Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Retrofitting of existing parabolic trough collector power plants with molten salt tower systems

Existing thermal oil based parabolic trough collector (PTC) power plants have been commercially deployed since 2008. Parabolic trough technology dominates by ca. 90 % the global market of all operational commercial concentrated solar power (CSP) plants. Worldwide over 32 % of these PTC power plants have an indirect salt thermal storage system that enables night operation [1, 2]. Since existing parabolic trough power plants with thermal oil are limited regarding their maximum operating temperature, the addition and integration with a molten salt tower systems (MSTS) could be an attractive option to increase the temperature level of the thermal storage and steam cycle and thus the overall efficiency of the plant. This paper describes the conception, investigation and techno-economic evaluation for retrofitting an existing Andasol type parabolic trough power plant. The most promising out of five coupling configurations has been analyzed and evaluated for three different retrofitting concepts using greenius and EBSILON®Professional simulation tools. The analysis shows that retrofitting concepts based on the addition of a MSTS are only economically attractive, if the capital expenditure for the power block modification does not exceed 440 $/kW. The retrofitting of existing PTCs with a MSTS is economically unviable.
Prevalence of Insomnia and Its Psychosocial Correlates Among College Students in Hong Kong

Abstract Objective: This study examined the prevalence of insomnia and its psychosocial correlates among college students in Hong Kong. Participants: A total of 529 Hong Kong college students participated in the study. Methods: Participants completed a self-reported questionnaire that included the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Revised Life Orientation Test, the Perceived Stress Scale, and the Beck Depression Inventory, and questions about sociodemographic and lifestyle factors. A PSQI global score equal to or greater than 5 indicated insomnia. Results: Results indicated that 68.6% of the participants were insomniacs. Adjusted regression analyses revealed that optimism, stress, and depression significantly predicted insomnia (p < .01). Conclusions: These results suggest that insomnia is very common among Hong Kong college students and associated with other psychosocial factors. This study provides preliminary data on sleep quality and risk factors for insomnia, which may be used to guide sleep hygiene promotion and intervention among college students.
Fabrication of Superhydrophobic Metallic Surface by Wire Electrical Discharge Machining for Seamless Roll-to-Roll Printing

This paper presents a proposal of a direct one-step method to fabricate a multi-scale superhydrophobic metallic seamless roll mold. The mold was fabricated using the wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) technique for a roll-to-roll imprinting application to produce a large superhydrophobic surface. Taking advantage of the exfoliating characteristic of the metallic surface, nano-sized surface roughness was spontaneously formed while manufacturing the micro-sized structure: that is, a dual-scale hierarchical structure was easily produced in a simple one-step fabrication with a large area on the aluminum metal surface. This hierarchical structure showed superhydrophobicity without chemical coating. A roll-type seamless mold for the roll-to-roll process was fabricated through engraving the patterns on the cylindrical substrate, thereby enabling to make a continuous film with superhydrophobicity.
Categorisation through evidence accumulation in an active vision system

In this paper, we present an artificial vision system that is trained with a genetic algorithm for categorising five different kinds of images (letters) of different sizes. The system, which has a limited field of view, can move its eye so as to explore the images visually. The analysis of the system at the end of the training process indicates that correct categorisation is achieved by (1) exploiting sensory-motor coordination so as to experience stimuli that facilitate discrimination, and (2) integrating perceptual and/or motor information over time through a process of accumulation of partially conflicting evidence. We discuss our results with respect to the possible different strategies for categorisation and to the possible roles that action can play in perception.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Department of Economics Working Paper Series Inference for Extremal Conditional Quantile Models, with an Application to Market and Birthweight Risks Inference for Extremal Conditional Quantile Models, with an Application to Market and Birthweight Risks Original 

