Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Non-isolated single stage PFC rectifier for wide-input large step-down voltage applications

This paper proposes a non-isolated single-stage high power factor rectifier suitable for applications requiring low-voltage and high-current output. The proposed converter integrates two buck-boost converters with a buck converter. As a result, the proposed converter can operate over a wide range of input voltage with extended low output voltage capability, making it suitable for universal input applications. The proposed topology utilizes two synchronized non-floating power switches with low current stress. Additional features are gained when the converter operates in discontinuous conduction mode (DCM). These features include low semiconductors voltage stress, zero-current switch at turn-on, and simple control with a fast well-regulated output voltage and near unity input power factor. Closed form equations of the design constraints for the proposed topology are presented. Simulation and preliminary experimental results are presented to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed technique.
Glucopyranosides Derived From 6-Aryl-5-Cyano-2-(Methylthio)Pyrimidin-4(3H)Ones

ABSTRACT The reaction of 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-α-D-glucopyranosyl bromide with a 6-aryl-5-cyano-2-(methylthio)pyrimidin-4(3H)one in aqueous acetone in the presence of KOH furnishes a 4-(β-D-glucopyranosyloxy)pyrimidine and a 3-(β-D-glucopyranosyl)pyrimidine as the major and minor product, respectively.
Sleep, Subcortical Stimulation and Kindling in the Cat

SUMMARY: A longitudinal study of the effects of sleep on amygdaloid kindling showed that kindling disrupted normal sleep patterns by reducing REM sleep and increasing awake time. Few interictal spike discharges were observed during the awake stage, while a marked increase in discharge was observed during the light and deep sleep stages. No discharges were observed during REM sleep. During the immediate post-stimulation period the nonstimulated amygdala showed a much higher rate of spike discharge. On the other hand, there was an increase in spike discharge in the stimulated amygdala during natural sleep without preceding amygdaloid stimulation. Amygdaloid stimulation at the generalized seizure threshold during each sleep stage resulted in a generalized convulsion. The influence of subcortical electrical stimulation on kindled amygdaloid convulsions was investigated in a second experiment. Stimulation of the centre median and the caudate nucleus was without effect on kindled convulsions, while stimulation of the mesencephalic reticular formation at high frequency (300 Hz) reduced the latency of onset of kindled generalized convulsions. Stimulation of the nucleus ventralis lateralis of the thalamus at low frequency (10 Hz) prolonged the convulsion latency, and at high current levels blocked the induced convulsion. Stimulation in the central gray matter at low frequency (10 Hz) also blocked kindled amygdaloid convulsions.
Control of gastric vascular resistance in cardiogenic shock.

That local splanchnic ischemia is associated with the acute gastric "stress" erosions seen in shock is well established. The hemodynamic mechanism mediating that ischemia is unknown. Pericardial tamponade was produced in anesthetized pigs while hemodynamic parameters were monitored in the systemic circulation as a whole and in the vascular beds of the celiac and left gastric arteries, respectively. Stepwise increases in pericardial pressure produced progressive decreases in arterial pressure and cardiac output (i.e., reproducible, quantitable, and rapidly reversible levels of cardiogenic shock). This produced a profound reduction in blood flow in the celiac and gastric beds that was significantly disproportionate to the reduction in cardiac output. This was due to significant increases in celiac and gastric vascular resistance that were more than twice as great as those seen in the systemic circulation as a whole (i.e., selective splanchnic vasoconstriction). This response was abolished by ablation of the renin-angiotensin axis, whether by bilateral nephrectomy, captopril, or saralasin, and mimicked, without tamponade, by the infusion of angiotensin II. Levels of celiac artery blood flow and resistance correlated significantly with endogenous levels of plasma renin activity. On the other hand, this response was not abolished by confirmed alpha-adrenergic blockade (phenoxybenzamine) or by sympathectomy. In this model, cardiogenic shock produces regional splanchnic ischemia in the celiac and gastric vascular beds by inducing a severe and disproportionate vasospasm that is mediated primarily by the renin-angiotensin axis.
An Unsupervised Algorithm for Finding Episode Boundaries Tracking Number : 488

