Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Feasibility of an Armature-Reaction-Compensated Permanent-Magnet Synchronous Generator in Island Operation

Armature-reaction-compensated permanent-magnet synchronous generators are a particular type of hybrid excitation synchronous generators, where the main flux is created by the permanent magnets and the field winding is needed only to compensate the armature reaction. This paper studies the feasibility of an armature-reaction-compensated permanent magnet synchronous generator in island operation by comparison with a conventional electrically excited synchronous generator and permanent magnet synchronous generator. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the performance of an armature-reaction-compensated permanent magnet synchronous generator and its operation principle in island operation. As part of the study, a 55 kW prototype was built and tested. The experimental results of the prototype are presented.
Increased Vesicle Recycling in Response to Osmotic Cell Swelling

Osmotic swelling of Intestine 407 cells leads to an immediate increase in cell surface membrane area as determined using the fluorescent membrane dye FM 1–43. In addition, as measured by tetramethylrhodamine isothiocyanate (TRITC)-dextran uptake, a robust (>100-fold) increase in the rate of endocytosis was observed, starting after a discrete lag time of 2–3 min and lasting for ∼10–15 min. The hypotonicity-induced increase in membrane surface area, like the cell swelling-induced release of ATP (Van der Wijk, T., De Jonge, H. R., and Tilly, B. C. (1999) Biochem. J. 343, 579–586), was diminished after 1,2-bis(2-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid-acetoxymethyl ester loading or cytochalasin B treatment. Uptake of TRITC-dextrans, however, was not affected. Treatment of the cells with the vesicle-soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor-specific protease Clostridium botulinum toxin F not only nearly eliminated the hypotonicity-induced increase in membrane surface area but also strongly diminished the release of ATP, indicating the involvement of regulated exocytosis. Both the ATP hydrolase apyrase and the MEK inhibitor PD098059 diminished the osmotic swelling-induced increase in membrane surface area as well as the subsequent uptake of TRITC-dextrans. Taken together, the results indicate that extracellular ATP is required for the hypotonicity-induced vesicle recycling and suggest that a positive feedback loop, involving purinergic activation of the Erk-1/2 pathway, may contribute to the release of ATP from hypo-osmotically stimulated cells.
Gender differences in collaborative learning over online social networks: Epistemological beliefs and behaviors

Online social networks are popular venues for computer-supported collaborative work and computer-supported collaborative learning. Professionals within the same discipline, such as software developers, often interact over various social network sites for knowledge updates and collective understandings. The current study aims at gathering empirical evidences concerning gender differences in online social network beliefs and behaviors. A total of 53 engineering postgraduate students were engaged in a blogging community for collaborative learning. Participants’ beliefs about collaboration and nature of knowledge and knowing (i.e. epistemological beliefs) are investigated. More specifically, social network analysis metrics including in-degree, out-degree, closeness centrality, and betweenness centrality are obtained from an 8-interval longitudinal SNA. Methodologically speaking, the current work puts forward mixed methods of longitudinal SNA and quantitative beliefs survey to explore online social network participants’ beliefs and behaviors. The study’s findings demonstrate significant gender differences in collaborative learning through online social networks, including (1) female engineering postgraduate students engage significantly more actively in online communications, (2) male engineering postgraduate students are more likely to be the potential controllers of information flows, and (3) gender differences exist in belief gains related to social aspects, but not individual's epistemic aspects. Overall, participants in both genders demonstrated enhanced beliefs in collaboration as well as the nature of knowledge and knowing. https://doi.org/10.34105/j.kmel. 2013.05. 017
RosE represses Std fimbrial expression in Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium

The Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium (S. typhimurium) genome contains a large repertoire of putative fimbrial operons that remain poorly characterized because they are not expressed in vitro. In this study, insertions that induced expression of the putative stdABCD fimbrial operon were identified from a random bank of transposon mutants by screening with immuno‐magnetic particles for ligand expression (SIMPLE). Transposon insertions upstream of csgC and lrhA or within dam, setB and STM4463 (renamed rosE) resulted in expression of StdA and its assembly into fimbrial filaments on the cell surface. RosE is a novel negative regulator of Std fimbrial expression as indicated by its repression of a std::lacZ reporter construct and by binding of the purified protein to a DNA region upstream of the stdA start codon. Expression of Std fimbriae in the rosE mutant resulted in increased attachment of S. typhimurium to human colonic epithelial cell lines (T‐84 and CaCo‐2). A rosE mutant exhibited a reduced ability to compete with virulent S. typhimurium for colonization of murine organs, while no defect was observed when both competing strains carried a stdAB deletion. These data suggest that a tight control of Std fimbrial expression mediated by RosE is required during host pathogen interaction.
Hybrid Deterministic-Stochastic Methods for Data Fitting

