Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
ORIGINAL COMMUNICATION Social diversity of Irish adults nutritional intake

Objective: The first health and lifestyle survey of Irish adults was carried out in 1998 and aimed to describe the health-related lifestyle behaviours of a cross-section of various population strata residing in the Republic of Ireland. This paper reports on the social variation in nutrient intake. Design: A self-administered postal questionnaire, including a 149 food item semiquantitative food frequency section, from which nutrient intakes were estimated based on McCance and Widdowson food composition tables. Setting: Community-based adults aged 18 years and over residing in the Republic of Ireland on the Register of Electors. Subjects: A stratified sample of adults on the Register of Electors received the questionnaire, of which 6539 (62%) were returned. Results: The contribution of fat to total energy intake increased with decreasing socioeconomic grouping, a finding reflective of the higher consumption levels of foods high in fat by respondents from socially disadvantaged groups. Energy from carbohydrates was greatest among those from socially advantaged groups, and was close to the recommended 50% of the total energy intake. Conversely, energy from protein decreased with increasing social status group. The mean intake of vitamins and minerals was generally close to or above the recommended values. Significant variation was observed among females across the different levels of education, whereas living with someone appeared to influence the micronutrient intake of males. The reported diets of males and females over the age of 65 years were lacking in vitamin D. Mean calcium levels among males were borderline and females over the age of 65 years had mean dietary iron levels below the recommended intake. Conclusions: For the first time, quantification of nutrient intake in the different social groups in Ireland has been undertaken. A healthy balance of energy derived from fat, protein and carbohydrate is best achieved among respondents from higher social positions. The positive relation observed with healthy food intake and increasing education level was also present in macronutrient intake and a clear gender and social support interplay was seen in the nutrient intake levels. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2003) 57, 865–875. doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn. 1601620
Path Planning of Multiple Agents Through Probability Flow

A multi-agent problem arises when there are multiple intelligent agents that cannot avoid considering each other’s presence. In the context of path planning, this translates into all those situations where multiple agents have to move in the same spatial environment, such as air-traffic control, robotic warehouse management, autonomous driving, etc. In this work, we propose a fully probabilistic approach to solving multi-agent path planning by mapping the intentions of other agents within a probabilistic flow. The coordination among different agents emerges naturally and each agent can reach its own goal without generating spatio-temporal conflicts.
Electricity Intensity Patterns for New Zealand, Selected Countries and World Regions (S09.3)

This paper investigates the patterns of electricity intensity, electricity intensity curves and electricity intensity factors for New Zealand, as well as for selected countries and various regions of the world. The period chosen is that from 1980 to the present, before and through the period of recent electricity reforms, restructuring and de-regulation. In general the patterns over time are smooth regardless of the size of the society under consideration. They appear uninfluenced by the adoption of regulatory or market type economies and their promotion through political direction. The link between economic performance and electricity consumption is stronger in developing countries than for industrialized countries.
Analysis of the Capability of Deep Learning Algorithms for EEG-based Brain-Computer Interface Implementation

Machine learning models have received significant attention for their exceptional performance in classifying electroencephalography (EEG) data. They have proven to be highly effective in extracting intricate patterns and features from the raw signal data, thereby contributing to their success in EEG classification tasks. In this study, we explore the possibilities of utilizing contemporary machine learning algorithms in decoding brain activity signals for a quick and efficient feature extraction in a potential BCI application. Specifically, the EEG data is associated with movement imagination as well as the state of relaxation. A total of 4 models based on neural networks, with distinct structures, were implemented and evaluated on a proprietary subject-specific dataset: EEGNet, EEG Inception, Spatial-Temporal Tiny Transformer (S3T), DeepConvNet. The experiments resulted in promising prediction accuracy. However, the performance of classifiers was not evaluated for new subjects or different hardware.
Private Blockchain-Based Wireless Body Area Network Platform for Wearable Internet of Thing Devices in Healthcare

In recent years, healthcare systems have included the Internet of Things (IoT) technology in their services, such as in remote patient monitoring systems. Wearable IoT devices can provide information regarding the patient's health that are accurate and time-sensitive. However, vulnerabilities are evident as more IoT devices connect to the network. For healthcare services, the security of patient data is an issue. At the same time, with real-time data transmissions, the network runs into manageability concerns. In this work, we propose a private blockchain-based Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) platform to aid wearable IoT devices in healthcare services. We chose this blockchain technology due to its strengths in security. Then, we enable a distributive architecture using WBANs to introduce a decentralized configuration that can ensure privacy among wearable IoT devices within the network. To evaluate the feasibility of the proposed platform in terms of latency and throughput, we conducted experiments with several wearable IoT devices. The results show that integrating a WBAN to create a fog server improves the network performance with an increasing number of IoT devices and packet size. Also, the blockchain showed its ability to address security threats in healthcare services. We evaluate our proposed platform through a performance test and a STRIDE threat model, and we prove its feasibility in improving the security and manageability of wearable IoT devices in healthcare.
First record of the crocodile shark Pseudocarcharias kamoharai (Chondrichthyes: Lamniformes) in the coastal waters of Andhra Pradesh, India