Quantile regression is an increasingly important empirical tool in economics and other sciences for analyzing the impact of a set of regressors on the conditional distribution of an outcome. Extremal quantile regression, or quantile regression applied to the tails, is of interest in many economic and financial applications, such as conditional value-at-risk, production efficiency, and adjustment bands in (S,s) models. In this paper we provide feasible inference tools for extremal conditional quantile models that rely upon extreme value approximations to the distribution of self-normalized quantile regression statistics. The methods are simple to implement and can be of independent interest even in the non-regression case. We illustrate the results with two empirical examples analyzing extreme fluctuations of a stock return and extremely low percentiles of live infants' birthweights in the range between 250 and 1500 grams.
Compressed Representations of Permutations, and Applications

We explore various techniques to compress a permutationover n integers, taking advantage of ordered subsequences in �, while supporting its application �(i) and the application of its inverse � −1 (i) in small time. Our compression schemes yield several interesting byproducts, in many cases matching, improving or extending the best existing results on applications such as the encoding of a permutation in order to support iterated applicationsk (i) of it, of integer functions, and of inverted lists and suffix arrays.
Analysis of Reactance Oscillators Having Multi-Mode Oscillations

We consider oscillators consisting of a reactance circuit and a negative resistor. They may happen to have multi-mode oscillations around the anti-resonant frequencies of the reactance circuit. This kind of oscillators can be easily synthesized by setting the resonant and anti-resonant frequencies of the reactance circuits. However, it is not easy to analyze the oscillation phenomena, because they have multiple oscillations whose oscillations depend on the initial guesses. In this paper, we propose a Spice-oriented solution algorithm combining the harmonic balance method with Newton homotopy method that can find out the multiple solutions on the homotopy paths. In our analysis, the determining equations from the harmonic balance method are given by modified equivalent circuit models of "DC," "Cosine" and "Sine" circuits. The modified circuits can be solved by a simulator STC (solution curve tracing circuit), where the multiple oscillations are found by the transient analysis of Spice. Thus, we need not to derive the troublesome circuit equations, nor the mathematical transformations to get the determining equations. It makes the solution algorithms much simpler.
Relation between pretransplant serum levels of soluble CD30 and acute rejection during the first 6 months after a kidney transplant.

OBJECTIVES The immunologic status of kidney allograft recipients affects transplant outcome. High levels of pretransplant serum soluble CD30 correlate with an increased risk of acute rejection. Studies show conflicting results. We evaluated the relation between pretransplant serum sCD30 levels with the risk of posttransplant acute kidney rejection in renal transplant recipients. MATERIALS AND METHODS This prospective cohort study was performed between March 2010 and March 2011 on 77 kidney transplant recipients (53 men [68.8%], 24 women [31.2%]; mean age, 41 ± 14 y). Serum samples were collected 24 hours before transplant and analyzed for soluble CD30 levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Patients were followed for 6 months after transplant. Acute biopsy-proven rejection episodes were recorded, serum creatinine levels were measured, and glomerular filtration rates were calculated at the first and sixth months after transplant. Preoperative serum soluble CD30 levels were compared in patients with and without rejection. RESULTS The mean pretransplant serum soluble CD30 level was 92.1 ± 47.3 ng/mL. At 6 months' follow-up, 10 patients experienced acute rejection. Mean pretransplant soluble CD30 levels were 128.5 ± 84 ng/mL versus 86.7 ± 37 ng/mL in patients with and without acute rejection episodes (P = .008). At 100 ng/mL, the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of pretransplant serum soluble CD30 level to predict acute rejection were 70%, 73.6%, 29.1%, and 94.3%. CONCLUSIONS We showed a significant relation between pretransplant serum soluble CD30 levels and acute allograft rejection. High pretransplant levels of serum soluble CD30 can be a risk factor for kidney transplant rejection, and its high negative predictive value at various cutoffs make it useful to find candidates with a low risk of acute rejection after transplant.
A Secure and Setting-Free Technique to Detect Loss of Field in Synchronous Generators

