Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
MAS-Based Distributed Coordinated Control and Optimization in Microgrid and Microgrid Clusters: A Comprehensive Overview

The increasing integration of the distributed renewable energy sources highlights the requirement to design various control strategies for microgrids (MGs) and microgrid clusters (MGCs). The multiagent system (MAS)-based distributed coordinated control strategies show the benefits to balance the power and energy, stabilize voltage and frequency, achieve economic and coordinated operation among the MGs and MGCs. However, the complex and diverse combinations of distributed generations (DGs) in MAS increase the complexity of system control and operation. In order to design the optimized configuration and control strategy using MAS, the topology models and mathematic models such as the graph topology model, noncooperative game model, the genetic algorithm, and particle swarm optimization algorithm are summarized. The merits and drawbacks of these control methods are compared. Moreover, since the consensus is a vital problem in the complex dynamical systems, the distributed MAS-based consensus protocols are systematically reviewed. On the other hand, the communication delay issue, which is inevitable no matter in the low- or high-bandwidth communication networks, is crucial to maintain the stability of the MGs and MGCs with fixed and random delays. Various control strategies to compensate the effect of communication delays have been reviewed, such as the neural network-based predictive control, the weighted average predictive control, the gain scheduling scheme, and synchronization schemes based on the multitimer model for the case of fixed communication delay, and the generalized predictive control, networked predictive control, model predictive control, Smith predictor, $H_{\infty}$-based control, sliding mode control for the random communication delay scenarios. Furthermore, various control methods have been summarized to describe switching topologies in MAS with different objectives, such as the plug-in or plug-out of DGs in an MG, and the plug-in or plug-out of MGs in an MGC, and multiagent-based energy coordination and the economic dispatch of the MGC. Finally, the future research directions of the multiagent-based distributed coordinated control and optimization in MGs and MGCs are also presented.
MKAD-21 Suppresses the Oncogenic Activity of the miR-21/PPP2R2A/ERK Molecular Network in Bladder Cancer

Bladder cancer represents a disease associated with significant morbidity and mortality. MiR-21 has been found to have oncogenic activity in multiple cancers, including bladder cancer, whereas inhibition of its expression suppresses tumor growth. Here, we examine the molecular network regulated by miR-21 in bladder cancer and evaluate the effects of i.v. and i.p. administration of a novel miR-21 chemical inhibitor in vivo. LNA miR-21 reduced the oncogenic potential of bladder cancer cells, whereas the MKAD-21 chemically modified antisense oligo against miR-21 dose-dependently blocked xenograft growth. I.v. administration of LNA miR-21 was more effective in suppressing tumor growth than was i.p. administration. Integration of computational and transcriptomic analyses in a panel of 28 bladder cancer lines revealed a 15-gene signature that correlates with miR-21 levels. Protein Phosphatase 2 Regulatory Subunit Balpha (PPP2R2A) was one of these 15 genes and was experimentally validated as a novel miR-21 direct target gene. Gene network and molecular analyses showed that PPP2R2A is a potent negative regulator of the ERK pathway activation and bladder cancer cell proliferation. Importantly, we show that PPP2R2A acts as a mediator of miR-21–induced oncogenic effects in bladder cancer. Integrative analysis of human bladder cancer tumors and a large panel of human bladder cancer cell lines revealed a novel 15-gene signature that correlates with miR-21 levels. Importantly, we provide evidence that PPP2R2A represents a new miR-21 direct target and regulator of the ERK pathway and bladder cancer cell growth. Furthermore, i.v. administration of the MKAD-21 inhibitor effectively suppressed tumor growth through regulation of the PPP2R2A–ERK network in mice. Mol Cancer Ther; 17(7); 1430–40. ©2018 AACR.
Characterizing Decisional Conflict for Caregivers of Children With Obstructive Sleep Apnea Without Tonsillar Hypertrophy.