The crocodile shark Pseudocarcharias kamoharai is recorded for the first time from the Visakhapatnam waters, Andhra Pradesh, India, based on three female specimens collected in December 2017 from commercial gillnetters. The morphological, morphometric and meristic characteristics of the specimens are provided in the present paper.
Unilateral optogenetic kindling of hippocampus leads to more severe impairments of the inhibitory signaling in the contralateral hippocampus

The kindling model has been used extensively by researchers to study the neurobiology of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) due to its capacity to induce intensification of seizures by the progressive recruitment of additional neuronal clusters into epileptogenic networks. We applied repetitive focal optogenetic activation of putative excitatory neurons in the dorsal CA1 area of the hippocampus of mice to investigate the role of inhibitory signaling during this process. This experimental protocol resulted in a kindling phenotype that was maintained for 2 weeks after the animals were fully kindled. As a result of the different phases of optogenetic kindling (OpK), key inhibitory signaling elements, such as KCC2 and NKCC1, exhibited distinct temporal and spatial dynamics of regulation. These alterations in protein expression were related to the distinct pattern of ictal activity propagation through the different hippocampal sublayers. Our results suggest the KCC2 disruption in the contralateral hippocampus of fully kindled animals progressively facilitated the creation of pathological pathways for seizure propagation through the hippocampal network. Upon completion of kindling, we observed animals that were restimulated after a rest period of 14-day showed, besides a persistent KCC2 downregulation, an NKCC1 upregulation in the bilateral dentate gyrus and hippocampus-wide loss of parvalbumin-positive interneurons. These alterations observed in the chronic phase of OpK suggest that the hippocampus of rekindled animals continued to undergo self-modifications during the rest period. The changes resulting from this period suggest the possibility of the development of a mirror focus on the hippocampus contralateral to the site of optical stimulations. Our results offer perspectives for preventing the recruitment and conversion of healthy neuronal networks into epileptogenic ones among patients with epilepsy.
Influence of Bovine Follicular and Oviduct Fluids on Sperm Capacitation in Vitro Materials and Methods Fluid Collection and Preparation Total Protein and Glycosaminoglycan Determination Sperm Preparation and Culture Procedures

The ability of bovine follicular fluid (FF) and oviduct fluid (ODF) to capacitate sperm was determined. At concentrations of greater than 20%, both FF and ODF capacitated sperm within 4 hours, but at concentrations greater than 40%, FF also initiated the acrosome reaction. Non-luteal ODF at a concentration greater than 60% capacitated sperm within 2 hours. Non-luteal ODF maintained sperm motility better than either luteal ODF or FF. Sperm previously capacitated in ODF underwent the acrosome reaction when exposed to solubilized zonae pellu-cidae (25 ng/p.L) or FF (20%, V/V). Sperm treated with 60% non-luteal ODF or 60% FF fertilized more oocytes at 2 hours than did sperm in treatments with less concentrated fluid. After 4 hours, all fluid treatments and modified Tyrode's medium supplemented with heparin exhibited a higher percentage of fertilized oocytes than the modified Tyrode's medium alone. Concentrations of both protein and glycosaminoglycans were significantly lower in ODF than in either blood serum or FF. These studies demonstrated that ODF capacitated sperm and sustained motil-ity, but sperm were capacitated more rapidly in non-luteal than in luteal ODF. In contrast, FF was able to both capacitate sperm and induce the acrosome reaction. These effects of ODF and FF on aspects of sperm function were uniquely concentration-dependent, suggesting that different mechanisms may operate in ODF and FF to regulate these events. T he molecular changes associated with sperm capacita-tion and the factors that regulate them are not fully understood. It is evident that during capacitation, changes occur in the composition and organization of membrane components (O'Rand, 1982; Oliphant et al, 1985) and in the molecules associated with the outer surface of the sperm membrane. Much of the experimental evidence in this area is derived from in vitro methods developed to capacitate sperm. In vivo, however, it is the fluid within the lumen of the oviduct that serves as the capacitating environment for the gametes before and during fertilization. Oviduct fluid is comprised of both a selective transudate of serum Oliphant et al, 1978) and secretory products from the ovi-Shapiro et al, 1971; Stone et al, 1980). These secretory products are thought to be present in virtually all mamma-lian species (Fredricsson, 1969). Oviduct and ovarian secretions have been shown to influence sperm capacitation in vivo in the rabbit and in vitro for hamster, mouse, and bovine sperm (Yanagimachi, 1969a, b; Chang and Hunter, et al, 1989). Capacitation develops rapidly in rabbit …
Current Status of Conservation and Research on Black-necked Cranes

