Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Development of Orientation-Free High Power Stirling-Type Pulse Tube Cryocooler

For the purpose of cooling high-temperature superconductor (HTS) devices, superconducting motors, SMES, and fault current limiters, a large cooling capacity Stirling-type Pulse tube cryocooler (SPTC) has been developed by Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd (SHI). The design concepts of the cryocooler are high efficiency, compact size, light weight, and high reliability. We have developed a cryocooler with a design target of producing a cooling capacity of 200¶W at 77¶K. As the experimental results show, the cooling performance of the in-line type expander achieved a cooling capacity of 210¶W at 77¶K, a minimum temperature of 37¶K with a compressor input power 3.8¶kW, an operating frequency of 48¶Hz~60¶Hz, and a compressor efficiency of 74%. Moreover, for miniaturization, a U-type expander was tested, and the performance is about 10% less than that of an in-line type expander. The cooling capacity degradation caused by inclination of the expander was within 3%. The experimental results of the high power SPTC are reported in this paper.
Modelling the interaction of graphene oxide using an atomistic-continuum model

In this paper, we construct a continuum model for graphene oxide based upon the Lerf-Klinowski structure to investigate the interaction forces between sheets of graphene oxide. We use the Lennard-Jones potential and Coloumbic potential to determine the total potential energy between sheets of graphene oxide. We analytically calculate the interaction forces within the system using sums of hypergeometic functions. Our model is then modified to investigate different levels of hydration and oxidation within the system. Our investigations are reconstructed using the LAMMPS molecular dynamics simulator and we find that the analytical solution quickly and effectively calculates results that match well against our simulation data and values given from literature.
Up-regulation of plasma membrane-associated ganglioside sialidase (Neu3) in human colon cancer and its involvement in apoptosis suppression

Human plasma membrane-associated sialidase (Neu3) is unique in specifically hydrolyzing gangliosides, thought to participate in cell differentiation and transmembrane signaling, thereby playing crucial roles in the regulation of cell surface functions. We have discovered levels of mRNA for this sialidase to be increased in restricted cases of human colon cancer by 3- to 100-fold compared with adjacent nontumor mucosa (n = 32), associated with significant elevation in sialidase activity in tumors (n = 50). In situ hybridization showed the sialidase expression in epithelial elements of adenocarcinomas. In cultured human colon cancer cells, the sialidase level was down-regulated in the process of differentiation and apoptosis induced by sodium butyrate, whereas lysosomal sialidase (Neu1) was up-regulated. Transfection of the sialidase gene into colon cancer cells inhibited apoptosis and was accompanied by increased Bcl-2 and decreased caspase expression. Colon cancer exhibited a marked accumulation of lactosylceramide, a possible sialidase product, and addition of the glycolipid to the culture reduced apoptotic cells during sodium butyrate treatment. These results indicate that high expression of the sialidase in cancer cells leads to protection against programmed cell death, probably modulation of gangliosides. This finding provides a possible sialidase target for diagnosis and therapy of colon cancer.
Asymptotic formulas for perturbations in the eigenfrequencies of the full Maxwell equations due to the presence of imperfections of small diameter

We consider electromagnetic media that consist of a homogeneous (constant coefficient) electromagnetic material with a finite number of small dielectric imperfections. For such media, we provide a rigorous derivation of asymptotic formulas for perturbations in the eigenfrequencies of the full Maxwell equations caused by the presence of the dielectric imperfections.
Early Project-Management Performance and Project Outcomes Correlate Hong

Using 128 capital projects and a longitudinal design, this study finds a correlation between performance variables in the project-initiating and planning phases and project outcomes in the closing phase. Specifically, this study's structural model suggests that team and risk performance prior to project execution have a direct positive effect on project outcomes in the closing phase. Subsequent analyses show that team and communication performance prior to project execution possess the largest and second-largest effects on project outcomes, respectively. Our findings extend the current state of knowledge concerning not only the relationships among performance variables prior to project execution, but how these performance variables affect project outcomes in the closing phase.
Household Portfolio Choice and Retirement