STUDY OBJECTIVES The goals of this study were to (1) evaluate the degree of decisional conflict (DC) experienced by caregivers of children with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) without tonsillar hypertrophy; and (2) describe the association between DC, quality of life (QOL), and OSA severity. METHODS This study comprised children evaluated in the multidisciplinary upper airway center at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center from December 2014 to May 2016. Caregivers were asked to complete surveys (Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 [PedsQL], OSA-18, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Family Impact Questionnaire, Decisional Conflict Scale, CollaboRATE scale, and SURE questionnaire) during a clinic visit. Polysomnography data were collected. Analysis included Kruskal-Wallis, Wilcoxon rank-sum, and regression testing. RESULTS Caregivers of 76 children participated; 16 (21.1%) had high DC. There were no significant differences in demographics between those with low and high DC; the low DC group had a higher obstructive apnea-hypopnea index (13.2 versus 12.3 events/h; P = .013). Overall and disease-specific QOL, sleepiness, family impact scores, and DC did not differ by OSA severity except for the PedsQL physical subcategory (P = .02). DC was associated with the total PedsQL (P = .043) on univariate regression; however, this did not persist (P = .61) after controlling for demographic variables. DC scores correlated well with CollaboRATE and SURE throughout the analysis (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS The proportion of caregivers of children with OSA without tonsillar hypertrophy who experienced a high level of DC regarding their child's treatment was 21.1%. Neither DC nor OSA severity was related to QOL in children with OSA. The briefer SURE or CollaboRATE scales were adequate tools to measure DC in these children.
Quantifying the role of traditional rice terraces in regulating water resources: implications for management and conservation efforts

ABSTRACT Agricultural terraces are the most evident landscape imprints of traditional knowledge on soil conservation and water management globally. This article focuses on the Ifugao Rice Terraces (IRT) of the Philippines, a sustainable agroecosystem built on the harmonious relationship between indigenous people and their local environment. We elucidate how the rice terraces influence the hydrologic response at a small catchment scale through detailed field monitoring and physically based mathematical modeling. We also explore the consequences of socioeconomic pressures manifested through land-use change. Our results quantitatively reaffirm the effectiveness of well-maintained agricultural terraces in regulating water resources by enhancing groundwater recharge. Meanwhile land-cover change induced by terrace abandonment was shown to lead to an overall decrease in water resource availability.
Intrusion and extrusion of a liquid on nanostructured surfaces

Superhydrophobicity is connected to the presence of gas pockets within surface asperities. Upon increasing the pressure this ‘suspended’ state may collapse, causing the complete wetting of the rough surface. In order to quantitatively characterize this process on nanostructured surfaces, we perform rare-event atomistic simulations at different pressures and for several texture geometries. Such an approach allows us to identify for each pressure the stable and metastable states and the free energy barriers separating them. Results show that, by starting from the superhydrophobic state and increasing the pressure, the suspended state abruptly collapses at a critical intrusion pressure. If the pressure is subsequently decreased, the system remains trapped in the metastable state corresponding to the wet surface. The liquid can be extruded from the nanostructures only at very negative pressures, by reaching the critical extrusion pressure (spinodal for the confined liquid). The intrusion and extrusion curves form a hysteresis cycle determined by the large free energy barriers separating the suspended and wet states. These barriers, which grow very quickly for pressures departing from the intrusion/extrusion pressure, are shown to strongly depend on the texture geometry.
Rostral Spread of Epidural Morphine

Ten healthy males between 18 and 33 years received 10 mg morphine sulfate intravenously, or by lumbar epidural injection at two sessions 2–4 weeks apart, in random sequence. The following observations were made at intervals for 22 h. (1) Segmental hypalgesia to ice and pin scratch. (2) Cold pressor response test in hand and foot as an index of analgesia. (3) Time of onset and duration of side effects. (4) Serum concentrations of morphine. Few non-respiratory changes were seen after intravenous morphine. Cold pressor response was unchanged in hand and foot, no segmental hypalgesia or itching occurred, and only one subject complained of nausea. Marked changes occurred after epidural morphine. Cutaneous hypalgesia to ice and pin scratch appeared in the thoracolumbar region in all subjects. In six subjects hypalgesia rose to the midthoracic region during the second or third hour and to the trigeminal distribution between the sixth and ninth hour in five subjects. Cold pressor response fell rapidly in the foot during the first 1.5 h after epidural morphine, and a little later cold pressor response also fell in the hand in all subjects, and remained depressed for the duration of the experimental period. Pruritus occurred at three hours in nine of the 10 subjects, nausea at about four hours in six of the subjects, and vomiting at about six hours in five of the subjects. Hypalgesia and side effects were not related to serum concentrations of morphine. These results suggest that lumber epidural morphine travels cephalad in the cerebrospinal fluid to reach the brain stem and fourth ventricle by the sixth hour.
Voluntary disclosure of investment forecasts and the cost of capital: evidence from the treatment effect estimates model

