Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Class E tuned power amplifier with antiparallel diode or series diode at switch, with any loaded Q and switch duty cycle

An analysis and experimental results are given for a class E switching-mode tuned power amplifier with an antiparallel diode or a series diode at any loaded Q and any switched duty cycle D. The load resistance and the operating frequency of the amplifier can vary over a wide range while maintaining high efficiency. Using equations derived by the authors in a previous publication (ibid., vol.CAS-34, no.2, p.149-59, 1987), the analysis of the amplifier is performed at any values of the derivative of the switch voltage, load resistance, and operating frequency. The experimental switch current and voltage waveforms were in agreement with theoretical predictions. The measured efficiencies were 91 and 88% at 2 MHz in the amplifier with an antiparallel diode and a series diode, respectively. >
A scale-invariant perturbative approach to study information communication in dynamic brain networks

How communication among neuronal ensembles shapes functional brain dynamics at the large scale is a question of fundamental importance to Neuroscience. To date, researchers have primarily relied on two alternative ways to address this issue 1) in-silico neurodynamical modelling of functional brain dynamics by choosing biophysically inspired non-linear systems, interacting via a connection topology driven by empirical data; and 2) identifying topological measures to quantify network structure and studying them in tandem with functional metrics of interest, e.g. co-variation of time series in brain regions from fast (EEG/ MEG) and slow (fMRI) timescales. While the modelling approaches are limited in scope to only scales of the nervous system for which dynamical models are well defined, the latter approach does not take into account how the network architecture and intrinsic regional node dynamics contribute together to inter-regional communication in the brain. Thus, developing a generalized scale-invariant measure of interaction between network topology and constituent regional dynamics can potentially resolve how transmission of perturbations in brain networks alter function e.g. by neuropathologies, or the intervention strategies designed to mitigate them. In this work, we introduce a recently developed theoretical perturbative framework in network science into a neuroscientific framework, to conceptualize the interaction of regional dynamics and network architecture in a quantifiable manner. This framework further provides insights into the information communication contributions of putative regions and sub-networks in the brain, irrespective of the observational scale of the phenomenon (firing rates to BOLD fMRI time series). The proposed approach can directly quantify network-dynamical interactions without reliance on a specific class of models or response characteristics: linear/nonlinear. By simply gauging the asymmetries in responses to perturbations, we obtain insights into the significance of regions in communication and their influence over the rest of the network. Moreover, coupling perturbations with functional lesions can also answer which regions contribute the most to information spread: a quantity termed Flow. The simplicity of the proposed technique allows translation to an experimental setting where the response asymmetries and flow can inversely act as a window into the dynamics of regions. For proof-of-concept, we apply the perturbative approach on in-silico data generated for human resting state network dynamics, using different established dynamical models that mimic empirical observations. We also apply the perturbation approach at the level of large scale Resting State Networks (RSNs) to gauge the range of network-dynamical interactions in mediating information flow across brain regions.
Technical Efficiency of Sole Maize and Maize/Melon Intercrop in Osun State, Nigeria

Intercropping has been found out to have enormous economic advantages for the farmer, although with some possible adjoining disadvantages attributable to competition and lack of adequate management. This study therefore analyzed and compared the technical efficiencies of sole maize and maize/melon intercrop farmers in Osun State with a view of determining the factors that influences it. Purposive sampling was used to select 47 respondents each for sole maize and maize/melon intercrop system. Stochastic frontier production function was used to estimate the technical efficiencies. The study revealed that the mean technical efficiency of maize/melon intercrop farmers was higher than that of the sole maize farmers. Costs of land, labor and implement were the factors affecting the sole maize farmers’ efficiency, while the maize/melon intercrop farmers’ efficiency was significantly determined by costs of land, labor and capital. No significant factor determines inefficiency for sole maize farmers. However, land security and extension visit were the major significant inefficiency factors found out to reduce the inefficiencies of maize/ melon intercrop farmers in the study area. It is recommended that famers in the study area should venture into the intercropping of maize and melon more than sole maize cropping; government should strengthen land security and give adequate motivation to extension agents to visit farmers more in order to increase their technical efficiencies.
Academic Library Seating: A Survey of Usage, with Implications for Space Utilisation

ABSTRACTBetween June and October 1996 the University of Wollongong Library conducted a survey of patron seating usage with the aims of quantifying such use; and identifying areas where seats could be removed to accommodate the growth of the collection. The survey indicated that maximum usage of the 648 seats available for study was 66%. This supported a conservative reduction of seating numbers by 12%, resulting in minimal impact on patrons. The removal of seats enabled the installation of additional shelving and a compactus. The survey findings have assisted in accommodating collection expansion for a further five-year period.
Lipase inhibitor orlistat: An old but still effective weapon

