Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Photovoltaic array condition monitoring based on online regression of performance model

Photovoltaic (PV) system performance can be degraded by a series of factors affecting the PV generator, such as partial shadows, soiling, increased series resistance and shunting of the cells. This concern has led to greater interest in improving PV system operation and availability through automatic supervision and condition monitoring of the PV system components, especially for small PV installations, where no specialized personnel is present at the site. This work proposes a PV array condition monitoring system based on a PV array performance model. The system is parameterized online, using regression modeling, from PV array production, plane-of-array irradiance, and module temperature measurements, acquired during an initial learning phase of the system. After the model has been parameterized automatically, the condition monitoring system enters the normal operation phase, where the performance model is used to predict the power output of the PV array. Utilizing the predicted and measured PV array output power values, the condition monitoring system is able to detect power losses above 5%, occurring in the PV array.
Simultaneity and the Constancy of the Speed of Light: Normalization of Space-time Vectors in the Lorentz Transformation

One of the main consequences of Einstein’s derivation of the Lorentz transformation (LT) was the conclusion that a given event may not occur simultaneously for two observers in relative motion. It is pointed out that the constancy of the speed of light in free space is not sufficient in itself to completely specify the relationship between space-time vectors in different rest frames, as first noted by Lorentz in 1899. The LT results by assuming that distances measured perpendicular to the line of two observers must be equal ( d d ' y y = and d d ' z z = ), and it is this assumption that produces the non-simultaneity characteristic of the resulting equations. If one forgoes the latter assumption, it is possible to impose simultaneity ( d d ' t t = ) as an alternative normalization condition for the space-time vectors. The
A Simple Harmonic Model for FAPAR Temporal Dynamics in the Wetlands of the Volga-Akhtuba Floodplain

The paper reports a technique used to construct a reference time series for the fraction of absorbed photosynthetically-active radiation (FAPAR) based on remotely-sensed data in the largest Russian arid wetland territory. For the arid Volga-Akhtuba wetlands, FAPAR appears to be an informative spectral index for estimating plant cover health and its seasonal and annual dynamics. Since FAPAR algorithms are developed for multiple satellite sensors, all FAPAR-based models are suggested to be universal and useful for future studies and long-term monitoring of plant cover, particularly in wetlands. The model developed in the present work for FAPAR temporal dynamics clearly reflects the field-observed seasonal and annual changes of plant cover in the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain wetlands. Various types of wetland plant communities were categorized by the specific parameters of the model seasonal vegetation curve. In addition, the values derived from the model function allow quantitative estimation of wetland plant cover health. This information is particularly important for the Volga-Akhtuba floodplain, because its hydrological regime is regulated by the Volzhskaya hydropower plant. The ecosystem is extremely fragile and sensitive to human impact, and wetland plant cover health is a key indicator of regulatory efficiency. The present study is another step towards developing a methodology focused on arid wetland vegetation monitoring and conservation of its biodiversity and natural conditions.
Ecophysiology of polyphosphate‐accumulating organisms and glycogen‐accumulating organisms in a continuously aerated enhanced biological phosphorus removal process

Aims: To investigate the ecophysiology of populations of polyphosphate‐accumulating organisms (PAO) and glycogen‐accumulating organisms (GAO) in communities of a novel acetate fed process removing phosphate from wastewater. Attempts were made to see if acetate could be replaced by an alternative carbon source which did not support the growth of the GAO.
Buoyancy of convective-scale updrafts in the outer cores of sheared tropical cyclones

ABSTRACT In this paper, the authors present the statistical characteristics of the buoyancy of outer-core convective-scale updrafts in numerically simulated sheared tropical cyclones (TCs). The total buoyancy is predominantly positive in weak-to-strong ambient vertical shears, whereas much of the total buoyancy under an extreme shear environment becomes negative. Thermal buoyancy positively contributes to the total buoyancy value. For weakly and moderately sheared TCs, the updraft buoyancy is statistically significantly stronger downshear but smaller upshear. Such a downshear preference of strong buoyancy becomes less evident as the shear magnitude increases. The total buoyancy of updrafts shows a decreasing tendency with radius. Both thermal and dynamic buoyancy do not significantly correlate with vertically averaged vertical mass fluxes. This also leads to no significant correlation between the total buoyancy and vertical mass fluxes of outer-core updrafts. Graphical Abstract
Pattern Matching with Wildcard Gaps Based on Cross List

Pattern matching is a fundamental application text retrieval, string query, biological sequence analysis, etc. Therefore, the effective algorithm performing this kind of matching is in great need. In this paper, the wildcard is defines to match any one character in a sequence. Multiple wildcards form a gap. The length of a flexible gap is arbitrary. We design CLPM algorithm by use of cross list index structure to realize pattern matching with flexible wildcard gaps. The preprocessing algorithm is designed to initialize cross list so as to reduce searching space. In CLPM algorithm, the effective intervals is defined and computed based on the start positions of each sub pattern in each string, which help to obtain matching result set. Moreover, the approximate pattern matching is converted to short extract pattern matching. The contrast experiments are done based on DBLP tile data set. The results show that CLMP algorithm has better performance in the same fields.
Emotion Expression and Fairness in Economic Exchange

