Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Centralized MPPT with string current diverter for solving the series connection problem in photovoltaic power generation system

Module integrated converters focus many research because they are considered as most promising solutions for grid connection of photovoltaic power generation systems. Most of the proposed approaches relied so far on the use of series string of DC-DC converter to create a high voltage string connected to DCAC inverter. The boost converter is better in this application. However, under inhomogeneous irradiation, the power generated from each PV module and output DC voltage of each boost becomes unbalanced so that the output currents of each boost are balanced and equal to the string current. In this case the boost converter cannot always deliver all the power from a mixture of shaded panels and those delivering full power. In this paper, a centralized MPPT with string current diverter for solving the series connection problem in photovoltaic power generation system is proposed to overcome this problem. One important feature of the proposed circuit herein is the ability to effectively decouple each PV module from the rest of the string, making this insensitive to changes in the string current. Hence it is possible to obtain the maximum power from the PV generator and allow it to operate at the optimum efficiency. The simulation and experimental results verify that the proposed topology exhibits good performance anyway of inhomogeneous irradiation. On the other hand, the string current diverter circuit does not operate if irradiation is homogeneous. So, in this last condition, the topology efficiency is improved.
Estimation of Better Parent and Economic Heterosis for Yield and Associated Traits in Common Beans

Objective: A study to estimate better parent and economic heterosis in an 8x8 diallel crosses of common beans ( Phaseolus Vulgaris L.) was undertaken at Mandura, North Western Ethiopia. Methodology and Results: Eight parents and their 28 F1 diallel crosses were grown in a randomized complete block design. Yield and its components, architectural, and phenological traits were considered. Statistically significant differences were observed between the 36 genotypes for most of the traits studied. Analysis of better parent and economic heterosis respectively revealed 16 and 14 crosses out of 28 showed significant heterosis for yield per plant. Among which 12 and 7 crosses in the same order were positive. The extent of better parent heterosis for yield ranged from -31.14% (Dimtu x Tabor) to 114.1% (MAM-41 x Tabor). The maximum economic heterosis (60.58 %) was observed from the hybrid MAM-41 x Tabor . Significant (P<0.05 or P<0.01) better parent heterosis was also observed for yield-associated traits. Conclusions and recommendation : In this study, expression of significant better parent heterosis for grain yield and other important traits was frequent in combinations of parents from different growth habits (MAM-41 x Tabor, Roba-1 x SK 93263), seed color (Tabor x Red wolayta, BELDAKMI RR 5 x SK 93263, Dimtu x Zebra), and seed size (Roba-1 x Tabor). The extent of percent better parent and economic heterosis like in the cross MAM-41 x Tabor with 114.103 % seed yield better parent heterosis and 60.6 % economic heterosis suggested that this hybrid could be further considered in the breeding program aiming both for segregant breeding and hybrid development. Key Words: Better parent heterosis, diallel, economic heterosis, Phaseolus vulgaris L.
Effects of the hormone mimetic insecticide tebufenozide on Chironomus riparius larvae in two different exposure setups.

The effects of the molting-hormone agonistic insecticide tebufenozide on larvae of the midge Chironomus riparius Meigen were tested in two different exposure setups. After static contamination of first-instar larvae the NOEC, LOEC, and LC50 values were 13.2, 17.4, and 21.14 microg/L, respectively. Semistatic exposure of fourth-instar larvae revealed a lower susceptibility of elder larvae (NOEC 30 microg/L, LOEC 60 microg/L, and LC50 81.94 microg/L). In both cases mortality was not immediate; the effects were postponed and almost exclusively linked to the processes of pupation and emergence. Pupal mortality in the semistatic exposure scheme was twice as high in males as in females during a 100 microg/L treatment. This sex-specific effect probably resulted from the endocrine activity of tebufenozide. Its detection underlines the suitability of C. riparius as a model organism for investigating effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in aquatic insects.
Study of allelopathic effects of Eucalyptus erythrocorys L. crude extracts against germination and seedling growth of weeds and wheat

