Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A novel feature fitting simulation algorithm for estimating electric vehicle demand

Electric vehicles will drive the future, therefore forecasting and simulating ‘transportation electrification’ demand over the coming years has become important for utilities. Ever since electricity was commercialized there has been a need for demand forecasting and simulation because electricity provider's ability to produce energy far exceeds their ability to store energy. This is an industry worth billions of dollars and therefore even a marginal improvement in the way it's predicted can have a great impact. Demand forecasting is critical for unit commitment and broadly effects the wholesale electricity market price. With the addition of transportation electrification this process has become even more challenging. Traditional ways are hard to model and computationally intensive, nowadays this type of problem is of great interest in the field of machine learning as well, because of the availability of large datasets from utilities. However datasets for transportation electrification still remain a huge challenge therefore more work needs to be done in forecasting electric vehicular loads. This paper tackles this new problem and presents a new method called Feature Fitting Simulation Algorithm to estimate electric vehicle charging demand profiles. The simulation was performed on MATLAB and Excel using various tools and functions to ensure the algorithms run on optimum efficiency. The novel feature of the algorithm is its hybrid structure of considering both historical and simulation data for temporal predication, secondly it introduces two key variables scaling and sensitivity to better control the time series output. FFSA is vetted against machine learning algorithms and the results indicate a better performance achieved by FFSA.
Comparison of growth factors functionally related to epidermal growth factor in the urine of normal and human tumor-bearing athymic mice.

Urine from nude mice contains epidermal growth factor (EGF) and a minor acid-stable component with an apparent molecular weight of 20,000, which competes with EGF for binding to EGF membrane receptors and which promotes colony formation by normal rat kidney cells in soft agar. The levels of this Mr 20,000 urine-derived growth factor are increased approximately 4- to 10-fold in nude mice bearing tumors following s.c. injection of cultured human tumor cells. Following removal of the primary tumor, the concentration of this factor is reduced to basal levels, and thus, elevated levels of this growth factor appear to be dependent on tumor burden. The Mr 20,000 urinary component is separable into four EGF competing activities by high-performance liquid chromatography; the major species is immunologically related to mouse submaxillary gland EGF and therefore appears to be of host origin. However, in addition to elevated levels of host growth factor, urine from tumor-bearing mice also contains transforming growth factor activity in amounts comparable to that released by the tumor cells in culture. The tumor-derived urinary transforming growth factor activity is immunologically unrelated to EGF but is immunoreactive with an antiserum to transforming growth factor-alpha. We propose that the nude mouse may be a useful model to examine the role of both host- and tumor-derived growth factors in tumorigenesis and the usefulness of these factors as biological markers of response to therapy and tumor progression.
Investigation of Sn-Cu intermetallic compounds by AFM: new aspects of the role of intermetallic compounds in whisker formation

It has been observed that different tin whisker growth properties can result from the same tin deposit on two copper leadframe materials, C19400 and C70250. It was also found that modification of the surface condition of identical substrates, through pretreatment prior to Sn-plating, affects whisker growth behavior. Here, we report an atomic force microscopy (AFM) investigation of intermetallic compounds (IMC) formed on samples with significantly different whisker growth tendencies. AFM data analysis in conjunction with the IMC growth rate, determined using the weight gain method, provides quantitative data of the IMC characteristics. It was found that the whisker propensity is not directly related to the uneven growth front of IMC as detected by AFM. Whisker growth tendency, with respect to whisker density and length, decreases when the unevenness of the IMC layer exceeds a certain level. The results of this work show evidence that the whisker propensity is associated with the copper substrate texture as well as the substrate surface topography.
Endovascular management of infected carotid artery pseudoaneurysm complicating pharyngolaryngectomy: complete occlusion followed by early recurrence and rebleeding