Research in economics and psychology has established that informal sanctions,particularly expressions of negative emotion, can enforce fair economic exchange. However, scholars are only beginning to understand the reasons informal sanctions affect economic outcomes. Here we provide direct empirical evidence that a preference to avoid negative emotion expression plays an important role in promoting fair exchange. We study one-shot Dictator games, where one subject has the right to determine a division of an amount of money between herself and her receiver. In relation to the standard game, there are significantly less profit-maximizing offers when receivers can react to offers with ex post written messages. Our data provide new perspectives on roles communication systems play in promoting economic efficiency in social environments, and support economic theories of decision that incorporate psychological factors such as guilt and self-deception.
Error probability on the orbital angular momentum detection

The orbital angular momentum (OAM) is a physical property of an electromagnetic (EM) radiation, distinct from polarization, carrying a mechanical moment. In radio frequency range, OAM can be viewed as a phase gradient on the wave front. In this paper, the problem of the detection of the orbital angular momentum (OAM) order (or topological charge) for electromagnetic (EM) radiation is addressed. The OAM order detection problem is first presented as a multiple hypothesis testing problem. The maximum likelihood test leading to the error probability on the OAM order detection in additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel is derived when the transmitting and receiving arrays are perfectly aligned and misaligned. A simpler receiver based on fast fourier transform (FFT) is then presented. The performances of this receiver are then presented through extensive simulation runs for various degrees of misalignment between the transmitter and the receiver.
Assessment of functional series elastic stiffness of human dorsiflexors with fast controlled releases.

The series elastic stiffness (SES) of the human dorsiflexors was investigated in vivo with the fast controlled release method in 8 subjects. The maximum moment of a voluntary contraction (66 +/- 17 Nm) was significantly higher than the maximum moment with electrical stimulation of tibialis anterior (34 +/- 16 Nm). At an ankle moment of 34 Nm produced with either voluntary or electrical stimulation, we found a significantly different SES of 219 +/- 54 and 149 +/- 54 Nm. rad(-1), respectively. It is proposed that this is due to the fact that, during voluntary contraction, more elastic tissue parallel with each other is involved, because of coactivation of the extensor hallucis longus, extensor digitorum longus, and tibialis anterior. This shows that, for a functional assessment of the SES of the dorsiflexors, one has to include the toe extensors, which is possible with the fast controlled release method. Additionally, our results demonstrated that the SES of the human dorsiflexors at moment levels up to about isometric maximum did not reach an asymptote at which the stiffness is independent of moment, i.e., the series elastic component of the dorsiflexors is during daily activities loaded for the greatest part in the nonlinear part of the stress-strain function.
Virtual navigation strategies from childhood to senescence: evidence for changes across the life span

This study sought to investigate navigational strategies across the life span, by testing 8-years old children to 80-years old healthy older adults on the 4 on 8 virtual maze (4/8VM). The 4/8VM was previously developed to assess spontaneous navigational strategies, i.e., hippocampal-dependent spatial strategies (navigation by memorizing relationships between landmarks) versus caudate nucleus-dependent response strategies (memorizing a series of left and right turns from a given starting position). With the 4/8VM, we previously demonstrated greater fMRI activity and gray matter in the hippocampus of spatial learners relative to response learners. A sample of 599 healthy participants was tested in the current study. Results showed that 84.4% of children, 46.3% of young adults, and 39.3% of older adults spontaneously used spatial strategies (p < 0.0001). Our results suggest that while children predominantly use spatial strategies, the proportion of participants using spatial strategies decreases across the life span, in favor of response strategies. Factors promoting response strategies include repetition, reward and stress. Since response strategies can result from successful repetition of a behavioral pattern, we propose that the increase in response strategies is a biological adaptive mechanism that allows for the automatization of behavior such as walking in order to free up hippocampal-dependent resources. However, the down-side of this shift from spatial to response strategies occurs if people stop building novel relationships, which occurs with repetition and routine, and thereby stop stimulating their hippocampus. Reduced fMRI activity and gray matter in the hippocampus were shown to correlate with cognitive deficits in normal aging. Therefore, these results have important implications regarding factors involved in healthy and successful aging.
Robust watermarking of digital images based on chaotic mapping and DCT