Tibet is the main breeding and wintering areas of the black-necked crane(Grus nigricollis). Over 4000 black-necked cranes breed and over 6000 winter in Tibet every year.At present there are two national nature reserves for black-necked cranes in Tibet,the Selingcuo(8936.3km2)Reserve and the southwest Yalungzangbu River Nature Reserve(6143.5km2),and they play important roles in the protection of the black-necked crane.Chinese researchers have done a lot of work on researching and protecting the black-necked cranes since 1980.This paper reviews the distribution,population ecology,habitat status and protecting situation of the black-necked cranes in Tibet,some suggestions are proposed for further protection in the future.
PMU Network Routing for Resilient Observability of Power Grids

Smart grid technologies have been transforming the power grid operation paradigms by integrating smart sensing devices, advanced communication networks, and powerful computing resources. In addition, data-driven applications have significantly increased in recent years, accelerating the use of smart sensors, such as phasor measurement units (PMU), in power grid monitoring. It necessitates a well-functioning communication network (CN) for PMU measurement data transfer to the control center even in the event of failures. This paper proposes a PMU network routing algorithm to ensure data transfer for control center's resilient observability to the power grid. The interdependent roles of PMUs in power grid observability is first identified based on the power grid topology. Then, a failure-tolerant routing algorithm is proposed to find data transfer paths in the CN that meets the power grid monitoring needs. The resultant routing paths ensure resilience against single link failure, where the resilience is defined in terms of grid observability. Besides, a cost metric is defined to minimize end-to-end delay in the network to facilitate real-time data transfer. Simulation results verify the superiority of the proposed routing algorithm compared with conventional fault-tolerant routing algorithms that are agnostic to the domain knowledge of power grid observability.
Multi-Model Motion Prediction for 360-Degree Video Compression

Efficient video compression is fundamental for enabling today’s highly interactive multimedia landscape. With the trend towards virtual reality, efficient storage and transmission of 360-degree video content becomes increasingly important. Recent works in this area addressed the design and investigation of 360-degree-specific motion models for improved compression efficiency. We investigate the strengths and limitations of these motion models and show that a single model cannot sufficiently cover all motion scenarios. A video codec that combines the strengths of multiple models in the motion compensation procedure is expected to achieve notable gains in compression efficiency. However, the additional motion model signaling and switching costs quickly outweigh the gains achieved by improved motion compensation. In this paper, we address this challenge by proposing advanced motion prediction and coding schemes that significantly reduce the resulting side information overhead. A novel multi-model motion vector prediction technique ensures seamless cooperation between different motion models by generalizing the motion modeling concept through forward and backward passes, and yields significant improvements in the overall compression efficiency. Our proposed hierarchical coding scheme is broadly applicable and is shown to be the most effective among comparable coding schemes. Experimental results demonstrate the performance of the proposed multi-model coding framework with average Bjøntegaard Delta rate savings of 3.20% with a peak of 4.49% based on PSNR and 2.76% with a peak of 4.04% based on WS-PSNR compared to the state-of-the-art H.266/VVC video coding standard.
Effects of sand-burial depth on Leymus chinensis seedlings emergence and growth

To investigate the effects of burial depth on the Leymus chinensis seedlings emergence and growth under natural conditions,a simulation study was conducted with four sand-burial depths(0,1,2 and 3 cm). The results showed that the seedlings emergence rate decreased with increasing burial depth,being 89.3%,81.5%,78.5% and 73.5% when the burial depths were 0,1,2 and 3 cm,respectively.During the first 25 days of growth,the aboveground plant height was higher in the treatments of 0-2 cm burial depth than in that of 3 cm burial depth,but no significant difference was observed among the four treatments by the end of the experiment(36 days after growth). With the increase of burial depth,the root length and number and the root/shoot ratio increased first but decreased then,leaf number decreased,and seedlings absolute height increased.It could be concluded that a sand-burial depth of 1-2 cm could be more suitable to the L.chinensis seedlings emergence and growth,while the burial depths of 0 and 3 cm could be unfavorable to the emergence and growth.
Design and Fabrication of X Band Frequency Selective Surface