ABSTRACT This study examines the economic consequences of voluntary disclosures for investment forecasts. Using Japanese data, I examine whether voluntary disclosure of management forecasts of capital investments and research and development investments is related to the cost of capital in the same and subsequent years. The results indicate that firms that disclose investment forecasts realize a greater reduction in the cost of capital in the same and subsequent accounting periods than firms that do not disclose. Another finding is that the initial investment forecast disclosures affect the reduction in the cost of capital in the year subsequent to the initial disclosure. This suggests that information effects of investment forecasts on the cost of capital appear over time.
PD-L1 Expression in TNBC: A Predictive Biomarker of Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy?

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) has an aggressive clinical behaviour, with a poorer prognosis compared to other subtypes. Recently, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) have been proposed as a predictive biomarker for a better clinical outcome and pathological response (pR) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) in TNBC. These data confirm the role of the immune system in the neoplastic progression and in the response to therapy. We performed a retrospective analysis of 54 pre-NACT biopsies of TNBC and compared both the percentage of stromal TILs and the degree of PD-L1 expression with the extent of pR to standard NACT. A pathological complete response (pCR) was achieved in 35% of cases. Univariate analysis showed (i) a significant association between PD-L1 expression in ≥25% of neoplastic cells and the achievement of a pCR (p = 0.024); (ii) a significantly higher frequency of pCR in cases showing ≥50% stromal TILs (p < 0.001). However in the multivariate analysis only PD-L1 expression on tumor cells remained significantly associated with pCR (OR = 1,13; 95% CI 1,01–1,27), suggesting that the expression of this biomarker could be associated with a subpopulation of TNBC more likely to respond to chemotherapy. These data need to be confirmed by larger studies.
The Truncated Commercialization of Microinsurance and the Limits of Neoliberalism

Microinsurance — defined as low‐cost insurance products targeting low‐income populations — exemplifies key themes in contemporary neoliberalism, and has figured prominently in neoliberalism's turn to discourses such as ‘risk management’ and ‘financial inclusion’. The development of commercial markets for microinsurance, however, has in practice been highly variable and often very limited. This article considers the implications of this process of ‘truncated commercialization’. It draws on a Polanyian analytical framework that emphasizes the contradictory regulatory dynamics involved in the commodification of labour. The article applies this approach by tracing multiscalar efforts to promote microinsurance, examining the emergence of the concept in the efforts of the International Labour Organization to promote social security for informal workers in the 1980s and 1990s, looking at the adoption of explicitly commercializing imperatives in the work of the International Association of Insurance Supervisors in the 2000s, and, finally, considering a case study of South Africa. The truncated commercialization of microinsurance, it is argued, provides a useful lens through which to see the practical impossibility of neoliberal development strategies.
Neonatal and postneonatal mortality by maternal education--a population-based study of trends in the Nordic countries, 1981-2000.