Abstract This study examines household portfolio choice through the retirement transition. I show that couples significantly decrease their stock allocations after retirement, whereas singles’ allocations remain relatively unchanged. Reallocations are concentrated among couples in which the wife is more risk averse than her husband. Husbands’ and wives’ respective retirement events are followed by opposite-signed changes in stock allocations. These findings are consistent with a model of collective household decision making in which spouses have heterogeneous risk preferences, and suggest that dynamics in the distribution of intrahousehold bargaining power generate time-varying household risk aversion.
Instantaneous control of average power for grid tie inverter using single phase D-Q rotating frame with all pass filter

This paper proposes a new instantaneous power control method using the rotating frame with an all pass filter for a single-phase grid tie inverter. The recently proposed single-phase rotating frame is reanalyzed based on the phasor notation that has been widely used to understand linear electrical circuits and then the relationship between them is defined. A grid tie inverter circuit model with a LCL filter is derived in a single-phase rotating frame. A novel average power control method with an all pass filter suitable for digital implementation is introduced. Various results from simulations are shown to verify the proposed scheme and actual experiments taken from a 3 kW grid tie inverter will be carried out in a near future.
THE IMPACT OF DIVIDEND POLICY ON FIRM VALUE . A PANEL DATA ANALYSIS OF ROMANIAN LISTED FIRMS

The aim of the paper is to investigate the impact of dividend policy on firm value. Our sample consists of sixty-three non-financial firms listed on the Bucharest Stock Exchange over the period 20012011. Employing a fixed effects model, we found that dividend pay-out ratio positively influences firm value after controlling for other firm-specific variables. Furthermore, leverage and firm size were found to have a positive effect on firm value.
γH2AX and p53 responses in TK6 cells discriminate promutagens and nongenotoxicants in the presence of rat liver S9

Previous work with a diverse set of reference chemicals suggests that an in vitro multiplexed flow cytometry‐based assay (MultiFlow™ DNA Damage Kit—p53, γH2AX, Phospho‐Histone H3) can distinguish direct‐acting clastogens and aneugens from nongenotoxicants (Bryce SM et al. [ ]: Environ Mol Mutagen 57:171‐189). This work extends this line of investigation to include compounds that require metabolic activation to form reactive electrophiles. For these experiments, TK6 cells were exposed to 11 promutagens and 37 presumed nongenotoxicants in 96 well plates. Unless precipitation or foreknowledge about cytotoxicity suggested otherwise, the highest concentration was 1 mM. Exposure occurred for 4 hr after which time cells were washed to remove S9 and test article. Immediately following the wash and again at 24 hr, cell aliquots were added to wells of a microtiter plate containing the working detergent/stain/antibody cocktail. After a brief incubation, robotic sampling was employed for walk‐away flow cytometric data acquisition. Univariate logistic regression analyses indicated that γH2AX induction and p53 activation provide the greatest degree of discrimination between clastogens and nongenotoxicants. Multivariate prediction algorithms that incorporated both of these endpoints, in each combination of time points, were evaluated. The best performing models correctly predicted 9 clastogens out of 11 and 36 nongenotoxicants out of 37. These results are encouraging as they suggest that an efficient and highly scalable multiplexed assay can effectively identify clastogenic chemicals that require bioactivation. More work is planned with a broader range of chemicals, additional cell lines, and other laboratories to further evaluate the merits and limitations of this approach. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 57:546–558, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Advancing the Study of Violence Against Women