Frequency selective surfaces (FSS) have gained significant attention in recent years due to their potential applications in modern electromagnetic and communication systems. This paper presents the design, analysis and manufacturing of an X-band band stop FSS. The X-band, spanning frequencies from 8 to 12 GHz, holds an important place in radar and satellite communication systems The proposed FSS design, characterized by a square patch with a central circular hole, offers selective signal attenuation in this range. Glass fiber fabric is used as a substrate, providing a lightweight integration into aerospace structures and offering cost-effectiveness. Through a combination of theoretical modelling and simulation results, the paper validates the band stop characteristics of the FSS. Furthermore, the proposed FSS is fabricated using the photo lithography method, the measurement results shows that it can provide-45 dB insertion loss at resonance frequency.
Trajectory Planning for Tethered Robots in Uncertain Environments

The present paper considers the problem of planar motion planning for environments with partially unknown obstacles for a robot with tether connection and missions with multiple target positions. The presence of a tether increases the complexity of the already challenging problem of dynamic motion planning by introducing additional feasibility constraints, i.e. not entangling the cable in any of the obstacles within the working space. For a given mission, the developed algorithm finds a closed trajectory such that after its execution the cable can be retrieved without difficulties. It combines the dynamic path-planning capabilities of the RRTX (Rapid-exploring Random Tree X) method with a geometric approach that efficiently identifies feasible paths that satisfy all the criteria imposed by the problem. Extensive simulation tests demonstrate the validity and reduced computational complexity of the proposed solution.
Design of an Electronic Health Record for Treating and Monitoring Oncology Patients in Chile

Identifying the clinical needs to evaluate and manage the treatment and monitoring of cancer patients is a multidimensional challenge in healthcare institutions. In this regard, electronic health records (EHRs) are beneficial for managing clinical information; however, EHRs focused exclusively on patients with cancer have not been sufficiently adopted. In Chile, the need for oncology EHR has only been briefly addressed, resulting in insufficient updated and systematized information on oncology patients. In this paper, we propose the design of an oncology EHR that manages critical variables and processes for the treatment and monitoring of patients with cancer in Chile. We used a systematic methodology to design a software architecture oriented to focus groups and interviews to elicit the requirements and needs of stakeholders. We created and described an EHR design that considers four modules that group and manage the main variables and processes that are critical for treating and monitoring oncology patients. Enabling and designing a treatment and monitoring registry for cancer patients in Chile is essential because it allows for the evaluation of strategic clinical decisions in favor of patients.
Jointly Optimal Caching and Routing Using Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning

In-network caching is frequently used to reduce unnecessary network traffic and lower server workload by allowing content to be accessed from the caching nodes in both wired and wireless networks. The drastic increasing mobile data traffic demands have conceived cooperative content sharing between nodes for addressing the storage limitation of a single node. In this paper, we explore the problem of minimizing transmission cost among cooperative nodes by jointly optimizing caching and routing in a hybrid network with vital support of service differentiation. We show that the optimal routing policy is a route-to-least cost-cache (RLC) policy for fixed caching policy. We formulate the cooperative caching problem as a Markov decision process (MDP) with the goal of maximizing the long-term average caching reward, which is NP-hard even when assuming users demands are perfectly known. Our study then proposes C-MAAC, a collaborative multi-agent deep reinforcement learning (MADRL) algorithm employing actor-critic learning model. C-MAAC has a key characteristic of centralized training and decentralized execution, with which challenge from the unstable training process caused by simultaneous decision of all agents can be addressed. After completing the offline training process, each node independently makes caching decision online during the execution process. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed algorithms under dynamic environment where user request traffic change rapidly.
SEDIMENTOLOGY OF THE BRAE OILFIELD, NORTH SEA: FAN MODELS AND CONTROLS

Submarine fans are important to the petroleum industry for their reservoir and source-rock potential. There are a variety of fan types that can be characterized by different fan models. In assessing which model, if any, is appropriate for a particular area or field it is important to evaluate the controls that operate to determine the type of fan developed. Most present-day fans that have been studied are deep-water oceanic; more work is required on modern examples of shallow-water, small-basin fans which are particularly relevant to hydrocarbon exploration.
A Review of Energy Hole Mitigating Techniques in Multi-Hop Many to One Communication and its Significance in IoT Oriented Smart City Infrastructure

A huge increase in the percentage of the world’s urban population poses resource management, especially energy management challenges in smart cities. In this paper, the growing challenges of energy management in smart cities have been explored and the significance of elimination of energy holes in converge cast communication has been discussed. The impact of mitigation of energy holes on the network lifetime and energy efficiency has been thoroughly covered. The particular focus of this work has been on energy-efficient practices in two major key enablers of smart cities namely, the Internet of Things (IoT) and Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). In addition, this paper presents a robust survey of state-of-the-art energy-efficient routing and clustering methods in WSNs. A niche energy efficiency issue in WSNs routing has been identified as energy holes and a detailed survey and evaluation of various techniques that mitigate the formation of energy holes and achieve balanced energy-efficient routing has been covered.