Abstract Allelopathic materials inside a tree can produce positive or negative change in the survival, growth, reproduction and behaviour of other organisms if they escape into the environment. To assess these effects, this work was carried out to evaluate the allelopathic impact of Eucalyptus erythrocorys L. on seed germination and seedling growth of two weeds: Sinapis arvensis L. and Phalaris canariensis L. ; on one cultivated crop: Triticum durum L. Aqueous; and on ethanolic leaf extracts of E. erythrocorys L. The study was effected using four concentrations (10, 20, 25 and 30 μL/mL) while distilled water was used as a control. The results showed that the E. erythrocorys L. crude extracts had an inhibitory effect on seed germination and seedling growth of both studied weeds and wheat. The inhibition rate was increased by the increase in extract concentration. Only ethanolic extracts of E. erythrocorys L. induced a significant inhibition of seed germination of durum wheat. The effect of E. erythrocorys L. crude extracts was more severe on weeds than on durum wheat. These results indicate that the seedling growth, especially radicle elongation, was the more sensitive indicator to evaluate the effects of extracts than was the seed germination. Graphical abstract
The Effectiveness of Data Augmentation for Detection of Gastrointestinal Diseases from Endoscopical Images

The lack, due to privacy concerns, of large public databases of medical pathologies is a well-known and major problem, substantially hindering the application of deep learning techniques in this field. In this article, we investigate the possibility to supply to the deficiency in the number of data by means of data augmentation techniques, working on the recent Kvasir dataset of endoscopical images of gastrointestinal diseases. The dataset comprises 4,000 colored images labeled and verified by medical endoscopists, covering a few common pathologies at different anatomical landmarks: Z-line, pylorus and cecum. We show how the application of data augmentation techniques allows to achieve sensible improvements of the classification with respect to previous approaches, both in terms of precision and recall.
UNCOVERING THE DEEPLY EMBEDDED ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEUS ACTIVITY IN THE NUCLEAR REGIONS OF THE INTERACTING GALAXY Arp 299

We present mid-infrared (MIR) 8–13 μm spectroscopy of the nuclear regions of the interacting galaxy Arp 299 (IC 694+NGC 3690) obtained with CanariCam (CC) on the 10.4 m Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC). The high angular resolution (∼0.″3–0.″6) of the data allows us to probe nuclear physical scales between 60 and 120 pc, which is a factor of 10 improvement over previous MIR spectroscopic observations of this system. The GTC/CC spectroscopy displays evidence of deeply embedded active galactic nucleus (AGN) activity in both nuclei. The GTC/CC nuclear spectrum of NGC 3690/Arp 299-B1 can be explained as emission from AGN-heated dust in a clumpy torus with both a high covering factor and high extinction along the line of sight. The estimated bolometric luminosity of the AGN in NGC 3690 is 3.2 ± 0.6 × 1044 erg s−1. The nuclear GTC/CC spectrum of IC 694/Arp 299-A shows 11.3 μm polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon emission stemming from a deeply embedded (AV ∼ 24 mag) region of less than 120 pc in size. There is also a continuum-emitting dust component. If associated with the putative AGN in IC 694, we estimate that it would be approximately five times less luminous than the AGN in NGC 3690. The presence of dual AGN activity makes Arp 299 a good example to study such phenomena in the early coalescence phase of interacting galaxies.
Reduced ice extent on the western Antarctic Peninsula at 700–970 cal. yr B.P.

Rapid warming and consequent ice-shelf collapse have focused attention on the glacial record of the Antarctic Peninsula. Here, we present the first record of terrestrial organic material exposed by recently retreating ice that bears on past glacier extent and climate in this sensitive region. Radiocarbon dates show that ice on Anvers Island was at or behind its present position at 700–970 cal. yr B.P., coincident with ice reduction elsewhere in the Southern Hemisphere. Moreover, the data indicate that present reduced ice extent on the western Antarctic Peninsula is not unprecedented and is similar to that experienced during at least three periods in the last 5600 yr.
The Effects of Experimental Left Varicocele on the Epididymis