Carotid artery pseudoaneurysms are rare lesions and are increasingly treated by endovascular means. This paper reports the case of a patient presenting with haemorrhage due to a left external carotid artery pseudoaneurysm seven weeks after total laryngectomy for carcinoma. The lesion recurred and rebled after technically successful emergency endovascular occlusion. Subsequent aneurysmectomy and carotid sacrifice resulted in fatal hemispheric infarction. The aneurysm was demonstrated to be infected on white cell study and subsequent histopathology. We propose that infection within the aneurysm itself was a significant factor in its recurrence and rebleeding after endovascular occlusion. If infection is proven or suspected then consideration should be given to early surgical rather than endovascular intervention.
In Vivo investigation of radiolabeled Bevacizumab in healthy rat tissues

In this study, BevMab was conjugated with the bifunctional chelating agent [diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA)] and the product (BevMab-DTPA) was labeled with 99mTc using stannous chloride reducing method. The quality control studies of radiolabeled compound (99mTc-BevMab-DTPA) were done with Thin Layer Radio Chromatography (TLRC) and High Performance Liquid Radio Chromatography (HPLRC) methods (% 95 <) to confirm the labeling efficiency. High radiochemical yield [98.07 % ± 2.17 (n = 13)] was obtained by TLRC method. Biodistribution studies of 99mTc labeled BevMab-DTPA was run on healthy female and male Albino Wistar rats. The distribution figures demonstrated that the radiolabeled compound was eliminated through the kidneys and accumulated in urinary bladder. The values of the BevMab-DTPA uptakes were similar in heart, blood, liver and spleen in both sexes.
Time-Varying Feedback Control of an Unmanned Autonomous Industrial Forklift

Abstract In this paper, the development of an unmanned autonomous forklift is discussed. A control architecture using vision, laser ranger finder, sonar, etc. for autonomous navigation is presented. The kinematics of a spin-turn mechanism is analyzed first, and then the obtained kinematics equations are transformed to the equations represented by path variables. These equations are nonlinear state equations to be used for control purpose. A time varying feedback control law via the chained form of Murray and Sastry (1993) is derived. The effectiveness of the proposed control law is examined through simulation.
Lumbar bone mineral density as the major factor determining increased prevalence of vertebral fractures in monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance

The possible relationships between biochemical measurements and both densitometric and radiographic indexes of skeletal fragility were evaluated in 65 postmenopausal women with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS). There was a significantly higher prevalence of vertebral fractures in the MGUS group compared with a control population (P ≤ 0·001). The MGUS patients were then grouped according to the presence or absence of at least one mild vertebral fracture. Patients with fractures (Fx, n = 34) were older (62·8 ± 6·1 years), with long‐standing disease (8·8 ± 7·1 years) when compared with those without fractures (NFx, n = 31; 59·7 ± 5·0 years, P ≤ 0·05 and 5·8 ± 4·1 years, P ≤ 0·05). The receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa‐B ligand/osteoprotegerin ratio was higher in Fx compared with NFx (0·092 ± 0·018 vs. 0·082 ± 0·020; P ≤ 0·05). Lumbar spine (0·811 ± 0·14 vs. 0·956 ± 0·12 g/cm2), femoral neck (0·660 ± 0·09 vs. 0·747 ± 0·10 g/cm2) and total bone mineral density (BMD) (0·788 ± 0·11 vs. 0·884 ± 0·11 g/cm2) were lower (all P ≤ 0·001) in Fx‐MGUS compared with Nfx patients. Receiver operating characteristic curves identified lumbar BMD as the variable that best predicted vertebral fractures (area under the curve 0·817; 95% confidence interval, 0·713–0·921). This study provides an indication for the measurement of BMD in MGUS patients, as a means of predicting vertebral fractures, especially in those that are asymptomatic. Patients with prevalent fractures should undergo pharmacological treatment to prevent further fractures.
Reconstruction of temperature distribution for swirling flames using one-dimensional TDLAS tomography

In this paper, one-dimensional tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy tomography (1D-TDLAST) is employed to reconstruct the rotationally symmetric temperature distribution for the swirling flame generated by a swirl-stabilized gas turbine model combustor. The H2O transitions at 7185.597 cm-1 and 7444.36 cm-1 are used because of their moderate line strengths and good temperature sensitivities. The fan-beam illumination penetrates the target swirling flame and is detected by a detector array with 12 equally-spaced photodetectors. Once the transmitted laser intensities are detected, the projections are extracted and utilized by a one-dimensional tomographic algorithm to reconstruct the temperature distribution.
Experimental vasospasm, acute and chronic, due to blood in the subarachnoid space.

