling case, the stop‐band frequency shifts significantly for the chosen different values of the grating's period. By this complementary study, an additional data is provided to the antenna designer. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26223
Sevoflurane Postconditioning Upregulates HIF-1α Pathway Enhances BNIP3 Mediated Mitochondrial Autophagy in Myocardium of Aged Mice

BACKGROUND: Diminished mitochondrial autophagy in aged myocardium may be due to impaired HIF-1α protein expression. Previous studies confirmed that upregulation of HIF-1α expression protects myocardial tissue from ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury and found that sevoflurane post-conditioning (SpostC) mediated mitochondrial autophagy plays a significant role in myocardial protection. However, the protective mechanism of SpostC in aged myocardium is unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether SpostC regulates BNIP3 - mediated mitochondrial autophagy by upregulating HIF-1α expression, thus alleviating myocardial I/R injury in aged mice.Methods: An in vivo mouse model of myocardial I/R injury was established and treated with sevoflurane at the time of reperfusion, and at the end of reperfusion, echocardiographic changes, myocardial infarct size, mitochondrial ultrastructure, and autophagosomes were measured, mitochondrial respiratory function and enzyme activity were detected, serum LDH, CKM, CK-MB, TNNT2, IL-6 levels were determined, and Western blot was used to examine the expression levels of phosphorylated HIF-1α, LC3-II, BNIP3, Beclin1, TLR9, and IL-6 protein in myocardial tissue.RESULTS: In young, healthy myocardium, SpostC upregulated the expression of HIF-1α, activated the downstream target gene BNIP3 protein, and upregulated the expression levels of autophagy essential proteins LC3-II, Beclin-1, and TLR9, attenuated myocardial oxidative stress injury, stabilized mitochondrial ultrastructure, inhibited cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and ultimately reduced myocardial infarct size. In aged myocardium, SpostC also played an excellent myocardial protective role.CONCLUSION: SpostC was able to upregulate HIF-1α expression, promote BNIP3-mediated mitochondrial autophagy, reduce myocardial infarct size, and alleviate myocardial I/R injury in aged mice.
Unresolved intramuscular inflammation, not diminished skeletal muscle regenerative capacity, is at the root of rheumatoid cachexia: insights from a rat CIA model

Rheumatoid arthritis targets numerous organs in patients, including the skeletal muscle, resulting in rheumatoid cachexia. In the muscle niche, satellite cells, macrophages, and myofibroblasts may be affected and the factors they release altered. This study aimed to assess these cell types, cytokines, and growth factors and their relationships to muscle fiber size and number in a rodent collagen‐induced arthritis (CIA) model, in order to identify new therapeutic targets. Fiber cross‐sectional area (CSA) was 57% lower in CIA than controls (p < 0.0001), thus smaller but more fibers visible per field of view. Immunostaining indicated the increased presence of satellite cells, macrophages, myofibroblasts, and myonuclei per field of view in CIA (p < 0.01), but this finding was not maintained when taking fiber number into consideration. Western blots of gastrocnemius samples indicated that tumor necrosis factor‐α was significantly elevated (p < 0.01) while interleukin‐10 (IL‐10) was decreased (p < 0.05) in CIA. This effect was maintained (and heightened for IL‐10) when expressed per fiber number. Myogenic regulatory factors (MyoD and myogenin), transforming growth factor‐β and inhibitor of differentiation were significantly elevated in CIA muscle and levels correlated significantly with CSA. Several of these factors remained elevated, but bone morphogenetic protein‐7 decreased when considering fiber number per area. In conclusion, CIA‐muscle demonstrated a good regenerative response. Myoblast numbers per fiber were not elevated, suggesting their activity results from the persistent inflammatory signaling which also significantly hampered maintenance of muscle fiber size. A clearer picture of signaling events at cellular level in arthritis muscle may be derived from expressing data per fiber.
Fall detectors: a review of the literature

Purpose – The aim of this review is to explore recent literature regarding the development of fall detector technology as part of a service evaluation on the use of fall detectors across the region funded by NHS West Midlands. It also aims to explore the application and the use of products designed to detect falls and alert for help from end‐user and health and social care staff perspectives.Design/methodology/approach – A comprehensive review of the literature of the last ten years was conducted, search terms were used to identify relevant literature from research databases and the main themes from the literature were summarised. This work was carried out to inform a service evaluation of the use of fall detectors across the West Midlands region and was funded by NHS West Midlands.Findings – It was found that whilst there are a wide variety of new technologies regarding fall detectors in development, the range of technologies currently available through health and social services to users are limited. He.
MODELING AND SIMULATION OF INTERACTIONS BETWEEN BLAST WAVES AND STRUCTURES FOR BLAST WAVE MITIGATION