Many structured data-fitting applications require the solution of an optimization problem involving a sum over a potentially large number of measurements. Incremental gradient algorithms offer inexpensive iterations by sampling a subset of the terms in the sum. These methods can make great progress initially, but often slow as they approach a solution. In contrast, full-gradient methods achieve steady convergence at the expense of evaluating the full objective and gradient on each iteration. We explore hybrid methods that exhibit the benefits of both approaches. Rate-of-convergence analysis shows that by controlling the sample size in an incremental gradient algorithm, it is possible to maintain the steady convergence rates of full-gradient methods. We detail a practical quasi-Newton implementation based on this approach. Numerical experiments illustrate its potential benefits.
Patch Based Confidence Prediction for Dense Disparity Map

In this paper, we propose a novel method to predict the correctness of stereo correspondences, which we call confidence, and a confidence fusion method for dense disparity estimation. The input of our method consists in a two channels local window (disparity patch) which is designed by taking into account ideas of conventional confidence features. 1st channel is coming from the idea that neighboring pixels which have consistent disparities are more likely to be correct matching. In 2nd channel, a disparity from another image is considered such that the matches from left to right image should be consistent with those from right to left. The disparity patches are used as inputs of Convolutional Neural Networks so that the features and classifiers are simultaneously trained unlike what is done by existing methods. Moreover, the confidence is incorporated into Semi-Global Matching(SGM) by adjusting its parameters directly. We show the prominent performance of both confidence prediction and dense disparity estimation on KITTI datasets which are real world scenery.
High-Resolution Imaging of Dust Shells by Using Keck Aperture Masking and the IOTA Interferometer

We present first results of an experiment to combine data from Keck aperture masking and the Infrared-Optical Telescope Array to image the circumstellar environments of evolved stars with ~20 mas resolution. The unique combination of excellent Fourier coverage at short baselines and high-quality long-baseline fringe data allows us to determine the location and clumpiness of the innermost hot dust in the envelopes and to measure the diameters of the underlying stars themselves. We find evidence for large-scale inhomogeneities in some dust shells and also significant deviations from uniform brightness for the photospheres of the most evolved M stars. Deviations from spherically symmetric mass loss in the red supergiant NML Cyg could be related to recent evidence for dynamically important magnetic fields and/or stellar rotation. We point out that dust shell asymmetries, like those observed here, can qualitatively explain the difficulty recent workers have had in simultaneously fitting the broadband spectral energy distributions and high-resolution spatial information, without invoking unusual dust properties or multiple distinct shells (from hypothetical "superwinds"). This paper is the first to combine optical interferometry data from multiple facilities for imaging, and we discuss the challenges and potential for the future of this method, given current calibration and software limitations.
Rényi entropy power inequality and a reverse

This paper is twofold. In the first part, we present a refinement of the R\'enyi Entropy Power Inequality (EPI) recently obtained in \cite{BM16}. The proof largely follows the approach in \cite{DCT91} of employing Young's convolution inequalities with sharp constants. In the second part, we study the reversibility of the R\'enyi EPI, and confirm a conjecture in \cite{BNT15, MMX16} in two cases. Connections with various $p$-th mean bodies in convex geometry are also explored.
Purification, composition and antioxidant activity of polysaccharides from wolfberry, cherry, kiwi and cranberry fruits

Summary Water-soluble polysaccharides from wolfberry (Lycium barbarum L.), sweet cherry ( Prunus avium L.) , kiwi (Actinidia chinensis L.) and cranberry fruits (Vaccinium macrocarpon Aiton) were extracted with boiling water, fractionated using ion exchange column chromatography, and characterized for molecular weight by high performance size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC). Monomer sugar composition was determined by gas chromatography (GC), and antioxidant activity was assayed by oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC). All four types of fruit investigated had four separate polysaccharide fractions; however, the polysaccharides from sweet cherries had higher molecular weight fractions. All the fruits contained rhamnose, fucose, arabinose, xylose, mannose, galactose, and glucose, but the polysaccharides from different fruits, and from cherries of different cultivars and maturity levels, had different ratios of simple sugars. TEAC and ORAC assays revealed that raw and purified polysaccharides from cherries, cranberries, kiwi, and wolfberries have antioxidant activity, and sweet cherry polysaccharides have the highest antioxidant activity.
Attenuation of Monocrotaline-induced Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension in Rats by Rosuvastatin

