Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dual Active Bridge Converter With Variable Transformer for Wide Voltage and Wide Load Range Operation

This study explores the use of a magnetically controlled transformer within a dual active bridge (DAB) converter. This novel approach introduces a new degree of freedom to the control of the topology through the variation of the equivalent turns ratio of its high-frequency transformer. By adjusting the turns ratio, the converter maintains a primary referred DC voltage gain of one, regardless of varying input/output voltages. This theoretical approach represents the simplest solution to achieve minimum effective currents and enables zero voltage switching (ZVS) under light-load conditions, particularly for unmatched voltage scenarios. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the converter’s currents, output power, efficiency, and their relationship with the magnetic flux density conditions in the transformer. Furthermore, the trade-off between the total turns ratio variation and the circulating currents in the converter is described in detail. Additionally, considering the specific characteristics of this controllable magnetic device, a straightforward modulation strategy to minimize the effective currents under wide output voltage variations is introduced. An experimental prototype with an input voltage of 100 V and a rated power of 1.2 kW presents a minimum efficiency of 90% under light-load conditions (5% of the maximum load), considering output voltage variations ranging from 130 V to 180 V.
Analysis Of Leading Sectors In West Sumatra Province

This study analyzes the changing economic structure of West Sumatra, Indonesia from 2017-2022 using location quotient (LQ) and dynamic location quotient (DLQ) techniques. The analysis identifies current concentrated export-oriented sectors like agriculture, manufacturing, transportation and government services based on high LQ values. Meanwhile, DLQ analysis reveals emerging competitive sectors such as mining and declining sectors like agriculture based on shifts in employment. The combined LQ and DLQ analyses provide insights into West Sumatra’s economic base and structural changes. Electricity, gas, transportation, finance and government administration appear strong and growing in competitiveness based on high LQ and high DLQ values. Further investigation through surveys, focus groups and value chain analysis is recommended to translate these findings into tailored strategic policies to leverage West Sumatra’s regional competitive advantages. This initial screening provides insights into West Sumatra’s changing economic geography.
Adoption and intensity of integrated agriculture aquaculture among smallholder fish farmers in Kenya

This paper examined the adoption and intensity of using integrated agriculture aquaculture (IAA) among smallholder fish farming households in Kenya. The analysis was based on crossectional farm-level data collected from four counties in Kenya: Nyeri, Kakamega, Siaya, and Busia. Results showed that risk plays a central role in farmers’ decisions through the direct effect of the sample moments of the profit distribution. Specifically, the first moment (mean profit) had a highly significant positive effect on the adoption and intensity of IAA. Profit variability, as reflected by the second moment, negatively impacted adoption and the intensity of IAA. Other factors that were important in IAA adoption included the proportion of economically active members, full-time land ownership, awareness of IAA, accessibility to irrigation, and flat farm topography, all of which were statistically significant in influencing IAA adoption positively. Other factors which were found to influence the intensity of IAA positively and significantly were: age, education level, number of economically active members, full-time land ownership, awareness of IAA, flat farm topography, and clay soil type. Thus, IAA should be promoted alongside farmers’ education, farm size, access to affordable and accessible credit, number of farm enterprises, and IAA awareness as a mechanism for enhancing smallholder IAA adoption and intensity of use.
Make yourself at home: the social construction of research roles in family studies

This article reflects upon the author's experiences in two separate research projects that involved interviewing and observing families with school-age children to learn about how they use media in the home. It focuses on the points at which the researcher intersects with the family, and the ways in which meaning-making is negotiated. Using a social constructionist approach, the article outlines how different families define the researcher's ‘role’ (student, person, guest, negative agent) and how the role may shape the research environment. Ultimately, the article argues that it is critical to explore the complex ways in which families respond to being studied in their natural environment, and the long-term impact the research encounter may have on both the observed and the observer.
Transportation and Habitat Conservation Plans: Improving Planning and Project Delivery While Preserving Endangered Species

The development of transportation infrastructure requires a long planning, funding, and implementation cycle that can take over a decade for a large-scale project. Environmental mitigation to meet requirements of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is usually undertaken late in this process and for the single project being planned. Habitat Conservation Plans (HCPs) provide an alternative model and are becoming increasingly popular, consisting of early regional mitigation needs assessment and advanced planning for habitat or landscape-level impacts from multiple infrastructure projects. This approach promises several potential benefits including reduced project delays, lower mitigation and transaction costs, and improved conditions for the affected species. This report reviews the current status of landscape-level HCPs (sometimes referred to as “area-wide”) and, based upon a national survey of those either implementing or developing them, examines their use in the transportation infrastructure planning process. This research demonstrates that this model is growing in popularity and holds promise for further development as an approach to both habitat preservation and infrastructure development.
Microplankton from three Palaeozoic formations in the province of León, NW-Spain