This paper describes an unsupervised algorithm for segmenting categorical time series into episodes. The VotingExperts algorithm rst collects statistics about the frequency and boundary entropy of ngrams, then passes a window over the series and has two \expert methods" decide where in the window boundaries should be drawn. The algorithm segments text into words successfully in four languages. We claim that Voting-Experts nds meaningful episodes in categorical time series because it exploits two statistical characteristics of meaningful episodes.
Linear boundary extensions for finite length signals and paraunitary two-channel filterbanks

In this paper, we introduce a novel and general matrix formulation of artificial linear boundary extension methods for removing border effects inherent to any paraunitary two-channel size-limited filterbank. This new characterization of the transformation operator allows us to prove that perfect reconstruction (PR) of finite signals can be ensured under some conditions without using extra subband coefficients; in other words, we characterize the signal extension methods that lead to nonexpansive transforms. The necessary and sufficient condition we find allows us to show that some traditional extension techniques that are being used in an expansive way, such as the polynomial extension, lead in fact to nonexpansive invertible transforms; moreover, we can also prove that in contradiction to previous literature, not every transformation matrix associated with a linear extension is invertible even if using prototype filters of the same length. Apart from these invertibility criteria, we propose the first algorithm for the design of all linear extensions and their associated biorthogonal boundary filters that lead to nonexpansive and invertible transforms. Analogously, we provide the first method for the design of all linear extensions that yield orthogonal transforms: We construct an infinite number of orthogonal extensions, apart from the commonly used periodic extension, and their associated orthogonal boundary filters. The final contribution of the paper is a new algorithm for the design of smooth orthogonal extensions, which keep the orthogonality property and overcome the main drawback of periodization, that is, the introduction of subband coefficients of great amplitude near the boundaries in the transform domain.
Adoption and impacts of improved maize production technology: a case study of the Ghana Grains Development Project

ii CIMMYT (www.cimmyt.mx or www.cimmyt.cgiar.org) is an internationally funded, nonprofit scientific research and training organization. Headquartered in Mexico, the Center works with agricultural research institutions worldwide to improve the productivity, profitability, and sustainability of maize and wheat systems for poor farmers in developing countries. It is one of 16 similar centers supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). The CGIAR comprises over 55 partner countries, international and regional organizations, and private foundations. It is co-sponsored by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Financial support for CIMMYT's research agenda also comes from many other sources, including foundations, development banks, and public and private agencies. CIMMYT supports Future Harvest, a public awareness campaign that builds understanding about the importance of agricultural issues and international agricultural research. Future Harvest links respected research institutions, influential public figures, and leading agricultural scientists to underscore the wider social benefits of improved agriculture—peace, prosperity, environmental renewal, health, and the alleviation of human suffering (www.futureharvest.org). This report, one of a series of adoption case studies coordinated by the Impacts Assessment and Evaluation Group (IAEG) of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), examines the adoption by Ghanaian maize farmers of improved production technologies developed through the Ghana Grains Development Project (GGDP). The GGDP, which ran from 1979 to1997, was an agricultural research and extension project implemented primarily by the Ghanaian Crops Research Institute (CRI), with technical assistance from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), and funding from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). The objectives of the case study were to (1) evaluate the success of the GGDP in developing improved maize production technologies and in transferring those technologies to farmers, and (2) assess the impacts of adoption at the farm level. Data on the adoption of three GGDP-generated maize technologies—modern varieties (MVs), fertilizer recommendations, and plant configuration recommendations—were collected through a national survey of maize growers conducted between November 1997 and March 1998. A three-stage, clustered, randomized procedure was used to select a representative sample of 420 maize farmers. These farmers were questioned at length about their maize production, consumption, and marketing practices; their preferences for different maize varietal characteristics; and their knowledge of and access to …
Photoreceptor damage induced by low-intensity light: model of retinal degeneration in mammals