Loss-of-field (LOF) phenomenon in synchronous generators may cause equipment damage and voltage drop in the power system, which can be terminated to a blackout. Conventional schemes, which detect LOF on the basis of the measured impedance from the generator terminal viewpoint, have some major drawbacks such as low speed, complicated setting procedure, and unsecure performance in the face of similar phenomena, e.g., stable power swing. In this paper, different electrical quantities of the generator including terminal voltage (V), current (I ), active (P) and reactive power (Q), and power angle (δ) variations are studied to achieve a secure technique for LOF protection in synchronous generators. Comprehensive studies show that a simple criterion based on polarities of V, Q, and δ variations is accessible to achieve this goal, which does not need a complicated procedure to set it. To evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithm, some cases are simulated on sample power systems under various operating conditions. Also, superiority of the proposed algorithm in comparison with the other schemes is proven by the obtained results, as well. Moreover, the proposed technique is experimentally tested by using some 2-kVA laboratory generators to detect LOF.
Iterative Learning and Denoising in Convolutional Neural Associative Memories

The task of a neural associative memory is to retrieve a set of previously memorized patterns from their noisy versions by using a network of neurons. Hence, an ideal network should be able to 1) gradually learn a set of patterns, 2) retrieve the correct pattern from noisy queries and 3) maximize the number of memorized patterns while maintaining the reliability in responding to queries. We show that by considering the inherent redundancy in the memorized patterns, one can obtain all the mentioned properties at once. This is in sharp contrast with previous work that could only improve one or two aspects at the expense of the others. More specifically, we devise an iterative algorithm that learns the redundancy among the patterns. The resulting network has a retrieval capacity that is exponential in the size of the network. Lastly, by considering the local structures of the network, the asymptotic error correction performance can be made linear in the size of the network.
The structure of the Arts & Humanities Citation Index: A mapping on the basis of aggregated citations among 1,157 journals

Using the Arts & Humanities Citation Index (A&HCI) 2008, we apply mapping techniques previously developed for mapping journal structures in the Science and Social Sciences Citation Indices. Citation relations among the 110,718 records were aggregated at the level of 1,157 journals specific to the A&HCI, and the journal structures are questioned on whether a cognitive structure can be reconstructed and visualized. Both cosine-normalization (bottom up) and factor analysis (top down) suggest a division into approximately 12 subsets. The relations among these subsets are explored using various visualization techniques. However, we were not able to retrieve this structure using the Institute for Scientific Information Subject Categories, including the 25 categories that are specific to the A&HCI. We discuss options for validation such as against the categories of the Humanities Indicators of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the panel structure of the European Reference Index for the Humanities, and compare our results with the curriculum organization of the Humanities Section of the College of Letters and Sciences of the University of California at Los Angeles as an example of institutional organization. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Mechanical bend fatigue reliability of lead-free and halogen-free PBGA assemblies

In order to comply with impending legislative regulations in Europe (WEEE) and Japan and meet market demand for environmentally friendly products, electronics manufacturers are beginning to introduce lead-free solder and halogen-free PCBs into their products. The change of materials impacts the entire manufacturing supply chain, from component and solder-material suppliers to assembly equipment vendors. The manufacturability and reliability of several alternative lead-free alloys have examined in the literature. A majority of US based companies, working with NEMI, are selecting SnAgCu alloys, with minor compositional variations. However, much work is still required in the area of component and assembly reliability, especially in mechanical fatigue and impact loading, where the failure drivers are independent of the coefficient of thermal expansion. In this paper, the mechanical bend fatigue reliability of plastic ball grid array (PBGA) assemblies is investigated. Reliability of traditional PBGA assemblies is compared to those built with environmentally friendly materials. Experimental data is presented for four different combinations of tin-lead and lead-free solders as well as FR4 and Halogen-Free laminate substrates-TL/FR4, LF/FR4, TL/HF, and LF/HF. The fatigue life was correlated to the different failure modes. A transition in failure modes as a function of the applied load was observed. A three-dimensional parametric finite element model was developed to correlate the local PCB strains and solder joint plastic strains with the fatigue life of the assembly.
Small-gain conditions and Lyapunov functions applicable equally to iISS and ISS Systems without uniformity assumption