Background: Although the effects of statins on pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) have been studied previously, the results remain uncertain. Objective: The aim of this study was to confirm the impacts of rosuvastatin on monocrotaline (MCT)-induced PAH and potential mechanisms. Methods: Rats were subjected to a single subcutaneous injection of MCT to induce PAH. In the prevention protocol, the rats received different doses of rosuvastatin (2 and 10 mg·kg−1·d−1) for 4 weeks since MCT injection, whereas in the treatment protocol, the rats received different doses of rosuvastatin 4 weeks after MCT injection for 4 weeks. At the end of the studies, hemodynamic parameters were measured, and the morphology of small pulmonary arteries (SPAs) and right ventricular hypertrophy were assessed. The expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in SPAs, and Rho kinase 1 (ROCK-1) and eNOS in lung tissue were determined. Results: Rosuvastatin administration could significantly lower mean pulmonary arterial pressure in both prevention and treatment protocols (P < 0.01, respectively), improve survival after PAH development (P < 0.05), and reduce wall thickening of SPAs and right ventricular hypertrophy (P < 0.01, respectively). At the molecular level, rosuvastatin could inhibit the expression of ROCK-1 (P < 0.05, respectively) and PCNA (P < 0.01, respectively) but restore the expression of eNOS (P < 0.05, respectively). These effects were found in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusions: The present data confirmed and extended the previous data regarding the protective impacts of statins on PAH. The effects of rosuvastatin seemed to be associated with the regulation of ROCK-1, PCNA, and eNOS expression.
Original Political Cartoon Methodology and Adaptations

This paper is grounded on the premise that effective educators base lessons on rich and intriguing content which is relevant to students’ lives, implement the content using engaging and age-appropriate methodology, and measure students’ learning through authentic assessments. In order to support practicing teachers’ effective implementation of best practice methodology and assessment, educational researchers investigate the interconnections between content, methodology, and assessment. As technology facilitates teaching methodologies and learning assessments, meaningful activities such as students’ original political cartooning should be examined, detailed, and adapted. In this article, the methodological suggestions for, and adaptations of, students’ original political cartoons guide educators who seek to enable students’ creative and critical expressions of understandings about complex historical content.
The State of the Union: Sexual Health Disparities in a National Sample of US College Students

Abstract Objective: To examine sexual health disparities between blacks and whites in a national sample of US college students. Participants and Method Summary: Analyses utilized secondary data from 44,165 nonmarried undergraduates (aged 18–24; M = 20.1) responding to the Spring 2007 American College Health Association–National College Health Assessment; 64% were female and 94.7% were white. Results: Whites reported more experience in oral and anal sex, were less likely to use condoms for oral, anal, and vaginal sex, and less likely to have been tested for HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) compared with blacks. However, blacks reported more sex partners, lower use of hormonal contraceptives, and higher rates of adverse sexual health outcomes, such as sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unintended pregnancy. Sexual behaviors and outcomes also varied across gender. Conclusions: This study highlights a need to increase access to hormonal contraceptives and early STI screening/treatment among blacks, improve HIV testing among whites, and increase condom use promotion for all students.
Bad Leadership: What It Is, How It Happens, Why It Matters

How is Saddam Hussein like Tony Blair? Or Kenneth Lay like Lou Gerstner? Answer: They are, or were, leaders. Many would argue that tyrants, corrupt CEOs, and other abusers of power and authority are not leaders at all--at least not as the word is currently used. But, according to Barbara Kellerman, this assumption is dangerously naive. A provocative departure from conventional thinking, Bad Leadership compels us to see leadership in its entirety. Kellerman argues that the dark side of leadership--from rigidity and callousness to corruption and cruelty--is not an aberration. Rather, bad leadership is as ubiquitous as it is insidious--and so must be more carefully examined and better understood. Drawing on high-profile, contemporary examples--from Mary Meeker to David Koresh, Bill Clinton to Radovan Karadzic, Al Dunlap to Leona Helmsley--Kellerman explores seven primary types of bad leadership and dissects why and how leaders cross the line from good to bad. The book also illuminates the critical role of followers, revealing how they collaborate with, and sometimes even cause, bad leadership. Daring and counterintuitive, Bad Leadership makes clear that we need to face the dark side to become better leaders and followers ourselves. Barbara Kellerman is research director of the Center for Public Leadership and a lecturer in public policy at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.
Health-Related Quality of Life in Older Coastal Residents After Multiple Disasters