In this paper, a new robust watermarking scheme is presented. The algorithm is based on a chaotic function and a correlation method for detection, operating in the frequency domain. The proposed scheme is blind and comparing to other chaos related watermarking methods, experimental results exhibit satisfactory robustness against a wide variety of attacks such as filtering, noise addition, geometric manipulations and JPEG compression with very low quality factors. The scheme also outperforms traditional frequency domain embedding both in terms of robustness and quality.
Microinjection of Ca++-calmodulin causes a localized depolymerization of microtubules

The microinjection of calcium-saturated calmodulin into living fibroblasts causes the rapid disruption of microtubules and stress fibers in a sharply delimited region concentric with the injection site. This effect is specific to the calcium-bearing form of calmodulin; neither calcium-free calmodulin nor calcium ion at similar levels affects the cytoskeleton. If cells have previously been microinjected with calcium-free calmodulin, elevation of their intracellular calcium levels to 25 mM potentiates the disruption of microtubules throughout the cytoplasm. Approximately 400 mM free calcium is required to cause an equivalent disruption in uninjected cells. The level of calmodulin necessary to disrupt the full complement of cellular microtubules is found to be approximately in 2:1 molar ratio to tubulin dimer. These results indicate that calmodulin can be localized within the cytoplasm in a calcium-dependent manner and that it can act to regulate the calcium lability of microtubules at molar ratios that could be achieved locally within the cell. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that calmodulin may be controlling microtubule polymerization equilibria in areas of high local concentration such as the mitotic spindle.
Contrasting Air Mass Advection Explains Significant Differences in Boundary Layer Depth Seasonal Cycles Under Onshore Versus Offshore Flows

The complexities in the atmospheric boundary layer depth (BLD) features over coastal regions pose challenges for meteorological forecasts, air quality, greenhouse gas mixing and transport, and wind energy production. Here, for the first time, we investigated afternoon BLD variability over 18 coastal sites in the contiguous United States located along the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic Ocean, and Pacific Ocean using 25 years of rawinsonde launches. Due to influence of shallow marine layer air via onshore flow, substantially large BLD contrasts (∆BLD, BLD under offshore minus onshore) were found. ∆BLDs over the sites varied both seasonally and spatially among the coastal regions and within a region. For the sites along the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean, ∆BLDs were found to be higher in spring and summer (500–1,500 m) than in winter and fall (100–450 m). Results underscore the importance of advection on BLD footprints and provide observational constraints for model evaluation.
Recombinant human DNase nebulisation in children with cystic fibrosis: before bedtime or after waking up?

The present study focused on patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), who were on maintenance therapy with recombinant human deoxyribonuclease (rhDNase), with the aim of comparing efficacy and possible side effects of nebulisation of rhDNase when taken before bedtime with efficacy and side effects when taken after waking up. A randomised, double-blind, double-dummy, crossover study group was used. The inclusion criteria were as follows: 1) CF, 2) stable clinical condition and 3) rhDNase maintenance therapy. Patients in group I inhaled rhDNase before bedtime and a placebo after waking up in weeks 1–2. The protocol was reversed during weeks 3–4. Group II patients performed the reverse of this sequence. Patients continued with their daily routine sputum expectoration. The primary end-point was classified as the maximal instantaneous forced flow when 25% of the forced vital capacity remained to be exhaled (MEF25%). Pulmonary functions tests were performed on days 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28. At 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks arterial oxygen saturation and cough frequency were measured during the night. A total of 24 patients completed the study. The mean (range) age of the patients was 13 (6–19) yrs. MEF25%, taken to be the primary end-point, did not show a significant difference between nebulisation of rhDNase before bedtime compared with when taken after waking up. Nocturnal cough, oxygen saturation, and other secondary end-points were not significantly different between the two study periods. In conclusion, the present study found that it is equally effective and safe to nebulise recombinant human deoxyribonuclease before bedtime compared with when performed after waking up in children with cystic fibrosis, who are on maintenance treatment with recombinant human deoxyribonuclease.
The delayed recovery of the remobilized rat tibialis anterior muscle reflects a defect in proliferative and terminal differentiation that impairs early regenerative processes

The immobilization‐induced tibialis anterior (TA) muscle atrophy worsens after cast removal and is associated with altered extracellular matrix (ECM) composition. The secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (Sparc) is an ECM component involved in Akt activation and in β‐catenin stabilization, which controls protein turnover and induces muscle regulatory factors (MRFs), respectively. We hypothesized that ECM alterations may influence these intracellular signalling pathways controlling TA muscle mass.
Leisure activities and cognitive function in middle age: evidence from the Whitehall II study