In the Lower Palaeozoic where true palynological microfossils become rare, much use can be made of other acid-resistant microfossils such as acritarchs and chitinozoans. This study gives some of the results of an investigation on the presence of acritarchs and chitinozoans in three essentially Lower Palaeozoic formations of the Province of Leon in northwest Spain, viz. the Formigoso, the San Pedro, and the La Vid Formations. They range from Upper Llandoverian to the middle part of the Emsian. The techniques used to prepare the samples are discussed. The vertical distribution of the most common acritarchs and chitinozoans in the region investigated are given, as well as the changes of frequency in the associations of some selected groups of acritarchs from a number of sections of the San Pedro and the La Vid Formations. Most formgroups show characteristic changes of frequency providing the possibility of detailed correlation within the formations. The most common forms of acritarchs and chitinozoans used for correlation purposes are described. A list of species may be found on pages 280 and 337. Most of these forms had not yet been recorded.
Ecosystem disturbance and wildlife conservation in western grasslands - A symposium proceedings

This publication is the result of a half-day symposium, "Ecology, management, and sustainability of western grassland ecosystems" held at The Wildlife Society's First Annual Technical Conference, September 22-26, 1994 in Albuquerque, NM. The purpose of the symposium was to review and synthesize information about the structure, function, and components of steppe and desert grassland ecosystems in the western United States with special emphasis on the ecological roles and requirements of wildlife species. This work, designed to draw attention to some wildlife topics that have been particularly neglected for western grasslands, represents a cross-section of the papers orally presented at the symposium as well as some additional papers solicited afterwards. To provide a quality product, a minimum of two peer reviews were solicited for each manuscript, and authors were instructed to revise manuscripts based on editor's and referees' comments. Land managers, range conservationists, wildlife biologists, ecologists, and private citizens interested in sustaining the ecological health, productivity, and biological diversity of western grassland ecosystems should find this publication valuable.
Effect of the Sterile Insect Technique and Augmentative Parasitoid Releases in a Fruit Fly Suppression Program in Mango-Producing Areas of Southeast Mexico

Simple Summary The integrated use of the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) and Augmentative Biological Control (ABC) in the management of fruit fly pest populations has been theoretically proposed to generate a synergistic effect. In a control program against the Mexican fruit fly, Anastrepha ludens (Loew), the combined application of the SIT and ABC was evaluated in mango orchards. The release of parasitoids alone increased parasitism percentages from 0.59 to 19.38%, and the application of the SIT reduced the FTD index (Flies per Trap per Day) by 30%. The concurrent application of both techniques resulted in about 98% suppression in the fly population. These results justify the use of both techniques in fruit fly area-wide pest management programs. Abstract The Sterile Insect Technique (SIT), by means of sterile male releases of Anastrepha ludens (Loew), coupled with Augmentative Biological Control (ABC), by releasing the parasitoid Diachasmimorpha longicaudata (Ashmead), was evaluated in a commercial mango production area for one year. The obtained results were compared with mean fruit fly population values from two previous years without the combined use of both techniques. The treatments were: SIT + ABC, SIT, ABC, and Control, and each treatment was established in blocks of 5000 Ha separated by distances of 5–10 km. The evaluations were carried out through fruit sampling to assess percent parasitism and trapping of adult flies to obtain Flies per Trap per Day (FTD) values. The mean percentage of parasitism increased from 0.59% in the control treatment to 19.38% in the block with ABC. The FTD values decreased from ~0.129 and ~0.012 in the control block to 0.0021 in the block with SIT and ABC, representing a 98% suppression. The difference between the two periods in the control block was not significant. We conclude that the integration of both techniques resulted in an additive suppression of the pest population, supporting the use of both control techniques in an area-wide pest management context.
Landscape Level Effects on Forest Bird Populations in Eastern Broadleaf Forests: Principles for Conservation

Forest fragmentation, urbanization, and forest management are important issues for bird conservation in the eastern broadleaf forest of North America. Fragmentation of forest by agricultural and developed land uses increases the numbers of Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater) and nest predators in the landscape, which results in decreased productivity of songbirds. Reproductive success is so low in some Midwestern landscapes that the only way populations could persist is through immigration, which provides circumstantial evidence that populations are structured as sources and sinks. Recent hypotheses that put nest-site factors in a habitat context, habitat or local factors in a landscape context, and landscapes in a geographic context provide guidance for conservation planning. At a landscape scale conservation efforts should focus on providing necessary habitats, conserving existing large contiguous landscapes, and reducing fragmentation in moderately fragmented landscapes. Minimizing habitat fragmentation at a landscape scale may be the best approach to addressing local effects such as edge and patch size effects.
Associations between Degenerative Lumbar Scoliosis Structures and Pain Distribution in Adults with Chronic Low Back Pain