Nowadays, the pharmacological treatment of obesity has increased its significance due to the failure of conventional obesity treatments. Thus, Orlistat which is a lipase inhibitor is being used as an anti-obesity medication in many countries. In this study, the effect of Orlistat on weight loss and metabolic parameters in Turkish female patients was evaluated. Female patients with diagnosis of obesity who were followed up in Kutahya Training and Research Hospital were evaluated via retrospective observation. A total of 100 patients with body mass index (BMI-kg/m2) of > 40, who were regularly followed up every month and compliant with their treatment (diet, exercise and orlistat) were included in the study. Monthly values of weight loss and BMI, along with baseline 12th week values of fasting blood glucose, insulin, glycated hemoglobin (HBA1c), lipid profile, creatinine, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and thyroidstimulating hormone of patients who received orlistat 120 mg three times a day for 12 weeks in addition to diet and exercise,were evaluated. Mean weight loss values of the patients using orlistat in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd month were found as 3.6 ± 0.5 kg, -2.2 ± 0.1 kg and -1.8 kg, respectively (p <0.0001). The median BMI values at baseline, in 1st, 2nd and 3rd months were 43.1 kg/m2 (40.047.0), 41.7 kg/m2 (39.0-45.4), 40.5 kg/m2 (38.2-44.9), and 39.8 kg/m2 (37.2-44.2), respectively (p <0.0001). Significant decreases in glycemic parameters including fasting blood glucose, HBa1c, and fasting insulin levels were provided (all, p <0.0001). Furthermore, positive effects were found on all lipid profiles except HDL cholesterol (p <0.05). Even in an early period of 12 weeks, Orlistat treatment was observed to significantly reduce BMI, insulin, HBA1c, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein and triglyceride values of Turkish female patients. Orlistat usage with diet and exercise can be beneficial for reducing the risk of glucose intolerance and cardiovascular disease.
Charge transport and trapping in HgCdTe MIS devices

A pulsed UV (ultraviolet) excitation technique was used to study the bias- and photon-energy dependences of charge transport and trapping processes in HgCdTe MIS devices containing a ZnS/anodic-sulfide dual-dielectric gate insulator. Electron and hole transport in the insulator occurs rapidly ( >
MiRNA Deregulation Distinguishes Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma (ATC) and Supports Upregulation of Oncogene Expression

Simple Summary MicroRNAs are essential regulators of gene expression. Their deregulation is associated with a substantial reorganization of the transcriptome in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC). Here, we present an integrated, combinatorial approach based on miRNA–mRNA sequencing to unravel miRNA–mRNA networks deregulated in ATC. We identify miRNA–mRNA signatures sharply distinguishing ATC and uncover prime oncogenes upregulated by the downregulation of miRNAs in ATC. Abstract Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is the most fatal and rapidly evolving endocrine malignancy invading the head and neck region and accounts for up to 50% of thyroid cancer-associated deaths. Deregulation of the microRNA (miRNA) expression promotes thyroid carcinoma progression by modulating the reorganization of the ATC transcriptome. Here, we applied comparative miRNA–mRNA sequencing on a cohort of 28 thyroid carcinomas to unravel the association of deregulated miRNA and mRNA expression. This identified 85 miRNAs significantly deregulated in ATC. By establishing a new analysis pipeline, we unraveled 85 prime miRNA–mRNA interactions supporting the downregulation of candidate tumor suppressors and the upregulation of bona fide oncogenes such as survivin (BIRC5) in ATC. This miRNA-dependent reprogramming of the ATC transcriptome provided an mRNA signature comprising 65 genes sharply distinguishing ATC from other thyroid carcinomas. The validation of the deregulated protein expression in an independent thyroid carcinoma cohort demonstrates that miRNA-dependent oncogenes comprised in this signature, the transferrin receptor TFRC (CD71) and the E3-ubiquitin ligase DTL, are sharply upregulated in ATC. This upregulation is sufficient to distinguish ATC even from poorly differentiated thyroid carcinomas (PDTC). In sum, these findings provide new diagnostic tools and a robust resource to explore the key miRNA–mRNA regulation underlying the progression of thyroid carcinoma.
Fatigue Impacts on Bridge Cost Allocation