Most of the studies investigating the relationship between varicocele and male infertility are mainly focused on the testicles. It is obvious that varicocele would affect the morphology and function of the epididymis which is an intrascrotal organ. In this study, the effects of experimental left varicocele (ELV) on the epididymal morphology were investigated in adult rats. ELV was induced via partial obstruction of the left renal vein in 20 Sprague-Dawley adult rats. An additional twelve rats served as controls, and another twelve served as shams. Half of the rats in the groups were sacrified by the end of the first month of the experiment, and the rest were sacrified by the end of the second month. Epididymides were weighed; tubular diameters of the caput, corpus, and cauda of the epididymis were measured. The TUNEL assay was used to assess apoptosis within the epididymal tubules. The mean weight of each right and left epididymis in the varicocele group was lower than that in the control and sham groups (p < 0.01). In the varicocele group, the left epididymis weighted less than the right by the end of the second month (p < 0.01). The mean tubular diameter in the varicocele group was narrower than that in the control and sham groups (p < 0.001). Tubular diameter was significantly narrower in the caput segments in rats with varicocele by the end of the second month (p < 0.001). Apoptosis was significantly increased in principal cells of the epididymal epithelium in the varicocele groups. The apoptotic cells in the caput epididymis epithelium were more numerous than those in the other segments. In conclusion, ELV significantly decreases epididymal weight and tubular diameters presenting increased apoptosis within the principal cells. There is a positive correlation between the epididymal damage and the duration of varicocele.
Gender and the Gynecological Examination

The authors explore the constructions of gender in male doctors' narratives of gynecological examinations. Focusing on the ways in which gender identities are constructed in the stories of the medical encounter, they argue, first, that gender is more flexible during the visit with a gynecologist than has been suggested. Gendered identities are assumed and put aside as the interaction progresses, with its final stage—the pelvic examination—being constructed with gender removed. Second, they argue that undressing is invested with a special status during the examination. It is a gendered rite of passage between the two different ungendered subject positions of the doctor and the patient. They conclude that contrary to the assumptions in the literature on gynecological interactions, it is the genderization of undressing that is most conducive to securing the least face-threatening gynecological examination for the woman.
Histone deacetylase inhibitors repress chondrosarcoma cell proliferation.

PURPOSE Due to the high resistance to conventional therapy, there is still no convincingly effective treatment for chondrosarcoma. As a promising new treatment strategy, histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs) have been reported to induce cell arrest, apoptosis and differentiation in some kinds of malignancies, but how HDACi exert their effects on chondrosarcoma is not well understood yet. METHODS We investigated the effects of HDACIs trichostatin A (TSA) and sodium valproate (VPA) on chondrosarcoma cells in vitro and in vivo. The cell proliferation and cell cycle were examined in two chondrosarcoma cell lines, SW1353 and JJ012, by MTS and flow cytometry assays, respectively. The in vivo effects of HDACIs were investigated by assessing the chondrosarcoma growth in a mouse xenograft model. RESULTS Our results showed that TSA and VPA significantly repressed the proliferation of chondrosarcoma cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Flow cytometry indicated that TSA arrested the cell cycle in G2/M phase and VPA arrested the cell cycle in G1 phase. The tumor growth was markedly suppressed in mice treated with TSA and VPA. CONCLUSIONS HDACIs significantly repress the proliferation of chondrosarcoma cells in vitro and in vivo. Our findings imply that HDACIs may provide a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of chondrosarcoma.
Suppression of Seedling Damping-Off Caused by Pythium ultimum, P. irregulare, and Rhizoctonia solani in Container Media Amended with a Diverse Range of Pacific Northwest Compost Sources.