With appreciation for both their dissent and agreement, I read the commentaries on the main article of this symposium on advancing the study of violence against women (VAW). Campbell, Ford, Basile, and Martin all shared different perspectives and emphases in their commentaries, but there is a strikingly consistent theme across all of the four responses and the article: There are weaknesses in the study of VAW, and those limitations keep us from offering what we should to this field. For this author, that there is such agreement and that this sentiment echoes the same point made by previous reviews during the past two decades give compelling reason to proffer the big ideas found within the article. In addition to agreeing on the existence of weakness, there is little disagreement on the nature of those flaws: the lack of rigor in research methodologies, lack of organization in the literature, lack of infrastructure support, dearth of theory, and more. David Ford rightly points out, as I did in the article, that previous research agendas offered by the National Research Council and the National Institute of Justice have also attended to issues of research rigor, but their fine analyses have not fostered the changes they proposed. Sandra Martin echoes the need for transdisciplinary research teams built around centers of excellence, and Kathleen Basile concurs that silos of researchers are a detriment. Rebecca Campbell agrees with the value of translational research and articulates an important emphasis on authentic, equal partnerships between researchers and advocates. Beyond these areas of agreement, the points of view of the commentaries diverge. A small portion of the disagreement comes from a lack of clarity of what was proposed. The article does not propose establishment of a discipline of study and in fact punctuates that point by asserting that the
Combined effect of a peptide–morpholino oligonucleotide conjugate and a cell-penetrating peptide as an antibiotic

A cell-penetrating peptide (CPP)–morpholino oligonucleotide (MO) conjugate (PMO) that has an antibiotic effect in culture had some contaminating CPPs in earlier preparations. The mixed conjugate had gene-specific and gene-nonspecific effects. An improved purification procedure separates the PMO from the free CPP and MO. The gene-specific effects are a result of the PMO, and the nonspecific effects are a result of the unlinked, unreacted CPP. The PMO and the CPP can be mixed together, as has been shown previously in earlier experiments, and have a combined effect as an antibiotic. Kinetic analysis of these effects confirm this observation. The effect of the CPP is bacteriostatic. The effect of the PMO appears to be bacteriocidal. An assay for mutations that would alter the ability of these agents to affect bacterial viability is negative.
Micrometeorological measurements of nitrous oxide exchange in a cropland

N2O fluxes in a wheat/maize rotation system were measured using flux gradient methods combined with gas chromatograph (GC) technique. The mean precision of two repeated GC analyses for N2O concentration achieved to 0.27–0.46 ppbv, which could resolve N2O concentration differences in a low range of 0.39–0.65 ppbv. To maximize measurable N2O concentration differences, gradient measurements were conducted only after fertilization or under low wind conditions. During observation period, N2O flux ranged from 4.41 to 4.84 mgN2O m 2 h 1 for maize field, and from 2.82 to 3.59 mgN2O m 2 h 1 for wheat field. When gradient observation changed from two layers to four layers, the temporal variation of N2O flux reduced but the mean value changed less. Many negative N2O fluxes were found in maize and wheat fields even after fertilization. Nearly all of them were caused by negative N2O concentration differences. During four days’ observation in maize field, a mean N2O flux of 0.75 mgN2O m 2 h 1 was found in the daytime and could not be simply attributed to the temporal variation of N2O flux. N2O flux determined by the aerodynamic method (Fa) and the Bowen ratio/energy balance method (Fb) were in a good agreement and statistically significant. The ratio of Fa to Fb increased linearly with energy balance ratio (EBR) obtained by the aerodynamic method in the daytime when EBR is larger than 0.3. It is the first time to give a quantitative description for the impact of energy closure on N2O flux, and show a possible way to improve the data quality under the condition of poor energy balance. 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Utilization of accident and emergency department at a semi-urban Nigerian hospital: a preliminary prospective study

Objective: To assess emergency department utilization at a semi-urban (resource-limited) Nigerian hospital. Methods: A systematic random sampling technique was adopted. A proforma was used to obtain general information such as age, gender, mode of transfer, time of presentation, symptom duration, diagnoses, treatment duration, treatment outcome (transfer to the ward, referral to another hospital, discharge or death) and date and time of discharge. Chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were used to determine the association of variables with mortality and predictors, respectively. Results: Patients were predominantly male (62.2%) with a mean age of (36.0±19.0) years. Most visits occurred in September (49.1%). The median symptom duration was 24 h (interquartile range: 4.0, 72.0 ). More incidences were caused by non-surgical (61.9%) than surgical reasons. Infectious diseases (predominantly malaria, 34.5%) and injuries from road traffic accidents (mostly head injuries, 9.4%) were the commonest non-surgical and surgical cause, respectively. The mortality rate was 9.2%. Typhoid-intestinal-perforation and sepsis contributed 45.2% of overall mortality. Age (χ2=16.44, P<0.001), symptom duration (χ2=22.57, P<0.001), and visiting month (Fishers exact, P=0.002) were associated with mortality. Moreover, age ( 37 years) (0R=4.60, 95%C/=1.96-10.82, P<0.001) and visiting in September/October (0R=4.01, 95%C/=1.47-10.93, P=0.007) were the predictors of mortality. Conclusions: Though most patients in emergency department survive, the mortality is still high. Appropriate hospital and community interventions should be implemented to reduce mortality.
Auxiliary tasks to improve trip hazard affordance detection on construction sites