✓ This investigation on monkeys provides arteriographic and other evidence that blood, in the absence of evident mechanical stimulation or injury to intradural arteries, will, when injected into the anterior cervical subarachnoid space through a catheter, consistently cause acute and chronic vasospasm of the intradural arteries, presumably where they are contacted by blood. Evidence indicates that vasoconstrictor agents or factors in fresh blood cause the vasospasm, since similar subarachnoid injection of saline or clear serum did not cause vasoconstriction. Other circumstances involving mechanical or other factors, such as vessel injury, may contribute to the length and severity of the vasospasm, but whether they have an etiological role needs further study.
Acute management of myocardial infarction with ST-segment elevation: summary of NICE guidance

The incidence of myocardial infarction has been declining in the UK over the past 25 years,1 2 but it varies between regions and still averages more than 600 hospitalised cases of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) per million people each year.3 4 The case fatality rates after myocardial infarction have also fallen, which has been attributed to improved access to effective treatments.5 The over-riding priority in the management of STEMI is to restore coronary perfusion rapidly and effectively, thereby limiting the extent of damage to myocardium and reducing the likelihood of death or future heart failure. Coronary reperfusion can be achieved by fibrinolysis (with agents such as reteplase and tenecteplase) or by mechanical reopening of the occluded artery by angioplasty and stent insertion (primary percutaneous coronary intervention). This article summarises the most recent recommendations from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) on the delivery of effective and timely coronary reperfusion treatment for people with STEMI.6 NICE recommendations are based on systematic reviews of best available evidence and explicit consideration of cost effectiveness. When minimal evidence is available, recommendations are based on the guideline development group’s experience and opinion of what constitutes good practice. Evidence levels for the recommendations are given in italics in square brackets. ### Assess eligibility for coronary perfusion therapy
The Regulation of the Escherichia coli mazEF Promoter Involves an Unusual Alternating Palindrome*

The Escherichia coli mazEF system is a chromosomal “addiction module” that, under starvation conditions in which guanosine-3′,5′-bispyrophosphate (ppGpp) is produced, is responsible for programmed cell death. This module specifies for the toxic stable protein MazF and the labile antitoxic protein MazE. Upstream from the mazEF module are two promoters, P2 and P3 that are strongly negatively autoregulated by MazE and MazF. We show that the expression of this module is positively regulated by the factor for inversion stimulation. What seems to be responsible for the negative autoregulation of mazEF is an unusual DNA structure, which we have called an “alternating palindrome. ” The middle part, “a,” of this structure may complement either the downstream fragment, “b,” or the upstream fragment, “c”. When the MazE·MazF complex binds either of these arms of the alternating palindrome, strong negative autoregulation results. We suggest that the combined presence of the two promoters, the alternating palindrome structure and the factor for inversion stimulation-binding site, all permit the expression of the mazEF module to be sensitively regulated under various growth conditions.
EVOLUTIONARY STRATEGIES IN INSULAR ENVIRONMENTS

This paper is divided into two parts: classic knowledge on theory of island biogeography (I) and the evolution of behaviour and morphology under insular constraints (II). The main subjects dealt with are: the problem of small populations (1); the biological definition of an island and the importance of biological studies on islands (2); the species-area effect and its consequences for a nature conservation strategy (3); the equilibrium theory and the weaknesses of this model (4); the founder principle (5); some features of insular populations, such as clutch size, niche enlargement and changes in body size (6); the natural history of colonisation and the success and failure of colonisation (7); the morphological paradigm of island faunas (8) and the evolution of social behaviour under insular constraints – territoriality, altruism, social structure and its relationships with body shape (9).
Crystal structure of the SOS cell division inhibitor SulA and in complex with FtsZ