ABSTRACT Suppression of seedling damping-off disease caused by Pythium spp. and Rhizoctonia solani is a potential benefit of formulating soilless container media with compost. Thirty-six compost samples from Pacific Northwest commercial composting facilities were analyzed for a number of physical, chemical, and biological properties, including suppression of damping-off caused by Pythium ultimum, P. irregulare, and R. solani. The samples were produced from diverse feedstocks and composting technol ogies; this was reflected in a large degree of variability in the measured properties. When mixed with sphagnum peat moss and inorganic aggregates, 67% of the compost samples significantly suppressed P. irregulare damping-off of cucumber, 64% suppressed P. ultimum damping-off of cucumber, and 17% suppressed damping-off of cabbage caused by R. solani. Suppression of Pythium damping-off was related to the potential of compost to support microbial activity and a qualitative index of ammonia volatilization. Suppression of Rhizoctonia damping-off was not related to any one compost factor. Currently available compost products potentially could provide commercially acceptable control of damping-off caused by Pythium spp. , but it is necessary to fortify composts with microbial antagonists for the control of R. solani.
Diagnostic Power of Blood Parameters as Screening Markers in Gastric Cancer Patients.

BACKGROUND Gastric cancer (GC) is the fifth most common cancer worldwide. Since development is usually asymptomatic, it is generally diagnosed at an advanced stage. The value of screening in patients with nonspecific symptoms for GC is controversial. AIM The study aimed to evaluate whether hematological parameters (platelet count (PC), mean platelet volume (MPV), MPV/PC ratio, red blood cell distribution width (RDW), neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR)) are useful markers to differentiate between gastric cancer patients and healthy individuals. MATERIALS AND METHODS Sixty-one patients with gastric cancer and sixty-one healthy individuals were enrolled to the survey and a retrospective analysis of selected blood parameters was performed. RESULTS The mean values of PC, MPV, RDW, NLR, and PLR were significantly higher in GC patients compared to the control group. No statistical differences were observed in MPV/PC ratios. Likewise, no significant statistical differences were revealed in values of blood parameters among TNM stage groups. The RDW showed the highest diagnostic specificity and sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS Hematological parameters: PC, MPV, RDW, NLR, PLR have diagnostic power and can discriminate patients with gastric cancer from patients without cancer. Blood parameters compared with clinical symptoms might alert physicians and patients and lead to performancce of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, the gold standard in gastric cancer screening and thereby increase the early detection of cancer.
Ethical Challenges and Financial Performance in the Nigerian Banking Sector

