Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Perspectives on Return to Elective Surgeries in Kuwait and GCCC: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Background: Covid-19 pandemic has affected hospital services worldwide including elective surgeries. This study provided perspectives on resuming elective surgeries in Kuwait and the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries (GCCC). Methods: A cross-sectional study, anonymous survey, consists of 19 questions, using Google Forms was conducted. It was distributed via email and social media to healthcare professionals in Kuwait and the GCCC. Results: 124 participants have completed the survey. Majority have developed a protocol for resuming back elective surgery (71%) and will consult local ministry of health or hospital guidelines for resuming the elective surgery (75%). More than half of the participants haven’t started elective surgery in their hospital at the time of the study. For those who are planning for resuming elective surgery, 39% will start elective surgery with both cancer and non-cancer cases, while 27% have started elective surgery already. By the time of completing the survey, 34% have started elective surgery with both cancer and noncancer cases, while 19% started with cancer cases only. One NP-PCR preoperatively was used by 44.4% and 48% tested patients 48-72 hours before surgery. Forty-six percent indicated that their protocol include testing of surgeons and medical staff for SARS-COV2 only when symptomatic. 40.7% used telemedicine for patient’s consultation, triaging, post-operative follow-up, and team meetings. Conclusion: Kuwait and the GCC face the same global challenges in resuming elective surgery. Great efforts are needed to overcome the long backlog of elective cases after the end of covid-19 crisis while accounting for resources, surgical condition, patient’s complexity, and fair accessibility to surgery.
Property Improvement of TiNi by Cu Addition for Orthodontics Applications

This study aims to investigate mechanical properties and transformation behavior of TiNiCu shape memory alloys to obtain optimal conditions for utilizing as orthodontic wires. TiNi binary alloys with Ni-content 50.6 at. %, TiNiCu alloys with Cu-content ranging from 5 to 10 at. % were prepared. The alloys were melted by electrical arc-melting method and then homogenized at 800°C for 3600 s. The alloys were subsequently sliced into thin plates (1.5 mm) by EDM wire cutting machine. To evaluate mechanical properties, the specimens were cold-rolled with 10, 20 and 30%, followed by heat treatment at 400°C and 600°C for 3600 s, respectively. A Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) was used to detect transformation temperatures. Mechanical properties were evaluated by micro hardness and three-point bending tests. The results showed that transformation temperatures were strongly increased with increasing Ni-content. Moreover, the decrease in transformation temperature after increasing level of cold-rolling reduction ratio suggests that internal stress can depress transformation. However, internal stress seemed to support the introduction of superelasticity for each specimen. In addition, specimens heat treated at 400°C have, more appropriate properties as orthodontic wires than those heat-treated at 600°C due to the remaining effect of cold-working. These results can be take into consideration for optimizing alloy composition and mechanical properties of TiNiCu shape memory alloys for orthodontics wires purposes.
Characterization of a Traffic Management System Using Pyroelectric Infrared Sensors

The hardware and software is described for a traffic flow system based on infrared sensors. Ultrasonic ranging and the infrared sensor-based speed measurement programs are compared. The selection of infrared sensors and the application of a Fresnel lens are described. A pyroelectric sensor is used in the infrared detection system to monitor vehicle information and convert it into an electrical signal. Using an amplifier circuit and a window comparator, external interrupt signals of a microcontroller are triggered to characterize traffic-flow and vehicle velocity. The system has adjustable sensitivity and a simple design and includes automatic threshold adjustment circuit, an adjustment scheme for a digital potentiometer, and an interrupt function program. In addition, the traffic-flow and vehicle-velocity are displayed. An application of the system is reported.
In-Situ Active Noise Cancellation Applied to Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a powerful medical diagnostic tool. Unfortunately, the loud noise produced during scanning is unpleasant and potentially harmful to patients and may limit imaging protocol. A variety of approaches have been proposed to reduce noise exposure. Prior studies have been conducted in a sound quality chamber to aid in the development and implementation of hardware, algorithms, and procedures, which resulted in an active noise cancellation system tailored to conditions present during MRI. The active noise control system generates a secondary sound signal fed into a set of headphones worn by the patient. This system performs well during physical simulation of scanning conditions. In this study, the headphones are worn by a dummy during in-situ MRI scanning. Our specific effort is to take a selected successful experiment under simulated conditions and repeat it during live scanning to evaluate the real time performance of the system conducted in-situ. Evaluation of a common scanning sequence was conducted and the procedure adjusted to maximize the performance of the system. The sound pressure levels (SPLs) at the patient’s ear were measured with and without active control operational, and the results are compared to evaluate the active noise cancellation system’s performance during live scans.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Investigation on Nonlinear Dynamics Characteristics of Vibration Friction System Based on Vibration Pile Driver