This paper addresses the problem of verifying stability of the interconnection of integral input-to-state stable (iISS) systems. This paper strengthens a Lyapunov approach to the problem to the point where the necessity of a small- gain condition holds without technical assumptions such as uniformity and analyticity required by previous work. This paper unifies the treatment of iISS and input-to-state stable (ISS) systems, which has not been achieved by any previous technique of constructing Lyapunov functions. It is shown that iISS systems and ISS systems can share a common form of Lyapunov functions to characterize stability of their interconnection with respect to external signals. Global asymptotic stability is also discussed.
Effect of epigallocatechin gallate on growth performance and serum biochemical metabolites in heat-stressed broilers.

This study aims to investigate the effects of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) on the growth performance and serum metabolic characteristics of heat-stressed broilers. A total of 192 14-day-old Arbor Acres broilers were divided into 4 groups with 6 replicates per group (8 chickens/cage). Thermoneutral group (Group TN) was fed the basal diet and maintained at 28°C for 24 h/d. The heat-stressed groups were housed at 35°C for 12 h/d and 28°C for 12 h/d and fed the basal diet supplemented with EGCG at 0, 300, and 600 mg/kg diet (Groups HS0, HS300, and HS600, respectively). The production performance and serum metabolic characteristics were analyzed at d 21, 28, and 35, respectively. At d 35 of age, heat stress reduced (P < 0.05) the body weight (BW), feed intake (FI) and the contents of serum total protein (TP) and glucose (GLU); inhibited (P < 0.05) alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity; But increased (P < 0.05) the contents of uric acid (UA), cholesterol (CHOL), triglyceride (TG), and the activities of creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), aspartate aminotransferase (AST). Heat-stressed chickens fed EGCG exhibited a linear increase (P < 0.05) in BW, FI, the levels of serum TP, GLU, and ALP activity; and linear decrease (P < 0.05) in the contents of serum UA, CHOL, and TG, as well as the activities of LDH, CK, and AST. Heat stress also reduced (P < 0.05) the activities of serum glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) on d 35 and increased (P < 0.05) the GSH-Px and SOD activity on d 21 and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents. There was a linear increase (P < 0.05) in activities of GSH-Px, SOD and CAT at 35 d of age, and linear decreased (P < 0.05) in MDA contents. In conclusion, EGCG can improve the growth performance of broilers by enhancing antioxidant property and alleviating oxidant damage caused by heat stress.
Markers of Bone Health, Renal Function, Liver Function, Anthropometry and Perception of Mood: A Comparison between Flat and National Hunt Jockeys

Abstract Given the requirement of professional jockeys to make-weight daily, we tested the hypothesis that Flat and National Hunt (Jump) jockeys would display compromised health markers (bone health, vitamin D, liver and kidney function and mood) compared with established clinical norms, with Flat jockeys affected the greater. Daily energy intake was lower in Flat compared with Jump jockeys (6.11±1.25 vs. 7.47±0.83 MJ.day − 1, P=0.01) whereas there was no difference in urine osmolality (811±198 vs. 678±317 mOsmol.kg − 1 respectively, P=0.13). Serum total 25(OH)D was insufficient in Flat and Jump jockeys (37.6±28 vs. 35.1±14 nmol.L − 1) respectively although there was no difference between groups (P=0.79). Markers of bone metabolism (Plasma β-carboxy-terminal cross-linked teleopeptide (CTX) and Intact Parathyroid Hormone (PTH) and liver and kidney function were within clinical normative ranges although CTX and PTH were higher than average. Abnormal mood profiles were observed in both groups although significantly poorer in the Flat jockeys (P=0.01). We conclude that the current practices of jockeys to make-weight may have detrimental effects upon their health with Flat jockeys affected more so than Jump jockeys. Future studies should investigate the effects of improved dietary practices on the mental and physical health of Flat and Jump jockeys.
Genetic enhancement of pearl millet and sorghum for the semi-arid tropics of Asia and Africa