This study examines ethical challenges and financial performance in the Nigerian banking sector. The study was prompted by the dearth of research work in this area of interest. Percentage analysis, Descriptive statistics and Spearman ranked order of correlation (rho) using Statistical package for social sciences (SPSS 21.0) were used to analyze the responses from the various respondents. Findings from the empirical result indicates that insider related credits exhibit a significant positive relationship with financial performance in the Nigerian banking sector while unauthorized tampering with customers’ accounts revealed unexpected insignificant negative relationship with financial performance. It is therefore recommended that the Central Bank of Nigeria should instill tougher disciplinary measures against erring CEOs as this could go a long way to further mitigate the rising tide of unethical practices in the Nigerian banking sector.
Mature maternity: long term associations in first children born to older mothers in 1970 in the UK.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To identify the physical, behavioural, medical, and educational outcomes in first children born to women aged 30 or more compared with those born to younger women. DESIGN: Longitudinal cohort study design employing logistic regression analysis of data obtained from the British births survey of 1970 and the child health and education study follow ups to this cohort at ages 5 and 10. SETTING: One week birth cohort covering the whole of the United Kingdom. PARTICIPANTS: The carers of 4315 first children born to women during the week of April 5th-11th 1970 inclusive in the whole of the United Kingdom except Northern Ireland, and followed up at both 5 and 10 years of age. In addition, information was obtained from health visitors, the child's teacher at 10, and the medical officer who completed an examination. At 10 the child also completed a questionnaire. MEASUREMENTS: Data were obtained from questionnaires administered to the carers of the child at each time point, from their teacher at age 10, and from the results of a medical examination at age 10. Educational tests were also conducted at this age. MAIN RESULTS: Having adjusted for the effects of confounding factors, late primiparity was significantly associated with a number of events in labour and delivery involving obstetric interventions ranging from induction to operative deliveries and general anaesthesia. At 5 years of age, controlling additionally for family size at that time, associations were found between late primiparity and fewer adverse measures of behaviour in the child. Both the child's head circumference and the score on a picture based vocabulary test at this age were slightly greater in the index group. At 10 years of age, adjusting for background factors and present family size, late primiparity was associated with few outcome measures. Children born to older mothers, however, scored slightly higher on a broad range of educational tests administered at school. CONCLUSIONS: No clearly demonstrable adverse outcomes could be linked to later primiparity in the 1970 child health and education study national cohort study. Modest behavioural and educational advantages were detected in the group with older first-time mothers. A woman's later primiparity may be associated with their child having a slightly larger head circumference compared with whole of the rest of the study cohort.
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33 Listeria monocytogenes belonging to serotypes 1/2a and 4b are frequently linked 34 to listeriosis. Whilst inlA mutations leading to premature stop codons (PMSC) and 35 attenuated virulence are common in 1/2a, they are rare in serotype 4b. We observed 36 PMSCs in 35% of L. monocytogenes isolates (n=54) recovered from the British Columbia 37 food supply, including serotypes 1/2a (30%), 1/2c (100%), and 3a (100%), and a 3-codon 38 deletion (amino acid positions 738-740) seen in 57% of 4b isolates from fish processing 39 facilities. Caco-2 invasion assays showed two isolates with the deletion were significantly 40 more invasive than EGD-SmR ( p <0.0001), and were either similar (FF19-1) or more 41 invasive (FE13-1) than a clinical control strain (08-5578) ( p =0.006). To examine whether 42 serotype 1/2a was more likely to acquire mutations than other serotypes, strains were 43 plated on agar with rifampicin, revealing 4b isolates to be significantly more mutable 44 than 1/2a, 1/2c, and 3a serotypes ( p =0.0002). We also examined the ability of 33 strains 45 to adapt to cold temperature following downshift from 37 to 4°C. Overall, three distinct 46 cold-adapting groups (CAG) were observed: 46% were fast (<70 h), 39% intermediate 47 (70-200 h), and 15% slow adaptors (>200 h). Intermediate CAG strains (70%) more 48 frequently possessed inlA PMSCs compared to fast (20%) and slow (10%) CAGs; in 49 contrast, 87% of fast-adaptors lacked inlA PMSCs. In conclusion, we report food chain- 50 derived 1/2a and 4b serotypes with a 3-codon deletion possessing invasive behavior, and 51 the novel association of inlA genotypes encoding a full-length InlA with fast
EXPLORING THE RELIABILITY OF THE PRESENTIMENT EFFECT

This project extends a series of experiments begun by Radin that appears to demonstrate an autonomic nervous system (ANS) response to future emotionally arousing experiences. This experiment used skin conductance as the ANS measure and was designed to examine test-retest reliability in the presentiment effect, also known as prestimulus response (PSR). The experiment also looked for individual differences in PSR responding using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and the NEO-FFI personality inventories. Volunteer participants completed two sessions of viewing 40 calm and arousing images from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS) while SC was monitored. The PSR window was defined as 3 seconds before stimulus onset, and the measure of PSR was the area between the mean relative SC levels for the two classes of stimuli within the prestimulus window. Significance was determined using a Monte Carlo method. A novel analysis technique of de-trending the SC data immediately before the PSR analysis window was used to counter the possible effect of expectancy and other artifacts. Eighty planned participants were tested. Sixteen were eliminated from further analysis because of lack of any SCRs, leaving 64 participants in the final data pool. The experiment did not produce overall evidence of a presentiment effect, nor did it demonstrate test-retest reliability. Since this experiment deviated from prior methods of analysis the data were examined without detrending and automatic artifact removal, but there was still no evidence of a presentiment effect. Of three personality factors previously associated with better ESP scoring, MBTI Extraversion, MBTI Intuition, and NEO Openness, the last two were positively and significantly correlated with individual mean PSR. The data were explicitly tested for the presence of an expectancy artifact by correlating the PSR prior to arousing stimuli with the time since the last arousing stimulus. The correlations for both the de-trended data and the original method of analysis were negligible and non-significant, providing no evidence that an expectancy artifact was present.