Purpose Retinal degeneration caused by a defect in the phototransduction cascade leads to the apoptosis of photoreceptor cells, although the precise molecular mechanism is still unknown. In addition, constant low light exposure produces photoreceptor cell death through the activation of downstream phototransduction. The authors investigated the time course and molecular mechanisms of death and the rhodopsin phosphorylation occurring during retinal degeneration after exposure to continuous low-intensity light. Methods Wistar rats were exposed to constant cool white 200 lx intensity LED light (LL) for one to ten days and compared with animals kept in the dark (DD) or controls exposed to a regular 12:12 h (LD) cycle. One eye from each rat was used for histological and quantitative outer nuclear layer (ONL) analysis and the other for biochemical assays. Results The histological analysis showed a significant reduction in the ONL of LL-exposed rats after seven days compared with LD- or DD-exposed rats. Retinal analysis by flow cytometer and the TUNEL assay revealed an increase in cell death in the ONL, the in vitro enzymatic activity assay and western blot analysis showing no caspase-3 activation. The rhodopsin analysis demonstrated more phosphorylation in serine 334 residues (Ser334) in LL-exposed than in LD- or DD-exposed rats. However, for all times studied, rhodopsin was completely dephosphorylated after four days of DD treatment. Conclusions Constant light exposure for seven days produces ONL reduction by photoreceptor cell death through a capase-3-independent mechanism. Increases in rhodopsin-phospho-Ser334 levels were observed, supporting the notion that changes in the regulation of the phototransduction cascade occur during retinal degeneration.
An Improved Buck PFC Converter With High Power Factor

An improved buck power factor correction (PFC) converter topology is proposed in this paper. By adding an auxiliary switch and two diodes, the dead zones in ac input current of traditional buck PFC converter can be eliminated. An improved constant ON-time control is proposed and utilized in this improved buck PFC converter to force it that operates in critical conduction mode (CRM). With optimal control parameters, nearly unit power factor can be achieved and the input current harmonics can meet the IEC61000-3-2 class C standard within the universal input voltage range. Moreover, the efficiency of the proposed converter is not deteriorated compared to the conventional buck converter. Detailed theoretical analysis and optimal design considerations for the proposed converter are presented and verified by a 100-W lab-made prototype.
Edinburgh Research Explorer Quantified Class Constraints

Quantified class constraints have been proposed many years ago to raise the expressive power of type classes from Horn clauses to the universal fragment of Hereditiary Harrop logic. Yet, while it has been much asked for over the years, the feature was never implemented or studied in depth. Instead, several workarounds have been proposed, all of which are ultimately stopgap measures. This paper revisits the idea of quantified class constraints and elaborates it into a practical language design. We show the merit of quantified class constraints in terms of more expressive modeling and in terms of terminating type class resolution . In addition, we provide a declarative specification of the type system as well as a type inference algorithm that elaborates into System F. Moreover, we discuss termination conditions of our system and also provide a prototype implementation.
Job strain among Malaysian office workers of a multinational company.