Background: This study aimed to investigate the location and distribution of pain in adults with chronic low back pain (LBP) with degenerative lumbar scoliosis (DLS) according to coronal deformities. Methods: We enrolled 100 adults with chronic LBP and DLS, dividing them into two groups, a right-convex DLS group (n = 50) and a left-convex DLS group (n = 50). Dominant pain location was analyzed by dividing it into three parts—left side, right side, and center—and pain areas were identified using the pain drawing method; then, a heat map was created for each group. An association between pain location and convex side was analyzed as the primary outcome. Additionally, we assessed pain characteristics and radiological parameters, such as the curve structure and degree of degeneration. We used the Mann–Whitney U test or the chi-squared test to compare the clinical characteristics of the two groups, and generalized linear models were utilized to determine which variables were associated with pain severity or pain area. Results: The results indicated that there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of the association between the curve structure, pain severity and location. In multivariate analysis, although we did not find any variables associated with pain severity, we observed that age and a left-convex DLS were negatively correlated with pain area among all participants. The heat map demonstrated that individuals with chronic LBP frequently experienced pain in the central lumbar region, regardless of the coronal curve structure. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that degenerative coronal lumbar deformities may not have a specific pain pattern associated with a curved structure.
The Effects of the Low-Carbon Pilot City Program on Green Innovation: Evidence from China

This study examines the effectiveness of the low-carbon pilot city program in promoting green innovation outcomes in China. Using a time-varying difference-in-differences model based on 277 cities from 2003 to 2019, this study finds that the implementation of the low-carbon pilot city program has a positive and significant impact on city-level green innovation outcomes. The policy effect is heterogeneous across different urban infrastructure characteristics, including geographic location, city scale, factor endowment, carbon emission intensity, and ICT infrastructure. This study provides important insights into the effectiveness of low-carbon policies in promoting green innovation and has important implications for policymakers and practitioners who are interested in promoting sustainable development in emerging economies.
Timing of therapeutic interventions against infection-triggered encephalopathy syndrome: a scoping review of the pediatric literature

Our goal was to conduct a scoping review of the literature on the treatment of infection-triggered encephalopathy syndrome/acute encephalopathy in children, focusing on treatment targets and treatment initiation timing. We performed literature searches using PubMed for articles reporting treatments of infection-triggered encephalopathy syndrome/acute encephalopathy. We included articles describing specific treatments for acute encephalopathy with control groups. For the purpose of searching new therapies only experimentally tried in the case series, we also included case series studies without control groups in this review, if the studies contained at least two cases with clear treatment goals. Therapies were classified based on their mechanisms of action into brain protection therapy, immunotherapy, and other therapies. We operationally categorized the timing of treatment initiation as T1 (6–12 h), T2 (12–24 h), T3 (24–48 h), and T4 (>48 h) after the onset of seizures and/or impaired consciousness. Thirty articles were included in this review; no randomized control study was found. Eleven retrospective/historical cohort studies and five case–control studies included control groups with or without specific therapies or outcomes. The targeted conditions and treatment timing varied widely across studies. However, the following three points were suggested to be effective in multiple studies: (1) Careful seizure management and targeted temperature management within 12 h (T1) of onset of febrile seizure/prolonged impaired consciousness without multiple organ failure may reduce the development of acute encephalopathy with biphasic seizures and late reduced diffusion; (2) immunotherapy using corticosteroids, tocilizumab, or plasma exchange within 24 h (T1–T2) of onset of acute necrotizing encephalopathy may reduce sequelae; and (3) anakinra therapy and ketogenic diet demonstrate little evidence of neurologic sequelae reduction, but may reduce seizure frequency and allow for weaning from barbiturates, even when administered weeks (T4) after onset in children with febrile infection-related epilepsy syndrome. Although available studies have no solid evidence in the treatment of infection-triggered encephalopathy syndrome/acute encephalopathy, this scoping review lays the groundwork for future prospective clinical trials.
In the hands of the user: a framework for the analysis of online engagement with digital heritage collections

Within a context of recent and rapid transformation in authorship and participation practices on the Internet, this thesis explores the implications of an emerging digital culture for heritage institutions, such as museums and archives. Combining insights from internet, education and museum theory it explores different experiences of participation and meaning making around digital heritage collections opened to public engagement and contribution. In particular, the investigation analyses and contrasts the online activities of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS), partner in the research, with alternative approaches. The thesis applies ethnographic research methods to investigate embodied and virtual settings. Based on the empirical findings, it identifies different theoretical models of online engagement with heritage content. It then extrapolates from these models a conceptual framework that could be used by heritage institutions to analyse and re-assess their online practices, intellectual positioning and strategic ambitions in the context of the paradigm shift brought about by digitality.
Olfactory and visual vs. multimodal landmark processing in human wayfinding: a virtual reality experiment