Objectives: To test the hypothesis of a positive association, independent of social position, between participation in leisure activities and cognitive function in middle age. The nature of this relation is explored by first classifying leisure activities as entailing high or low cognitive effort, and then classifying them as entailing individual or social activities. Setting: London based office staff (Whitehall II study) in 20 civil service departments at baseline. Methods: Data are from the fifth wave of data collection (phase 5) of a prospective cohort study, collected through clinical examination and a self administered questionnaire. Firstly, hierarchical multiple regression was used to examine age and socioeconomic status (SES) adjusted effect of each leisure activity on cognition. Then structural equation models were used to examine the effects of two categories of leisure activities—activities entailing high or low cognitive effort and social or individual activities. All analyses are cross sectional. Results: There was an age and SES adjusted association between participation in leisure activities and cognitive function. More specifically, leisure activity entailing high cognitive effort or social interaction was associated with better cognitive ability. Conclusions: Participation in cognitively complex or social leisure activities has an independent association with adult cognition, suggesting that seeking mental stimulation may have a beneficial effect on cognition in middle age.
Gaps in doctor-patient communication. Patients' response to medical advice.

Abstract Study of 800 outpatient visits to Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles to explore the effect of the verbal interaction between doctor and patient on patient satisfaction and follow-through on medical advice showed 24 per cent of patients to be grossly dissatisfied, 38 per cent moderately compliant and 11 per cent noncompliant. The extent to which patients' expectations from the medical visit were left unmet, lack of warmth in the doctor–patient relation, and failure to receive an explanation of diagnosis and cause of the child's illness were key factors in noncompliance. Complexity of the medical regimen and other practical obstacles also interfered with compliance. There was a significant relation between patient satisfaction and compliance. Also, illnesses that the mothers regarded as very serious were associated with increased compliance. There was no significant relation between the demographic variables tested and satisfaction or compliance.
NSE, a Potential Biomarker, Is Closely Connected to Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy

OBJECTIVE To explore the relationship between serum neuron-specific enolase (NSE) levels and diabetic neuropathy. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Type 1 or 2 diabetic and healthy control subjects (n = 568) were randomly enrolled in a cross-sectional study. Diabetic neuropathy status was documented by the presence of clinical symptoms or signs, electromyography, quantitative sensory tests, and cardiac autonomic neuropathy tests. The severity of the neuropathy was staged by composite scores. Serum NSE was measured using electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. The demographic and clinical variables were obtained through an interviewer questionnaire. RESULTS Serum NSE levels increased slightly in diabetic subjects compared with normal subjects (9.1 [1.5] vs. 8.7 [1.7], P = 0.037), and the levels increased greatly in diabetic subjects with neuropathy compared with those without (10.8 [2.8] vs. 9.1 [1.5], P = 0.000). The association of NSE with diabetic neuropathy was independent of the hyperglycemic state (fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, duration, and the type of diabetes) and other potential confounders affecting NSE levels (e.g., age, sex, and renal status) (odds ratio 1.48 [1.13–1.74], P = 0.001). In addition, NSE levels increased with and were closely correlated to the stages of neuropathy (r = 0.63 [0.52–0.74], P = 0.000). The optimal cutoff point for serum NSE levels to distinguish patients with diabetic neuropathy from those without was 10.10 μg/L, with a sensitivity of 66.3% and a specificity of 72.5%. CONCLUSIONS Serum NSE levels are closely associated with peripheral neuropathy in patients with diabetes. Future studies are warranted to clarify the relationship.
Extracellular ferrireductase activity of K562 cells is coupled to transferrin-independent iron transport.

The reduction of Fe3+ to Fe2+ has been established to play a critical role in the uptake of iron by many organisms. Recently, a mechanism of iron transport in the absence of transferrin (Tf) was described for the human K562 cell line and a role for ferrireductase activity was implicated in this process as well [Inman, R. S. , & Wessling-Resnick, M. (1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268, 8521-8528]. The present report characterizes the extracellular reduction of ferricyanide to ferrocyanide catalyzed by K562 cells. The observation that membrane-impermeant ferricyanide competitively inhibits Tf-independent assimilation of iron from 55Fe-nitriloacetic acid indicates that this ferrireductase activity is indeed coupled to the transport mechanism. From a series of initial rate experiments, the kinetic parameters for cell surface ferrireductase activity, Vmax = 0.102 nmol min-1 (10(6) cells)-1 and Km = 6.13 microM, were determined. Neither the Vmax nor the Km of this reaction is modulated by changes in extra- or intracellular iron levels; thus, similar to Tf-independent transport activity in K562 cells, the ferrireductase activity is not regulated in response to iron levels. Transmembrane oxidoreductase activity is also reportedly involved in the control of cellular growth; however, the K562 cell ferrireductase is unresponsive to insulin and is not inhibited by the antitumor drugs adriamycin, actinomycin D, or cis-platin, observations that fail to support a role for this particular activity in cell regulation. Rather, the K562 cell ferrireductase appears to be tightly coupled to the mechanism of Tf-independent transport as demonstrated by its sensitivity to Cd2+, a specific inhibitor of non-Tf iron uptake by K562 cells. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)