BACKGROUND Information on job strain exposure among Malaysian workers in multinational companies is limited. AIMS To investigate the prevalence and factors associated with high job strain among office workers of a multinational company in Malaysia. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted in November 2007 among 470 eligible workers. Respondents self-administered the Job Content Questionnaire downloaded from the company's intranet. A median-split procedure was applied to create four groups according to the Job Demand-Control Model: active, passive, high and low job strain. Logistic regression models were used to investigate the associations between socio-demographic, occupational and psychosocial factors and high job strain. RESULTS A total of 356 questionnaires were received (response rate 76%). Twenty-one per cent of respondents were in the high job strain group, 35% were in the passive group, whereas 26% and 17% of workers were in the low strain and active groups, respectively. After controlling for confounders, three factors were found to be associated with high job strain: male workers (adjusted OR 1.94, 95% CI 1.04-3.64), working >48 h per week (adjusted OR 2.51, 95% CI 1.44-4.39) and job insecurity (adjusted OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.02-1.27). One protective factor for high job strain was the scale 'created skill', which is part of skill discretion (adjusted OR 0.70, 95% CI 0.57-0.86). CONCLUSIONS About one in five workers in this study experience high job strain. Work improvement measures include reducing long working hours and job insecurity and giving workers the opportunity to learn, use creativity and develop abilities.
Association between colonoscopy and colorectal cancer mortality in a US cohort according to site of cancer and colonoscopist specialty.

PURPOSE We designed this study to evaluate the association of colonoscopy with colorectal cancer (CRC) death in the United States by site of CRC and endoscopist specialty. METHODS We designed a case-control study using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare data. We identified patients (cases) diagnosed with CRC age 70 to 89 years from January 1998 through December 2002 who died as a result of CRC by 2007. We selected three matched controls without cancer for each case. Controls were assigned a referent date (date of diagnosis of the case). Colonoscopy performed from January 1991 through 6 months before the diagnosis/referent date was our primary exposure. We compared exposure to colonoscopy in cases and controls by using conditional logistic regression controlling for covariates, stratified by site of CRC. We determined endoscopist specialty by linkage to the American Medical Association (AMA) Masterfile. We assessed whether the association between colonoscopy and CRC death varied with endoscopist specialty. RESULTS We identified 9,458 cases (3,963 proximal [41.9%], 4,685 distal [49.5%], and 810 unknown site [8.6%]) and 27,641 controls. In all, 11.3% of cases and 23.7% of controls underwent colonoscopy more than 6 months before diagnosis. Compared with controls, cases were less likely to have undergone colonoscopy (odds ratio [OR], 0.40; 95% CI, 0.37 to 0.43); the association was stronger for distal (OR, 0.24; 95% CI, 0.21 to 0.27) than proximal (OR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.53 to 0.64) CRC. The strength of the association varied with endoscopist specialty. CONCLUSION Colonoscopy is associated with a reduced risk of death from CRC, with the association considerably and consistently stronger for distal versus proximal CRC. The overall association was strongest if colonoscopy was performed by a gastroenterologist.
Six-year longitudinal course and outcomes of subtypes of depression

Background Clinical and aetiological heterogeneity have impeded our understanding of depression. Aims To evaluate differences in psychiatric and somatic course between people with depression subtypes that differed clinically (severity) and aetiologically (melancholic v. atypical). Method Data from baseline, 2-, 4- and 6-year follow-up of The Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety were used, and included 600 controls and 648 people with major depressive disorder (subtypes: severe melancholic n = 308; severe atypical n = 167; moderate n = 173, established using latent class analysis). Results Those with the moderate subtype had a significantly better psychiatric clinical course than the severe melancholic and atypical subtype groups. Suicidal thoughts and anxiety persisted longer in those with the melancholic subtype. The atypical subtype group continued to have the highest body mass index and highest prevalence of metabolic syndrome during follow-up, although differences between groups became less pronounced over time. Conclusions Course trajectories of depressive subtypes mostly ran parallel to each other, with baseline severity being the most important differentiator in course between groups.
' Fast-Track ' Protocol for Penile Curvature Treatment