SulA halts cell division in Escherichia coli by binding to the major component of the division machinery FtsZ. We have solved the crystal structure of SulA alone and in complex with FtsZ from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. SulA is expressed when the SOS response is induced. This is a mechanism to inhibit cell division and repair DNA in the event of DNA damage. FtsZ is a tubulin-like protein that forms polymers, with the active-site GTPase split across two monomers. One monomer provides the GTP-binding site and the other, through its T7 loop nucleotide hydrolysis. Our structures show that SulA is a dimer, and that SulA inhibits cell division neither by binding the nucleotide-binding site nor by inducing conformational changes in FtsZ. Instead, SulA binds the T7 loop surface of FtsZ, opposite the nucleotide-binding site, blocking polymer formation. These findings explain why GTP hydrolysis and polymer turnover are required for SulA inhibition.
Joint direction-of-departure and direction-of-arrival estimation in an ultra-wideband MIMO radar system

This paper presents a joint direction-of-departure (DOD) and direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation in an ultra-wideband (UWB) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radar system. The idea is to utilize multiple sinusoidal waves swept over the UWB bandwidth. A two-dimensional MUSIC algorithm was adopted to estimate the respective DOD and DOA at each frequency component. Histograms of the estimated angles were formulated to obtain the peak DOD and DOA. Simulation results demonstrated that the combination of the 2D-MUSIC and the angle histograms resulted in precise estimation of DOD and DOA. Indoor experiments also validated the proposed technique.
Effects of Unstable Surface Training on Measures of Balance in Older Adults

Schilling, BK, Falvo, MJ, Karlage, RE, Weiss, LW, Lohnes, CA, and Chiu, LZF. Effects of unstable surface training on measures of balance in older adults. J Strength Cond Res 23(4): 1211-1216, 2009-The purpose of this investigation was to examine the effects of a 5-week, low-cost unstable surface balance training program in sexagenarians. Nineteen men and women (60-68 years; 83.7 ± SD kg) were randomly assigned to a control or training group. The training group performed various balance activities on air-filled rubber disks for 5 weeks. Each thrice-weekly session was supervised, and progression was based on proficiency. While in an upright position, static balance (length of path [LOP] of the center of pressure) was assessed in both eyes-open and eyes-closed states for each leg separately as well as for both legs. Participants also performed the timed up-and-go (TUG) test and completed the Activity-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) questionnaire. A significant group × time effect for the ABC questionnaire was found (p = 0.04). Tukey post hoc analysis indicates that the balance training program increased self-perceived balance confidence (p < 0.01). No significant group × time interactions were noted for TUG or LOP. Because no objective measure of balance or function was changed, the increase in ABC may be spurious. Unstable surface training may not be effective in improving balance among persons for whom balance is not problematic. However, the large number of acute training variables in such a program leaves opportunity for further research in this paradigm.
Human Language Technology Conference of the North American Chapter of the Association of Computational Linguistics Proceedings of the Main Conference

We describe a generation-oriented workbench for the Performance Grammar (PG) formalism, highlighting the treatment of certain word order and movement constraints in Dutch and German. PG enables a simple and uniform treatment of a heterogeneous collection of linear order phenomena in the domain of verb constructions (variably known as Cross-serial Dependencies, Verb Raising, Clause Union, Extraposition, Third Construction, Particle Hopping, etc.). The central data structures enabling this feature are clausal “topologies”: one-dimensional arrays associated with clauses, whose cells (“slots”) provide landing sites for the constituents of the clause. Movement operations are enabled by unification of lateral slots of topologies at adjacent levels of the clause hierarchy. The PGW generator assists the grammar developer in testing whether the implemented syntactic knowledge allows all and only the well-formed permutations of constituents.
Sampling for Collection of Central Line–Day Denominators in Surveillance of Healthcare-Associated Bloodstream Infections