Trip hazards are a danger present on all construction sites and failure to identify them can lead to serious injury. The major challenge of detecting these trips is the large number of objects capable of becoming hazards. This challenge is exacerbated because these hazards are not entirely defined by their object type, for example tools on the ground are trippable but not when hung on a wall. We propose to train a CNN performing pixel-wise trip detection with three auxiliary tasks to help the CNN better infer scene geometric properties of trip hazards. Of the three approaches investigated pixel-wise ground plane estimation, pixel depth estimation and pixel height above ground plane estimation, the first approach allowed the trip detector to achieve a 11.1% increase in Trip IOU over earlier work. These new approaches make it plausible to deploy a robotic platform to perform trip hazard detection, and so potentially reduce the number of injuries on construction sites.
Total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of crude methanolic extract from five Pleurotus species

Pleurotus species are a popular edible mushroom and easily artificially cultivated. This research was investigated total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity of the crude methanolic extract of five Pleurotus species: Pleurotus ostreatus, P. sajor-caju, P. eryngii, P. cystidiosus and P. eous. The TPC in the extracts was determined with the Folin–Ciocalteau method. Methanolic extract of P. ostreatus showed highest phenolic content (17.63±1.30 mg GAE/g extract). The antioxidant activity was estimated using 2,2 -azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method. The result showed that the crude methanolic extract of five Pleurotus was separated into two groups. P. ostreatus, P. sajor-caju and P. eous showed relatively high antioxidant activity, while P. eryngii and P. cystidiosus showed low antioxidant activity. Thus, the present study establishes some Pleurotus species are used both in food supplements and in medicinal products. Including, further studies of those mushroom should be directed isolation of pure chemical constituents and biological activities evaluation in order to prepare high value food and pharmaceutical products.
ASSESSING AND DETECTING THE ABILITY TO FAKING PSYCHOLOGICAL INJURY AS A CONSEQUENCE OF A MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT ON THE MMPI-2 USING MOCK VICTIMS

The Spanish Law 30/1995 concerning civil liability in motor vehicle accidents (MVA) has included, under the precept of moral damage, the compensation of victims of psychological injury. The literature has identified PTSD and the indirect measurements or secondary disorders i.e., depression and dystimia, as psychological injury of an MVA. Nevertheless, under civil law, the diagnosis of PTSD alone does not constitute sufficient evidence given that in legal terms faking or false testimony must be detected and eliminated before an expert testimony can be admissible. In this context, and in order to assess the ability of malingerers to fake psychological injury in MVA, a total of 105 naive participants i.e., untrained in psychopathology, and who had never been involved in a traffic accident in which they had sustained physical or psychological injury, were asked to feign they had suffered psychological injury as a consequence of a MVA. One week after self-training, they were evaluated on the MMPI-2. The results show that participants were able to fake both the direct and indirect symptoms of psychological injury of an MVA. The assessment of the predictive capacity of the validity and configurations scales of the MMPI-2 for effective simulators of moral damages revealed a wide
Looking beyond linearity : A nonparametric analysis of subjective well-being and income

Despite a large number of empirical studies on cognitive and affective evaluations of life, the effect of income on subjective well-being (SWB) remains unclear. Contrasting findings in the literature indicate that the impact of income on SWB varies for different levels of income, age, and health. Differently than in previous literature, this paper describes an empirical investigation of the relation between income and SWB without relying on any parametrization for the SWB considered as a function of income. The research shows that a change in income has a different effect on SWB for different values of income, age, and health. The results can be used to motivate distinct models for SWB conditional on income, age, and health.
Detection of paternally inherited fetal point mutations for β-thalassemia in maternal plasma using simple fetal DNA enrichment protocol with or without whole genome amplification: an accuracy assessment