BACKGROUND This study examined changes in the educational gradients in neonatal and postneonatal mortality over a 20-year period in the four largest Nordic countries. METHODS The study populations were all live-born singleton infants with gestational age of at least 22 weeks from 1981 to 2000 (Finland 1987-2000). Information on births and infant deaths from the Medical Birth Registries was linked to information from census statistics. Numbers of eligible live-births were: Denmark 1 179 831, Finland 834 299 (1987-2000), Norway 1 017 168 and Sweden 1 971 645. Differences in mortality between education groups were estimated as risk differences (RD), relative risks (RR) and index of inequality ratio (RII). RESULTS Overall, rates of infant mortality were in Denmark 5.9 per 1000 live-births, in Finland 4.2 (1987-2000), in Norway 5.3 and in Sweden 4.7. Overall the mortality decreased in all educational groups, and the educational level increased in the study period. The time-trends differed between neonatal and postneonatal death. For neonatal death, both the absolute and relative educational differences decreased in Finland and Sweden, increased in Denmark, whereas in Norway a decrease in absolute differences and a slight increase in relative differences occurred. For postneonatal death, the relative educational differences increased in all countries, whereas the absolute differences decreased. CONCLUSIONS All educational groups experienced a decline in infant mortality during the period under study. Still, the inverse association between maternal education and RR of postneonatal death has become more pronounced in all Nordic countries.
A prospective study of posttraumatic growth as assessed by self‐report and family caregiver in the context of advanced cancer

Objective: The study of posttraumatic growth (PTG) has burgeoned over the last decade, particularly in the area of oncology. The aims of the study were to: (1) describe PTG in patients with hepatobiliary carcinoma, (2) examine agreement between the patient and caregiver measures of patient PTG, and (3) test the associations between PTG and other psychological factors and clinically relevant outcomes.
Localization of Avian Leukosis Virus Subgroup J in Naturally Infected Chickens by RNA In Situ Hybridization

The novel subgroup J of avian leukosis virus (ALV-J) has emerged as a significant cause of myeloid neoplasia and weight suppression in broiler chickens. We investigated viral tropism using RNA in situ hybridization (ISH) in naturally infected chickens. Formalin-fixed tissues were collected from 12-day-old embryos (seven infected, two control) and from 0-week-old (four infected, one control), 3-week-old (five infected, one control), 6-week-old (five infected, one control), and 9-week-old (10 infected, two control) chickens naturally infected with ALV-J in ovo. A 636-base antisense riboprobe complementary to the 3′ and 5′ ends of the pol and env viral genes, respectively, was constructed. Strong positive staining was present in cardiac myocytes, Purkinje fibers, vascular and pulmonary smooth muscle, renal glomeruli, distal tubules, and pituitary glands. Light staining was present in gastrointestinal smooth muscle, thyroid and adrenal glands, and follicular medullae in the cloacal bursa. Staining was not present in any hematopoietic precursors. Tissues from newly hatched chicks exhibited the strongest and most consistent staining, whereas staining in embryos was minimal. RNA ISH confirmed the presence of ALV-J-specific nucleic acid within cytoplasmic inclusions in cardiac myocytes, Purkinje fibers, pituitary glands, and renal glomeruli. Viral tropism for cardiac myocytes and Purkinje fibers may relate pathogenetically to the cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure described in index chicken flocks infected with ALV-J. Viral tropism for endocrine organs may relate pathogenetically to the weight suppression associated with infection.
Structure and Function of Skeletal Muscle in Zebraﬁ sh Early Larvae