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) and pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucu6m28(L.) R. Br. ), ranking fifth and sixth in global cereal hectarage, respectively, are the most important coarse-grain cereals in the semi-arid tropical regions of Asia and Africa. Pearl millet displays better adaptation to and is grown in relatively more marginal environments than sorghum. Under subsistence farming conditions, both crops have low grain yields (0.5–0.7 t·ha–1 for pearl millet and 0.7–0.9 t·ha–1 for sorghum), although improved hybrid cultivars give 3–4 t·ha–1 of realizable grain yields in better-endowed environments. African germplasm, especially Zera Zera sorghums from the Sudan–Ethiopian border in eastern Africa and Iniari pearl millets from the Togo – Ghana – Benin – Burkina Faso region of western Africa, has proved most useful for the genetic improvement of these crops. The greatest impact of improved cultivars (mostly hybrids) has occurred in India, where the area under high-yielding varieties (HYVs) increased from 6% for pearl millet and 3% for sorghum in the triennium 1968–1970 to 53% for pearl millet and 54% for sorghum in the triennium 1992–1994. During the same period, productivity of both crops increased by 59%, which is attributable to both genetic improvement and management factors. HYVs have now started to be adopted in some of the African countries as well (e.g., Chad, Cameroon, Botswana, and Zimbabwe for sorghum; Chad, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe for pearl millet). The availability of vast untapped genetic resources and continuing yield gains indicate that there are good prospects for future genetic improvement in the productivity of these crops, which can be accelerated with the application of biotechnological tools. Sorghum and pearl millet will continue to be important food crops in their traditional semi-arid tropical areas. Sorghum is already an important feed crop in the developed world and pearl millet has the potential to become an even better feed crop, as it has higher protein content and a better amino acid profile than sorghum. The nutritional value of both crops for food and feed use can be further improved by breeding. Also, through genetic enhancement, there exist opportunities for the development of sorghum and pearl millet cultivars suitable for alternative uses in the bakery and beverage industries.
DEVS-FIRE: design and application of formal discrete event wildfire spread and suppression models

DEVS-FIRE is a discrete event system specification (DEVS) model for simulating wildfire spread and suppression. It employs a cellular space model to simulate fire spread and agent models that interact with the cellular space to simulate fire suppression with realistic tactics. The complex interplay among forest cells and agents calls for formal treatment of the fire spread and fire suppression models to verify the correctness of DEVS-FIRE. This paper gives formal design specifications of fire spread and suppression agent models used in DEVS-FIRE and applies DEVS-FIRE to both artificially generated and real topography, fuels and weather data for a study area located in the US state of Texas. The paper also develops a new method, called pre_Schedule, for scheduling ignition events of forest cells more efficiently than the original onTime_Schedule event scheduling method used in DEVS-FIRE. Simulation results show the performance improvement of the new method, and demonstrate the utility of DEVS-FIRE as a viable discrete event model for wildfire simulations.
Evolution of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 serotypes in northern Tanzania: a retrospective study  

The HIV‐1 epidemic in Tanzania is characterized by the circulation of heterogeneous virus subtypes. A retrospective study was conducted to determine the changing pattern of circulating HIV‐1 subtypes in northern Tanzania. A peptide‐binding enzyme immunoassay (PEIA) was employed to analyse 305 HIV‐1 positive serum and plasma samples collected between 1985 and 2005. Samples were serotyped using synthetic peptides representing HIV‐1 genotypes A–E derived from consensus gp120 V3 sequences. Plasma samples collected in 2005 were V3 genotyped for comparison with PEIA results. In 1985, serotypes A and D were co‐circulating while serotype C was first detected in 1990. In 2001 and 2005, serotype C was the most prevalent, serotype A was stable, and serotype D was declining. PEIA is relatively rapid and simple to perform compared to molecular approaches, and is a valuable epidemiological tool in regions with limited resources. HIV‐1 classification into serotypes based on antigenic V3 diversity may be a useful screening tool for the identification of HIV‐1 variants with regard to diagnosis, treatment, disease progression and candidate vaccine development.