Abstract Objective: To design and evaluate a noninvasive protocol for prenatal diagnosis (PND) of β-thalassemia, using cell free fetal DNA (cff-DNA) in maternal circulation. Traditional current PND which is mainly based on chorionic villous sampling (CVS), amplification refractory mutation system and sequencing holds as gold standard. Methods: Ten thalassemia trait couples with distinct mutations for the husband and wife were included in this study. The mutations in carrier fathers were IVSI-1, IVSI-5, FR8/9 and CD44. After maternal plasma isolation and free DNA extraction, all samples subjected to designed protocol including DNA size separation on agarose gel, elution of DNA from the gel slices using a simple and efficient manual purification method, with or without whole genome amplification and the detection method was allele-specific real-time PCR. Results: Presence or absence of the paternal mutant allele was correctly determined in all of cases and the accuracy of designed protocol was determined 100%. Conclusions: The protocol described here is very simple, inexpensive and easy to perform, but with satisfactory accuracy in detection of paternal mutations in cff-DNA. Due to the risk of fetal loss with current invasive sampling for PND, a noninvasive alternative is highly demanded in clinical setting.
Montelukast, a Cysteinyl Leukotriene Receptor 1 Antagonist, Induces M2 Macrophage Polarization and Inhibits Murine Aortic Aneurysm Formation

Background The pathogenesis of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is characterized by atherosclerosis with chronic inflammation in the aortic wall. Montelukast is a selective cys-LT 1 receptor antagonist that can suppress atherosclerotic diseases. We evaluated the in vitro properties of montelukast and its in vivo activities in an angiotensin II–infused apolipoprotein E–deficient (apoE−/−) AAA mouse model. Methods The mouse monocyte/macrophage cell line J774A.1 was used in vitro. M1 macrophages were treated with montelukast, and gene expressions of inflammatory cytokines were measured. Macrophages were cultured with montelukast, then gene expressions of arginase-1 and IL (interleukin)-10 were assessed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, arginase-1 was measured by fluorescence-activated cell sorting, and IL-10 concentration was analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In vivo, one group (Mont, n=7) received oral montelukast (10 mg/kg/day) for 28 days, and the other group (Saline, n=7) was given normal Saline as a control for the same period. Aortic diameters, activities of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), cytokine concentrations, and the number of M2 macrophages were analyzed. Results Relative to control, montelukast significantly suppressed gene expressions of MMP-2, MMP-9, and IL-1β, induced gene expressions of arginase-1 and IL-10, enhanced the expression of the arginase-1 cell surface protein, and increased the protein concentration of IL-10. In vivo, montelukast significantly decreased aortic expansion (Saline vs Mont; 2.44 ± 0.15 mm vs 1.59 ± 0.20 mm, P<.01), reduced MMP-2 activity (Saline vs Mont; 1240 μM vs 755 μM, P<.05), and induced infiltration of M2 macrophages (Saline vs Mont; 7.51 % vs 14.7 %, P<.05). Conclusion Montelukast induces M2 macrophage polarization and prevents AAA formation in apoE−/− mice.
Americas Conference on Information Systems ( AMCIS ) 1231-2002 PREDICTING THE USE OF WEB-BASED INFORMATION SYSTEMS : INTRINSIC MOTIVATION AND SELF-EFFICACY

This study applies recent findings in the intrinsic motivation and computer self-efficacy research to Technology Acceptance Model in order to predict the use of web-based information systems. One hundred nine subjects participated in the study, which was conducted in a field setting with Blackboard system, a web-based class management system. A survey was administered at the beginning of the study and the actual use of the system was captured by the Blackboard system over eight weeks. The results largely support the proposed model, highlighting the important roles of perceived enjoyment, learning goal orientation, and self-efficacy in determining the actual use of the system.