EDL, extensor digitorum longus. Zebrafi sh muscles were examined at an early developmental stage (larvae 5 – 7 d). Using aluminum clips, preparations ( (cid:2) 1.5 mm length, 150 μ m diameter) were mounted for force registration and small angle x-ray diffraction. Sarcomeres were oriented mainly in parallel with the preparation long axis. Electrical stimulation elicited fast and reproducible single twitch contractions. Length – force relations showed an optimal sarcomere length of 2.15 μ m. x-ray diffraction revealed clear equatorial 1.1/1.0 refl ections, showing that myofi laments are predominantly arranged along the preparation long axis. In contrast, refl ections from older (2 mo) zebrafi sh showed two main fi lament orientations each at an (cid:2) 25 ° angle relative to the preparation long axis. Electrical stimulation of larvae muscles increased the 1.1/1.0 intensity ratio, refl ecting mass transfer to thin fi laments during contraction. The apparent lattice volume was 3.42 × 10 (cid:2) 3 μ m 3 , which is smaller than that of mammalian striated muscle and more similar to that of frog muscles. The relation between force and stimulation frequency showed fusion of responses at a comparatively high frequency ( (cid:2) 186 Hz), refl ecting a fast muscle phenotype. Inhibition of fast myosin with N -benzyl-p -toluene sulphonamide (BTS) showed that the later phase of the tetanus was less affected than the initial peak. This suggests that, although the main contractile phenotype is fast, slow twitch fi bers can contribute to sustained contraction. A fatigue stimulation protocol with repeated 220 ms/186 Hz tetani showed that tetanic force decreased to 50% at a train rate of 0.1 s (cid:2) 1 . In conclusion, zebrafi sh larvae muscles can be examined in vitro using mechanical and x-ray methods. The muscles and myofi laments are mainly orientated in parallel with the larvae long axis and exhibit a signifi cant fast contractile component. Sustained contractions can also involve a small contribution from slower muscle types.
Modeling the neurovascular niche: VEGF‐ and BDNF‐mediated cross‐talk between neural stem cells and endothelial cells: An in vitro study

Neural stem cells (NSCs) exist in vascularized niches. Although there has been ample evidence supporting a role for endothelial cell‐derived soluble factors as modulators of neural stem cell self‐renewal and neuronal differentiation there is a paucity of data reported on neural stem cell modulation of endothelial cell behavior. We show that co‐culture of NSCs with brain‐derived endothelial cells (BECs) either in direct contact or separated by a porous membrane elicited robust vascular tube formation and maintenance, mediated by induction of vascular vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and activation of vascular VEGFR2 and TrkB by NSC NO. Nitric oxide (NO) scavengers and sequestration of VEGF and BDNF blunted this induction of tube formation, whereas addition of exogenous NO donor, rBDNF and rVEGF rescued the induction of tube formation. Further, rBDNF enhanced NSC eNOS activation and NO generation, suggesting an inducible positive feed‐back signaling loop between NSCs and BECs, providing for homeostasis and responsiveness of the resident NSCs and BECs comprising the neurovascular niche. These findings show the importance of reciprocal modulation of NSCs and BECs in induction and maintenance of the neurovascular niche and underscores their dynamic interactions. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Phylogenetic Investigation of a Statewide HIV-1 Epidemic Reveals Ongoing and Active Transmission Networks Among Men Who Have Sex With Men

Background:Molecular epidemiological evaluation of HIV-1 transmission networks can elucidate behavioral components of transmission that can be targets for intervention. Methods:We combined phylogenetic and statistical approaches using pol sequences from patients diagnosed between 2004 and 2011 at a large HIV center in Rhode Island, following 75% of the state's HIV population. Phylogenetic trees were constructed using maximum likelihood, and putative transmission clusters were evaluated using latent class analyses to determine association of cluster size with underlying demographic/behavioral characteristics. A logistic growth model was used to assess intracluster dynamics over time and predict “active” clusters that were more likely to harbor undiagnosed infections. Results:Of the 1166 HIV-1 subtype B sequences, 31% were distributed among 114 statistically supported, monophyletic clusters (range: 2–15 sequences/cluster). Sequences from men who have sex with men (MSM) formed 52% of clusters. Latent class analyses demonstrated that sequences from recently diagnosed (2008–2011) MSM with primary HIV infection (PHI) and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) were more likely to form larger clusters (odds ratio: 1.62–11.25, P < 0.01). MSM in clusters were more likely to have anonymous partners and meet partners at sex clubs and pornographic stores. Four large clusters with 38 sequences (100% male, 89% MSM) had a high probability of harboring undiagnosed infections and included younger MSM with PHI and STIs. Conclusions:In this first large-scale molecular epidemiological investigation of HIV-1 transmission in New England, sexual networks among recently diagnosed MSM with PHI and concomitant STIs contributed to the ongoing transmission. Characterization of transmission dynamics revealed actively growing clusters, which may be targets for intervention.