Objective. To determine the feasibility of estimating the number of central line-days at a hospital from a sample of months or individual days in a year, for surveillance of healthcare-associated bloodstream infections. Design. We used data reported to the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance system in the adult and pediatric intensive care unit component for 1995-2003 and data from a sample of hospitals' daily counts of device use for 12 consecutive months. We calculated the percentile error as the central line-associated bloodstream infection percentile based on rates per line-days minus the percentile based on rates per estimated line-days. Setting and Participants. A total of 247 hospitals were used for sampling whole months and 12 hospitals were used for sampling individual days. Results. For a 1-month sample of central line–days data, the median percentile error was 3.3 (75th percentile, 7.9; 90th percentile, 15.4). The percentile error decreased with an increase in the number of months sampled. For a 3-month sample, the median percentile error was 1.4 (75th percentile, 4.3; 95th percentile, 8.3). Sampling individual days throughout the year yielded lower percentile errors than sampling an equivalent fraction of whole months. With 1 weekday sampled per week, the median percentile error ranged from 0.65 to 1.40, and the 90th percentile ranged from 2.8 to 5.0. Thus, for 90% of units, collecting data on line-days once a week provides an estimate within ± 5 percentile points of the true line-day rate. Conclusion. Sample-based estimates of central line-days can yield results that are acceptable for surveillance of healthcare-associated bloodstream infections.
A Real Maximum Power Point Tracking Method for Mismatching Compensation in PV Array Under Partially Shaded Conditions

Conventional popular maximum power point tracking (MPPT) methods are effective under uniform solar irradiance. However, under solar irradiance mismatching conditions [partially shaded conditions (PSCs)], these MPPTs can fail for real MPPT (RMPPT), because multiple local maxima can be exhibited on the power-voltage characteristic curve. Although some researchers have worked on RMPPT under partial shading conditions, the methods have some drawbacks in terms of complexity and requirements for additional circuits, etc. In this paper, a novel MPPT method capable of RMPPT under PSCs is proposed. The performance of the proposed MPPT method is analyzed according to the RMPP position and is verified by simulation and experimental results.
Loss of stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 rescues cardiac function in obese leptin-deficient mice

The heart of leptin-deficient ob/ob mice is characterized by pathologic left ventricular hypertrophy along with elevated triglyceride (TG) content, increased stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) activity, and increased myocyte apoptosis. In the present study, using an ob/ob;SCD1−/− mouse model, we tested the hypothesis that lack of SCD1 could improve steatosis and left ventricle (LV) function in leptin deficiency. We show that disruption of the SCD1 gene improves cardiac function in ob/ob mice by correcting systolic and diastolic dysfunction without affecting levels of plasma TG and FFA. The improvement is associated with reduced expression of genes involved in FA transport and lipid synthesis in the heart, as well as reduction in cardiac FFA, diacylglycerol, TG, and ceramide levels. The rate of FA β-oxidation is also significantly lower in the heart of ob/ob;SCD1−/− mice compared with ob/ob controls. Moreover, SCD1 deficiency reduces cardiac apoptosis in ob/ob mice due to increased expression of antiapoptotic factor Bcl-2 and inhibition of inducible nitric oxide synthase and caspase-3 activities. Reduction in myocardial lipid accumulation and inhibition of apoptosis appear to be one of the main mechanisms responsible for improved LV function in ob/ob mice caused by SCD1 deficiency.
Caregiver's Spirituality and Its Influence on Maintaining the Elderly and Disabled in a Home Environment

ABSTRACT This study examined the role that faith-based organizations play for caregivers in maintaining the elderly and disabled in their homes. The study explored if persons who use religious beliefs and practices cope with caregiver stress better than those who do not use religious beliefs and practices. The study also explored the role of religious coping as a factor affecting decisions to institutionalize, and the role that faith-based practices and organizations play in helping caregivers maintain the elderly and disabled in their homes.