ABSTRACT Recent studies suggest that the olfactory system is not as indiscriminative as previously thought. Odours can serve as useful landmark information. The current study explored recognition and wayfinding performance in 54 participants (52 at t2), who either received 18 unimodal (only visual or olfactory) or multimodal (visual-olfactory) landmark information during a learning phase in a virtual reality maze before finding their way through it. Recognition performance was assessed in a recognition task (18 targets, 18 distractors). The experiment was repeated after one month. As expected, participants showed poorer recognition performance if presented with odours compared to the other two conditions. But, recognition performance did not decline over time. Wayfinding performance was similar across all conditions. However, odours were the only condition with stable performance over time, possibly due to emotional mediation and deeper processing. Multimodal material added no value to wayfinding performance, supposedly due to higher cognitive load.
Stabilité de phases carbonatées en conditions mantelliques : implications pour le cycle géodynamique du carbone

Le carbone est recycle dans le manteau terrestre majoritairement sous forme de carbonates. La stabilite des carbonates lors de la subduction dans le manteau profond joue donc un role majeur sur le cycle geodynamique du carbone. Ce travail de these apporte de nouvelles contraintes experimentales sur la stabilite des carbonates pour des conditions de pression et temperature pertinentes pour le manteau inferieur terrestre. Pour ce faire, les echantillons ont ete synthetises a haute-pression et hautetemperature en cellule a enclumes en diamants et analyses de maniere in situ par diffraction de rayons X. Une fois ramenes a pression et temperature ambiante, les echantillons ont ete prepares par faisceau d'ions focalises (focused ion beam-FIB) afin d'etre analyses ex situ par microscopie electronique a transmission et microscopie de rayons X en transmission. Cette etude a permis de montrer la grande stabilite des phases carbonatees par rapport a la decarbonatation et de mettre en evidence deux nouvelles phases de haute-pression des carbonates : (1) une phase obtenue dans le cas d'une composition de depart FeCO3 des 40 GPa-1500 K (equivalent a ~1000 km de profondeur). (2) une deuxieme phase decrite dans une solution solide (Fe,Mg)CO3 pour des conditions superieures a 80 GPa-2000 K en accord avec certaines predictions theoriques. Dans ces deux nouvelles phases de haute-pression, les etudes ex situ montrent la presence de carbone sous la forme de groupements tetraedriques CO4 et le fer sous la forme oxydee Fe(III). La presence de fer dans la composition des carbonates induit, en effet, des reactions d'oxydoreduction dans lesquelles le fer est oxyde et le carbone partiellement reduit. Il en resulte alors un assemblage a haute-pression de magnetite, diamant et de carbonate ou leurs polymorphes de haute-pression. Nos resultats montrent donc la possibilite pour le carbone d'etre recycle jusqu'a la base du manteau et prouvent que la coexistence de carbone oxyde et carbone reduit dans les conditions du manteau inferieur est possible. Ce resultat est essentiel pour de futures modelisations de l'etat d'oxydoreduction et de la fusion du manteau profond.
The Neutral Theory (Theory of Genetic Drift) and the Nearly Neutral Theory of Molecular Evolution are Opposite to Evolution

The Neutral theory (also known as the theory of genetic drift) means genetic drift and vice-versa. But the Nearly Neutral theory means genetic drift plus natural selection. However, genetic drift changes the gene frequency randomly and thus it is non-additive, directionless and thus valueless for evolution. Again, genetic drift works only in small populations and thus, genetic drift means small population. But small populations have to inbreed and produce homozygous organisms. Consequently, those populations suffer from various diseases and abnormalities and finally may suddenly extinct. Moreover, any homozygous organism means zero variation, mutation-genetic drift equilibrium also creates zero variation. But variation is the raw material of evolution; so, no evolution occurs by the genetic drift. So, evolutionary biologists rejected both the genetic drift and the small populations for any kind of evolution. Hence, the Neutral theory is opposite to any kind of evolution. Again, recent experiments of ecological genetics with small populations, 12 biochemical tests, and the data of the DNA sequence, fossil evidence oppose the Neutral theory. Furthermore, the rate of evolution by the Neutral theory is equal to the rate of mutation. But mutations are opposite to any kind of evolution. So, biologists rejected the Neutral theory. As the natural selection is not justified in Nearly Neutral theory; so, Neutral theory=Nearly Neutral theory. Consequently, the rejection of the Neutral theory means the rejection of the Nearly Neutral theory. Thus, both the Neutral theory and the Nearly Neutral theory are opposite to any kind of evolution.