Explosions occur in military conflicts as well as in various industrial applications. Air blast waves generated by large explosions move outward with high velocity, pressure and temperature. The blast waves not only incapacitate military and civilian personnel, but also damages buildings, vehicles, and other properties. Hence, there has been extensive research on how to mitigate blast wave effects. Understanding the interactions between blast waves and structures is a very important step in the development of devices for blast wave mitigation. The objective of this dissertation is to explore the complicated physical problem of blast waves impacting structures. The structures comprise flat, V-shaped and cone-shaped structures. The structures can be fixed or free-standing. It has been recognized that fluid structure interactions (FSI) between a blast wave and a free-standing structure reduces the blast loads exerted on the structure. The dynamic response of a free-standing plate subjected to a blast wave is numerically studied to investigate the effects of FSI in blast wave mitigation. This dissertation develops a 1-D model which includes the blast wave reflection from a free-standing plate, the plate motion and the shock wave induced in the back of the plate. The Euler equations for the flow fields in the front and in the back of the plate are solved using the Van Leer flux vector splitting scheme coupled with the monotone upstream-centered scheme for conservation laws (MUSCL) and Runge-Kutta scheme. The reflected pressure for normal reflection is larger than that for oblique and Mach stem reflections, which occur when there is an incident angle between the incident shock front and the reflecting surface. Hence, it is expected that reflected pressure decreases when a blast wave impacts a V-shaped or a cone-shaped structure. A 2-D numerical model of interactions between a blast wave and a V-shaped or a cone-shaped structure is developed. The model simulates the blast wave reflection from a V-shaped or a cone-shaped structure, the movement of the structure and the induced shock wave behind the structure. Elliptic grid generation and coordinate transformation are utilized to solve the flow fields in the irregular physical domain. i ACKNOWLEDGEMENT During my doctoral study, I was helped and supported by many people in a variety of ways. I would like to take this opportunity to express my special appreciation. I would like to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to my advisors, Professor Zhaoyan Zhang and Professor George Gogos, for …
Restoration And Protection Plan For TheNawiliwili Watershed, Kauai, Hawaii, USA

This study dealt with developing a restoration and protection plan for the Nawiliwili Watershed, Kauai, Hawaii, USA. The proposed plan covers the nine elements required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for watershed-based plans that are developed or implemented with Section 319 funds to address the requirements of Section 303(d) of the federal Clean Water Act for listed waters. The elements include identifi cation of the causes that will need to be controlled to achieve contaminantload reductions; an estimate of the load reductions expected for the management measures described in the plan; a description of the nonpoint-source (NPS) management measures that will need to be implemented to achieve the load reductions; an estimate of the amounts of technical and fi nancial assistance, associated costs, and resources needed; an information and education component for the public; a schedule for implementing NPS management measures identifi ed in the plan; a description of interim measurable milestones for determining whether NPS management measures are being implemented; a set of criteria that can be used to determine whether loading reductions are being achieved; and a monitoring component to evaluate the effectiveness of the implementation efforts over time. Limitations of the approaches adopted, especially due to data limitations, are stressed where appropriate.
Highly-linear rail-to-rail 1.2 V-0.18μm CMOS V-I converter

Presented is a new high-performance CMOS V-I converter based on an OTA/common source amplifier configuration. To achieve rail-to-rail operation, the voltage across the linear V-I conversion resistor is reduced by means of local feedback, thereby keeping the output mirroring transistor in saturation over the entire input voltage range. Experimental results for a 1.2 V–0.18 µm CMOS design confirm rail-to-rail operation with transconductance gain errors below 2.2 % over a −40 to +120°C range, THD below −52 dB for a 100 kHz–1 Vpp input signal and bandwidth above 14 MHz with 70 µW power consumption and 100×112 µm2 active area.
Thermal modeling and testing of a high-speed axial-flux permanent-magnet machine

This paper gives an overview of the design, manufacturing and testing of a high‐speed (16,000 rpm and 30 kW) AFPM synchronous machine, which is mounted inside, and as an integral part of, a flywheel. This system will subsequently be used for transient energy storage and ICE operating point optimization in an HEV. The paper focuses on the major design issues, particularly with regard to the high rotational speed, and investigates the loss mechanisms which are apparent therein, e.g. iron losses, rotor losses, and friction losses. The paper describes the high‐speed testing facility and includes measured results, which will be compared to calculated values.
Implementation of Minimum Inventory Variability Scheduling 1-Step Ahead Policy(R) in a large semiconductor manufacturing facility

This paper describes an implementation of the 1-Step Ahead Minimum Inventory Variability Resource Scheduling Policy(R), in a large semiconductor facility (FAB) over the period from May, 1996, through January, 1997. The FAB described here uses a product release policy based on customer orders and a work-in-progress (WIP) chart. The scheduling of resource tools was done on a first in, first out (FIFO) basis on high speed tools and due date first (DDF) at bottleneck tools, except for high priority lots, called MAXIs. The FAB is discussed in generic terms (sanitized) because of the proprietary nature of the devices manufactured. Percentages of change in cycle time and output are presented.