The objectives of this project were to develop an analytical tool and to use it to evaluate the relative user responsibilities for fatigue damage to highway bridges. This tool was designed to be a general analytical tool to evaluate the current fleet mix database established by FHWA. It is a FORTRAN program designed to read standard format FHWA files for vehicle data and vehicle kilometers traveled. The output is a relative fatigue damage matrix for each vehicle class and weight group over 12 FHWA-established functional highway classes. The relative damage factors are then used as input into the highway cost allocation study to assign costs of fatigue damage. This study advances the analytical technique for evaluation of relative fatigue damage to highway bridges by incorporating the semicontinuum analysis method, the Palmgren-Miner hypothesis, and the rain-flow cycle counting algorithm. The analysis evaluates a database of 39 bridges selected as representative of those in the United States and contains several hundred fatigue-prone details for analysis. The vehicle database was developed by FHWA specifically for the highway cost allocation study. Reviewed in this paper are the basis of the fatigue analysis used for this study and all assumptions made in the development of the fatigue program. The vehicle database and bridge selection and database incorporated into this study are also described. Results of the analysis are summarized and presented.
Men in Mixed-Orientation Marriages in Contemporary China: Unpacking the Role of Heteronormativity and Patriarchy

This qualitative study based on 34 in-depth interviews (IDIs) with cis-gendered tongzhi (men who are attracted to men) critically explores the factors influencing their decisions to enter mixed-orientation marriages (MOMs) in China. Theoretically, the study weaves together insights from queer and feminist theorizing and analyzes the role of heteronormativity and patriarchy, especially in relation to hegemonic masculine ideals, in the context of marriage norms in contemporary China. Our examination showcases the contradictory role heteronormativity and patriarchy play in simultaneously marginalizing and privileging these groups of men along the axes of sexual, gender, and lineage (inter-generational) hierarchies. It also underscores the continued role of filial piety norms. Overall, the study contributes to deepening our understanding of the complex nature of MOMs and discussions of MOMs as marriage fraud. We argue that examining these non-normative marriages furthers explication of the social structures underpinning gender and sexuality in a context of patriarchal marriage-normative societies.
Shear strength and failure modes of double-lap bi-material CFRP/Ni-Cr alloy joint under severe environmental conditions

This study was systematically conducted to investigate the dependence of mechanical behaviors of double-lap bi-material joints on various environmental conditions, including room temperature dry (RTD), cold temperature dry (CTD), elevated temperature dry (ETD), elevated temperature wet (ETW), salty spray (SS), and thermal shock cycles (TS) conditions. Compared to the RTD condition, the shear strength of the joint under the CTD and TS conditions shows increases of approximately 50.0% and 9.09%, respectively, but lower values are obtained under ETD (18.18%), ETW (72.73%), and SS (27.27%) conditions. Failure modes of lap-joint are analyzed on fractured surfaces and confirmed by finite element simulation in which the cohesive failure mode mainly occurs with the highest distributed stresses. However, an experimental adhesive failure mode partially appears under the ETD, ETW, and SS conditions. Furthermore, as the less prevalent conditions, the dependencies of the shear strength and failure mode on the exposure time under SS and TS conditions are more thoroughly evaluated based on the scanning electron microscope (SEM) and the energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) to show microstructures and chemical compositions of the fracture surface, respectively. The effects of environmental conditions, particularly under SS and TS conditions, could provide new insight into designing specific bonded joints.
Effect of Circumferential Grooves on the Aerodynamic Performance of an Axial Single-Stage Transonic Compressor

This paper reports on experimental and numerical investigations on circumferential grooves in an axial single-stage transonic compressor. Total pressure ratio and efficiency speedlines were taken at design speed and three off-design conditions. The experiments comprise four different configurations with deep and shallow grooves and variable coverage of the projected rotor axial chord. All casing treatments proved to have a beneficial effect on stall range while maintaining high levels of efficiency, even at off-design operation. Deep grooves extending almost to the trailing edge showed the biggest potential: the mass flow at stall inception for design speed could be strongly reduced, and the operating range could be enlarged by 56.1%. When three shallow grooves were applied to the compressor, the stage efficiency at design speed was shifted to slightly higher values. A possible explanation could be a favorable change in stator aerodynamics due to the reduction of corner separation. For a closer look into the physical effects of grooves on the tip leakage flow, a rotor-only CFD analysis has been carried out using a steady state calculation. A multi-block grid with approximately 1.2 million nodes was used. The numerical simulations reveal strong effects of circumferential grooves on the rotor flow field at tip. Mach-number contours, axial velocity distributions and particle traces for the smooth casing and six deep grooves are presented at stall mass flow. Compared to the smooth wall case, the treated casing significantly reduces blockage in the tip area and weakens the roll-up of the core vortex. These mechanisms prevent an early spillage of low momentum fluid into the adjacent blade passage and delay the onset of rotating stall.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Controlling Conditions of the One-Dimensional Consolidation Test on Peat Soil