As a branch of Utilization of vibration, vibration friction is a type of the most valued applicable technology developed during the later part of the 20th century and still in rapid development now. Since the technology is closely associated with industrial and agricultural production, can create huge social and economical benefits for our society and provide excellent service for human beings, it becomes a necessary mechanism in human production and life. The theory of the vibrating machines has been developed and used widely in this field. In this paper, nonlinear dynamic characteristics of vibration friction system based on vibration pile driver were investigated. According to dynamics theory, the motion equation of vibration friction system was established. For further study of vibration friction mechanism and its application on vibrating machines, numerical simulation of vibration pile-soil system was made. Chaos was found in the process of motion. The conclusion of our research is that vibration can decrease rub and wears between vibrating body and materials and it is very important to prolong the working life of machines and their parts.
Aperture Coupling Between Dielectric Image Lines

Aperture coupling between dielectric image lines is used develop a design technique for directional couplers at millimeter-wave frequencies. Expressions for coupling coefficients and directivity, employing coupling between image lines through apertures in the common ground plane are developed. The design procedure is illustrated by application 10-, 20-, and 30-dB directional couplers in rectangular image lines with circular aperture coupling.
Reliability-based sensitivity analysis of ships

Failure of a ship hull girder is a very important failure mode, which is normally catastrophic and has severe consequences. It is of great importance to predict accurately the ultimate strength of a hull girder so that an adequate but not excessive safety margin for this failure can be ensured in the ship design. This study proposes a method for reliability-based analysis of the ultimate strength of a hull girder. The reliability method is interactively integrated with progressive collapse analysis so that the uncertainties in individual random variables relating to the prediction of the ultimate strength of a hull girder can be accurately considered in reliability analysis and that sensitivity factors of these random variables can be probabilistically evaluated. The ultimate strength will be evaluated using a progressive collapse analysis methodology with the appropriate individual element stress-strain curves derived interactively. The method is applied to two example structures and the sensitivities of the reliability to the random variables are presented.
High-speed charge transfer sense amplifier for 0.5 V DRAM array applications

A new high-speed charge transfer sense amplifier scheme is proposed for 0.5 V DRAM array applications. The combination of both the cross-coupled structure and the boosting capacitance used in the proposed sense amplifier leads to a maximum voltage difference between sense nodes. Based on post-layout simulations, the charge transfer speed and the voltage difference after charge transfer are improved 40.7% and 59.29%, respectively, over the prior art circuits. The power-delay product is then enhanced 38.26%. Besides, both high voltage pre-charge levels and high voltage control signals are not required in this proposed circuit as compared with prior arts.
Flow and Stress Induced Cavitation in a Journal Bearing With Axial Throughput

The problem of predicting flow between rotating eccentric cylinders with axial throughput is studied. The system models a device used to test the stability of emulsions against changes in drop size distribution. The analysis looks for the major variation in flow properties which could put an emulsion at risk due to coalescence or breakage and finds the most likely candidate in the pressure gradient defined as the ratio of the difference between the maximum and minimum pressure to the arc length between the difference. The axial throughput is modeled by flow driven by a constant pressure gradient. The flow is calculated from the Navier-Stokes equation using the code SIMPLER (Patankar 1980). The effects of inertia at values typical for the device are studied. Several eccentricities and different rotational speeds are computed to sample the changes in flow and stress parameters in the idealized device for typical conditions. The numerical analysis is validated against the lubrication approximation in the low Reynolds number case. Conditions for stress induced cavitation are evaluated. The flow is completely determined by a Reynolds number, an eccentricity ratio and a dimensionless pressure gradient and all computed results are either presented or can be easily expressed in terms of these dimensionless parameters. The effect of inertia is to shift the eddy or re-circulation zone which develops in the more open region of the gap toward the region of low relative pressure; the zero of the relative pressure migrates away from the center and the distribution breaks the skew symmetry of the Stokes flow solution. The state of stress in the journal bearing is analyzed and a cavitation criterion based on the maximum tensile stress is compared with the traditional criterion based on pressure.
A spatiotemporal steroidogenic regulatory network in human fetal adrenal glands and gonads