Abstract Objective Exposure to multiple disasters, both natural and technological, is associated with extreme stress and long-term consequences for older adults that are not well understood. In this article, we address age differences in health-related quality of life in older disaster survivors exposed to the 2005 Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill and the role played by social engagement in influencing these differences. Methods Participants were noncoastal residents, current coastal residents, and current coastal fishers who were economically affected by the BP oil spill. Social engagement was estimated on the basis of disruptions in charitable work and social support after the 2005 hurricanes relative to a typical year before the storms. Criterion measures were participants’ responses to the SF-36 Health Survey which includes composite indexes of physical (PCS) and mental (MCS) health. Results The results of logistic regressions indicated that age was inversely associated with SF-36 PCS scores. A reduction in perceived social support after Hurricane Katrina was also inversely associated with SF-36 MCS scores. Conclusions These results illuminate risk factors that impact well-being among older adults after multiple disasters. Implications of these data for psychological adjustment after multiple disasters are considered. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:90–96)
The Impact of Random Help on the Dynamics of Indirect Reciprocity

Cooperation via indirect reciprocity uses a partner's reputation to enable subjects to direct help to those who cooperated themselves. As a partner's reputation provides information whether the partner helped a third party in the past or not, subjects can help those partners with a good reputation. Whereas help in former studies implied a denite monetary transfer to a third party, the present study explores the implica- tions for cooperation via indirect reciprocity if a helping decision does not necessarily involve a monetary transfer. The study employs a "repeated helping game" where a chance move determines whether help actually leads to a reward for the recipient or not. Hence, a good reputation may not coincide with a positive income for the third party. The experimental results show that, firstly, if a chance move determines the outcome of helping decisions, the information about the past decision of partners has a smaller effect on cooperation rates as compared to a situation where helping decisions denitely lead to rewards. This suggests that risk substantially inuences the dynamics of indi- rect reciprocity. Secondly, subjects only reciprocate the recipient's good reputation and disregard whether a good reputation also involves a benecial outcome for the third party. Here, ndings oppose those found in studies on direct reciprocity where both the player's good intentions or good will and the actual monetary amount transferred affect reciprocal back-givings.
The Growth Factor Progranulin Binds to TNF Receptors and Is Therapeutic Against Inflammatory Arthritis in Mice

A growth factor protects against arthritis in mice by blocking tumor necrosis factor–dependent signaling. The growth factor progranulin (PGRN) has been implicated in embryonic development, tissue repair, tumorigenesis, and inflammation, but its receptors remain unidentified. We report that PGRN bound directly to tumor necrosis factor receptors (TNFRs) and disturbed the TNFα-TNFR interaction. PGRN-deficient mice were susceptible to collagen-induced arthritis, and administration of PGRN reversed inflammatory arthritis. Atsttrin, an engineered protein composed of three PGRN fragments, exhibited selective TNFR binding. PGRN and Atsttrin prevented inflammation in multiple arthritis mouse models and inhibited TNFα-activated intracellular signaling. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that PGRN is a ligand of TNFR, an antagonist of TNFα signaling, and plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory arthritis in mice. They also suggest new potential therapeutic interventions for various TNFα-mediated pathologies and conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis.
Androgen receptor antagonists compromise T cell response against prostate cancer leading to early tumor relapse

Chemical androgen deprivation therapy may suppress adaptive immune responses and block the efficacy of immunotherapy. A winning combination Promising results for cancer immunotherapy in the clinic have led to attempts to combine immunotherapy with standard-of-care therapies, such as androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for prostate cancer. Now, Pu et al. report that although surgical ADT synergizes with immunotherapy to treat cancer, medical ADT may actually suppress adaptive immune responses and block the efficacy of immunotherapy. However, surgical ADT is irreversible, with ethical, psychological, and surgical concerns. The authors therefore characterized the mechanism of the immunosuppression and found that medical ADT interfered with initial T cell priming rather than reactivation and expansion. These data suggest that careful regulation of timing and dose could improve the efficacy of this combination therapy. Surgical and medical androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is a cornerstone for prostate cancer treatment, but relapse usually occurs. We herein show that orchiectomy synergizes with immunotherapy, whereas the more widely used treatment of medical ADT involving androgen receptor (AR) antagonists suppresses immunotherapy. Furthermore, we observed that the use of medical ADT could unexpectedly impair the adaptive immune responses through interference with initial T cell priming rather than in the reactivation or expansion phases. Mechanistically, we have revealed that inadvertent immunosuppression might be potentially mediated by a receptor shared with γ-aminobutyric acid. Our data demonstrate that the timing and dosing of antiandrogens are critical to maximizing the antitumor effects of combination therapy. This study highlights an underappreciated mechanism of AR antagonist–mediated immunosuppression and provides a new strategy to enhance immune response and prevent the relapse of advanced prostate cancer.