Objectives: To describe a multimodal recovery protocol (fast-track surgery) for surgical treatment of penile curvature, as developed by the urology department at the General University Hospital of Valencia over the course of the last 10 years. Our aim was to demonstrate that the use of this protocol improves cost-effectiveness of the procedure, when compared to the classical procedure which requires hospital admission and general or spinal anesthesia. Material and Methods: We compared two groups of patients. The first group underwent strict ambulatory corporoplasty under our multimodal recovery protocol in an out-patient setting, with data collected prospectively. The second group of patients underwent curved penis surgery following the classical procedure before the multimodal recovery protocol was implemented, data was collected retrospectively. We evaluated the inclusion criteria and hospital discharge, as well as obtained results and degree of satisfaction through elaboration of a questionnaire. Results: Results obtained with fast-track protocol were comparable to those of conventional surgery, providing a null incidence of complications except for the inevitable shortening of the penis, clearly independent of the outpatient procedure regimen. The satisfaction degree with the received treatment was found to be over 95%. Conclusions: Virtually all patients affected by penile curvature could are suitable candidates for a fast-track surgery program, with the consequent improvement in cost-effectiveness of the procedure and no reduction of the quality of care received or patient satisfaction. *Corresponding author: Pedro Navalón Verdejo, Paseo Alameda 382, 46023, Valencia, Email: pedronavalon@yahoo.com
Atlantic Salmon Reovirus Infection Causes a CD8 T Cell Myocarditis in Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar L.)

Heart and skeletal inflammation (HSMI) of farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) is a disease characterized by a chronic myocarditis involving the epicardium and the compact and spongious part of the heart ventricle. Chronic myositis of the red skeletal muscle is also a typical finding of HSMI. Piscine reovirus (PRV) has been detected by real-time PCR from farmed and wild salmon with and without typical changes of HSMI and thus the causal relationship between presence of virus and the disease has not been fully determined [1]. In this study we show that the Atlantic salmon reovirus (ASRV), identical to PRV, can be passaged in GF-1 cells and experimental challenge of naïve Atlantic salmon with cell culture passaged reovirus results in cardiac and skeletal muscle pathology typical of HSMI with onset of pathology from 6 weeks, peaking by 9 weeks post challenge. ASRV replicates in heart tissue and the peak level of virus replication coincides with peak of heart lesions. We further demonstrate mRNA transcript assessment and in situ characterization that challenged fish develop a CD8+ T cell myocarditis.
Any-Willing-Provider Laws: Their Financial Effects on HMOs

Any-Willing-Provider (AWP) legislation requires that health plans accept any health care provider who agrees to conform to the plan's conditions, terms, and reimbursement rates. Many states have adopted such legislation, raising questions about its effect on the managed care market. Those favoring this legislation argue that it will reduce restrictions on choice of provider, while opponents argue that it will reduce competition by increasing administrative and medical costs for managed care plans. Using cross-sectional time-series data for the period 1992-1995 (the period during which many of these laws were enacted), this study investigates the effect that these laws have on HMO financial performance. Our results show that "all-provider" AWP laws have a very limited effect on the financial performance measures we examine. "Pharmacy" AWP laws have a more significant effect, but neither type of law appears to affect the overall profitability of HMOs.
Growth and immunogenicity of photochromogenic strains of mycobacteria in the footpads of normal mice

Specific pathogen-free CD-1 mice were infected subcutaneously in the footpad with mycobacterium kansasii, three strains of M. marinum, and two strains of M. simiae-habana, and the growth of the organisms in the footpad, the draining popliteal lymph node, and the lung and spleen was followed quantitatively for up to 60 days. The ability of a footpad inoculum of M. marinum to spread to the lungs and spleen correlated with the ability of the organism to survive and multiple at 37 C in vitro cultures. The amount of footpad swelling which developed in the M. kansasii- and M. marinum-infected mice varied depending upon the strain of organism and the size of the original footpad inoculum. Injection of dead M. marinum into the footpad also induced an extensive amount of swelling which varied with the strain used, as well as being dose dependent. M. marinum- and BCG-vaccinated mice were protected against a later footpad challenge with M. marinum or the highly mouse virulent M. tuberculosis strain ERDMAN. The significance of this finding is discussed in relation to cross-protection studies using a variety of mycobacteria in the footpad infection model.