Human fetal adrenal glands produce substantial amounts of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), which is one of the most important precursors of sex hormones. However, the underlying biological mechanism remains largely unknown. Herein, we sequenced human fetal adrenal glands and gonads from 7 to 14 GW via the 10× Genomics single-cell transcriptome techniques and reconstructed their location information by Spatial Transcriptome, conducted COOL-seq for the MC2R+ inner zone steroidogenic cells during the time window of sex differentiation (8-12GW). We found that relative to gonads, adrenal glands begin to synthesize steroids early. The coordination among steroidogenic cells and multiple nonsteroidogenic cells promotes adrenal cortex construction and steroid synthesis. Notably, during the time window of sex differentiation (8–12 GW), key enzyme gene expression shifts to accelerate DHEA synthesis in males and cortisol synthesis in females. Furthermore, high SST+ expressions in the adrenal gland and testis amplify androgen synthesis in males. Our research highlights the robustness of the action of fetal adrenal glands on gonads to modify the process of sexual differentiation.
Fault Detection by Signal Reconstruction in Nuclear Power Plants

In this work, the recently developed auto associative bilateral kernel regression (AABKR) method for on-line condition monitoring of systems, structures, and components (SSCs) during transient process operation of a nuclear power plant (NPP) is improved. The advancement enhances the capability of reconstructing abnormal signals to the values expected in normal conditions during both transient and steady-state process operations. The modification introduced to the method is based on the adoption of two new approaches using dynamic time warping (DTW) for the identification of the time position index (the position of the nearest vector within the historical data vectors to the current on-line query measurement) used by the weighted-distance algorithm that captures temporal dependences in the data. Applications are provided to a steady-state numerical process and a case study concerning sensor signals collected from a reactor coolant system (RCS) during start-up operation of a NPP. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method for fault detection during steady-state and transient operations.
Application of GM(1,1)-Markov chain combined model to China's automobile industry

In this paper, we propose a new dynamic analysis model which combines the first-order one-variable grey differential equation model (abbreviated as GM(1,1) model) from grey system theory and the Markov chain model from stochastic process theory. We abbreviate the combined GM(1,1)-Markov chain model to MGM(1,1) model. This combined model takes advantage of the high predicting power of the GM(1,1) model and at the same time takes advantage of the predicting power of Markov chain modelling on the discretised states based on the GM(1,1) modelling residual sequence. For prediction accuracy improvements, Taylor approximation is further applied to the MGM(1,1) model. We call the improved version the T-MGM(1,1) model. As an illustrative example, we use statistical data recording the number of China's privately owned vehicles from 1986 to 2004 for a validation of the effectiveness of the T-MGM(1,1) model.
Using artificial neural network to analyze harmonic overvoltages during power system restoration

During early stage of primary restoration process, unexpected overvoltage may happen due to nonlinear interaction between the unloaded transformer and the transmission system. Such an overvoltage might damage some equipment and delay power system restoration. Artificial neural network (ANN) is addressed in this work, in order to estimate the temporary overvoltages (TOVs) due to transformer energization. In the proposed methodology, Levenberg–Marquardt second order method is used to train the multilayer perceptron. Equivalent parameters of the network are added to ANN inputs to achieve good generalization capability for trained ANN. The developed ANN is trained with the worst case scenario of switching angle and remanent flux, and tested for typical cases. The simulated results for a partial of 39-bus New England test system, show that the proposed technique can estimate the peak values and duration of switching overvoltages with good accuracy. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Novel Application of Ketamine for Improving Perioperative Sleep Disturbances

Abstract Perioperative sleep disturbances are commonly observed before, during, and after surgery and can be caused by several factors, such as preoperative negative moods, general anesthetics, surgery trauma, and pain. Over the past decade, the fast-acting antidepressant effects of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist ketamine represent one of the most attractive discoveries in the field of psychiatry, such as antidepressant and anxiolytic effects. It is also widely used as a short-acting anesthetic and analgesic. Recent research has revealed new possible applications for ketamine, such as for perioperative sleep disorders and circadian rhythm disorders. Here, we summarize the risk factors for perioperative sleep disturbances, outcomes of perioperative sleep disturbances, and mechanism of action of ketamine in improving perioperative sleep quality.
Productivité dans une économie vieillissante, quels enseignements tirer de la littérature ?