This paper studies the changes in the loss on ignition (LOI), total nitrogen content (TN), and strain in a one-dimensional consolidation test on peat soil. The effects of small-range fluctuations in the ambient temperature and changes in the sample height on the consolidation process of peat soil are proposed and verify the inhibitory effect of thymol on the decomposition of organic matter. The results show that when the ambient temperature fluctuates in a small range, the consolidation rate is significantly affected. Under a low load, the ambient temperature increases by 1–2 °C, and the consolidation rate can be increased by up to 10 times. This study presents the changes in loss on ignition (LOI) and total nitrogen content (TN) during consolidation, which proves that soaking the samples with a thymol solution can effectively control the decomposition of organic matter in peat soil. The strain of peat soil at a height of 30 mm is greater than or equal to that of other height samples, while that of mucky soil is 20 mm. Therefore, 30mm is the recommended sample height for peat soil for the one-dimensional consolidation test.
The Effect of Public Service Quality on Equity Satisfaction in Indigenous People Batak Simalungun

The success of government administration in public services is measured by achieving public satisfaction. Community satisfaction is largely determined by Total Quality Management (TQM) based services. However, in the management of local government services for TQM-based satisfaction, it is still not a complete solution level. Therefore this study will examine a satisfactory service model (equity satisfaction) in the context of TQM with the background of the local wisdom of the indigenous Batak Simalungun people. The purpose of this study is to analyze the influence of the quality of public services on equity satisfaction in the indigenous Batak Simalungun. The method used in this research is quantitative by using purposive sampling. The sample was taken as many as 200 people. The data analysis in this study is regression. As a result, there is a significant influence between the quality of public services on equity satisfaction in the original Batak Simalungun community.
Does Social Parameters and Landholding Size Affect Household Food Security in Rural India?

Past studies have proved that various factors affect household food security. This paper presents whether social groups, family size and landholding sizes are related to food security of the households. Consumption of food groups as per household recommended requirement is considered as food security in this paper. Subsample of 315 households from 39 villages of Mathapada Gram Panchayat and 8 villages from Doraguda Gram Panchayat in Boipariguda block in Koraput district of Odisha state, India were taken for the study. Results of the study show that social group and family size have significant effect on the gap between consumption and household food groups and nutrients requirement, while landholding did not show any effect. Intervention studies and knowledge on consumption of own production and marketing of excess produce should be emphasized. Government entitlements should focus on decreasing the gap between the consumption and household requirement by increasing the accessibility to foods and making the rural households food secure.
Characteristics of Wind Loads on Long-Span Roof

In recent years, many large span roofs of airport waiting room and garage were destructed in the tropic storm, which have the characteristics of light mass, high flexibility, slight damping and low natural frequency. Wind loads general control the design of such structures. Thus, the tests of wind pressure with the rigid scale model in boundary layer wind tunnel were conducted in the structural design stage. This paper presents the results of characteristics of wind loads on large-span roof structure of the Guangzhou International Convention & Exhibition Center (GICEC) in frequency domain. The power spectrum densities, correlation coefficients, coherence functions and probability density function (PDF) were analyzed in detail. The results can be summarized as follows: (1)The power spectrum densities of fluctuating wind loads have the characteristics of vortex shedding and the Strouhal number is about 0.295; (2)The coherence coefficients decrease with the frequency and the spatial distance increase at both the along-wind and across-wind direction; (3)There are clearly negative skewed distributions for some pressure taps at the windward leading roof edge and much longer negative tails are observed, which follow Non-Gaussian distributions. The results presented in this paper are expected to be of considerable interest and of use to researchers and professionals involved in designing complex long-span roof structures.
Finite element simulation of the axial collapse of thin-wall square frusta

Abstract In vehicle crashworthiness studies special effort has been spent on experimental research and in establishing safe theoretical design criteria on the mechanics of crumpling, providing, in this manner, to the engineers the ability to design safe vehicle structures, so that the maximum amount of the crash energy will dissipate while the material surrounding the passengers department is deformed. Generally, this energy absorbing capability depends upon the governing deformation phenomena of all or part of structural components of simple geometry, such as thin-walled tubes, cones, frames, sections etc. In particular, the crash analysis of plated structural components has been traditionally based on destructive prototype testing and requires analytical and/or numerical theoretical models to incorporate in detail the main crash phenomena, i.e. local buckling, post-buckling and maximum strength of each section and the various crumpling mechanisms expected. For this purpose, specialized finite element codes have been developed to establish efficient design of energy absorbing systems. The main objective of the present paper is to apply the explicit FE code LS-DYNA to the simulation of the crash behaviour of metallic thin-walled square frusta subjected to axial compression. The results taken from the simulation, in comparison to the actual experimental data on similar specimens, agree on many aspects and the concluding remarks pertaining to the design of the crushing process are drawn.