The aging process, which corresponds notably to a higher longevity, results in an increasing share of the over 60-years-old people for the coming decades. In such a context, this article ? based on the latest economic researches ? examines how an aging society could improve its productivity. First of all, it must be emphasized that the aging process is also a rejuvenation at each given age, which makes individual productivity increase. While the supposed decline of individual productivity due to age appears questionable and limited, the investment in education and health could lead to considerable gains in productivity. However, threats weighing on innovation and firms? setting up process could prevent productivity from being high. Finally, the shift in demand structure due to demographic changes is very likely to impact productivity. At the end of this review, and far from totally deterministic scenarii, the most relevant levers of action for improving productivity in an aging society are identified.
LAND CONCENTRATION AND LONG-RUN DEVELOPMENT IN THE FRONTIER UNITED STATES∗

A patchwork of policies enabled large, absentee landlords to own significant parts of the American frontier, belying its reputation as a bastion of pioneer equality. This paper studies the impacts of land concentration on the long-run development of the frontier using quasi-random variation from a checkerboard allocation formula. I collect a database of modern property tax valuations covering 380,000 square miles and show that historical land concentration had persistent effects over a span of 150 years: lowering investment by 23%, overall property value by 4.5%, and population by 3-8%. Investment gaps were higher historically and reflect landlords’ less intensive forms of agriculture, namely ranching over crop farming. I argue that landlords’ use of share tenancy raised the costs of investment, an inefficiency that persisted due to land market frictions. I find little evidence for other explanations, including legal restrictions from the Homestead Act. JEL codes: Q15, O13, N51. Please find the latest version here ∗Contact: Cory Smith, corybsmith@gmail.com. This research was generously funded by the George and Obie Shultz Fund. I am extremely grateful to my advisors Daron Acemoglu, Abhijit Banerjee, and Dave Donaldson as well as Melissa Dell, Tavneet Suri, Esther Duflo, the participants in the MIT Development Lunch, and the participants at the NBER Summer Institutes for their feedback on innumerable versions of this project. This project could not have been completed without the help of Madyha Leghari, Raquel Meneses, Mahvish Shaukat, Jetson Leder-Luis, Madeline McKelway, Sarah Abraham, Alex Olssen, Ryan Hill, Donghee Jo, Lisa Ho, Moya Chin, Pablo Azar, Colin Gray, and Nathan Zorzi, who unerringly gave their time to help develop ideas, create graphic designs, plan presentations, and proofread. Finally, the data and stories presented herein would have been incomplete without the work of county property assessors, recorders of deeds, and historians. I would particularly like to thank the Montana and Florida departments of revenue as well as the Albany, Carbon, Goshen, Laramie, Lincoln, Platte, Sweetwater, and Uinta county assessors in Wyoming for providing their high-quality assessment data free of charge. Dr. Gayla Koerting of the Nebraska State Archives, Lois Block, the Lincoln County, Nebraska Recorder of Deeds, and Donna Trompke of the Sherman County, Nebraska Historical Society were eternally patient in the face of innumerable inquiries made to them.
Circularly Polarized Linear Array Antenna Using a Dielectric Image Line

A new circularly polarized antenna using a dielectric image line is proposed. This antenna is composed of a slotted conductive plane and a rectangular dielectric rod. This paper describes the design of and experimental results achieved with the circularly polarized array antenna fed by a dielectric image line. The fundemental characteristics of the image line are also presented. Since this line's losses are far lower than the microstrip line losses in the millimeter wavebands, antenna feed line losses expect to be also very low. Bandwidth within the 2-dB axial ratio was more than 7 percent, and the angle range within the same ratio was more than +-7.8 degrees at 29.5 GHz. This antenna is far superior to the microstrip line feed array antenna in the millimeter wavebands.
Data-Based Intelligent Frequency Control of VSG via Adaptive Virtual Inertia Emulation

This article proposes an optimal virtual inertia control for the virtual synchronous generator (VSG) controlled inverter-based microgrid (MG) with the integration and application of large-scale renewable energy resources. Using a data-based optimization technique, the optimal virtual inertia is designed to adjust the emulated inertia parameter based on the frequency change in the MGs, while margin and the respective energy requirements are reserved at the same time. The proposed controller is combined into an up-to-date ac MG control and verified based on MATLAB/Simulink. The simulation results illustrate that the proposed control method improves the frequency drop and the rate of change of the frequency compared to the conventional droop control, VSG control, adaptive virtual inertia control proposed recently, while more dc-side energy is reserved.
Dynamics Modelling and Simulation Environment for Rapid Manipulator Design

For rapid development of space robotics mission scenarios, DLR provides an efficient assembly and simulation environment. It combines a CAD based robotic subsystems data base with kinematic and kinetic software tools for modeling and simulating the behaviour of the entire robotic system. In space environment, redundant manipulators are prefered. This paper addresses two implemented approaches for solving inverse kinematics and kinetics of such kind of systems.