Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Digital Autotuning System for Inductor Current Sensing in Voltage Regulation Module Applications

Inductor current sensing is becoming widely used in current programmed controllers for microprocessor applications. This method exploits a low-pass filter in parallel with the inductor to provide lossless current sense. A major drawback of inductor current sensing is that accurate sense the dc and ac components of the current signal requires precise matching between the low-pass filter time constant and the inductor time constant (L/RL). However, matching accuracy depends on the tolerance of the components and on the operating conditions; therefore it can hardly be guaranteed. To overcome this problem, a novel digital autotuning system is proposed that automatically compensates any time constant mismatch. This autotuning system has been developed for voltage regulator module (VRM) current programmed controllers. It makes it possible to meet the adaptive voltage positioning requirements using conventional and low cost components, and to solve problems such as aging effects, temperature variations, and process tolerances as well. A prototype of the autotuning system based on a field-programmable gate array and a commercial dc/dc controller has been designed and tested. The experimental results fully confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed method, showing an improvement of the current sense precision from about 30% up to 4%. This innovative solution is suitable to fulfill the challenging accuracy specifications required by the future VRM applications.
Interparental Conflict Relative to Suicidal Ideation in Chinese Adolescents: The Roles of Coping Strategies and Meaning in Life

The aim of this study was to explore the paths between interparental conflict and Chinese adolescents’ suicidal ideation. Altogether 931 adolescents (Mage = 17.84, SD = 0.77, females = 531) completed the Dyadic Consensus Scale, Self-Report Coping Scale, Meaning in Life Questionnaire, and Positive and Negative Suicide Ideation questionnaires. Mediation analyses were conducted, focusing on the relations between interparental conflict and suicidal ideation along with coping styles and a sense of meaning in life. The results showed that interparental conflict indirectly predicted adolescents’ suicidal ideation via three mediators: coping-approach strategies, presence of meaning, and the joint serial effects of coping-approach strategies and presence of meaning in Chinese adolescents. In addition, boys were more likely to be at risk for suicidal ideation than girls, so were 10th graders compared to 11th graders. These findings supported a combined distress-to-meaninglessness line of thinking along with the use of coping-approach strategies to depress self-harm ideation. Generally, interparental conflict should be kept out of youngsters’ immediate vicinity as a preventive measure of suicidal ideation.
Preparation, characterization, and pharmacokinetics study of capsaicin via hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin encapsulation

Abstract Context: Capsaicin (CAP) is an effective drug in the treatment of pain and cancer. However, its practical administration has been limited due to poor aqueous solubility and bioavailability, as well as strong gastrointestinal irritation. Objective: The objective of this study is to improve the solubility and oral bioavailability of CAP by reducing irritation via hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) inclusion complex formulation, in vitro and in vivo analysis. Materials and methods: The complex (CAP-HP-β-CD) was developed via the magnetic stirring method and characterized using ultraviolet (UV) absorption spectrometry, infrared radiation (IR) spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Rats were treated with CAP (90 mg × kg−1) or CAP-HP-β-CD (corresponding to 90 mg × kg−1 CAP) by gavage, and all the plasma samples were analyzed with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results: The results of UV, IR, and DSC showed that an acceptable CAP-HP-β-CD (encapsulation efficiency, 75.83%; drug loading, 7.44%) was formulated. In vitro release study of CAP-HP-β-CD revealed that the cumulative release of CAP from HP-β-CD encapsulation was obviously enhanced (above 80% increases). Similarly, the in vivo pharmacokinetics parameters also increased, Cmax (from 737.94 to 1117.57 ng × mL−1), AUC0– (from 5285.9 to 7409.8 ng × h × mL−1) or relative bioavailability (139.38%). The gastric irritation bioassay further showed that the CAP-HP-β-CD was far better than free CAP. Discussion and conclusion: CAP exhibited significant aqueous solubility and oral bioavailability, as well as minimal irritation effect after forming inclusion complex with HP-β-CD. Therefore, these findings could provide an equally important alternative option for the clinical use of CAP.
Robust segmentation for the service industry using kernel induced fuzzy clustering techniques

To understand customers' characteristics and their desire is critical for modern CRM (customer relationship management). The easiest way for a company to achieve this goal is to target their customers and then to serve them through providing a variety of personalized and satisfactory goods or service. In order to put the right products or services and allocate resources to specific targeted groups, many CRM researchers and/or practitioners attempt to provide a variety of ways for effective customer segmentation. Unfortunately, most existing approaches are vulnerable to outliers in practice and hence segmentation results may be dissatisfactory or seriously biased. In this study, a hybrid approach that incorporates kernel induced fuzzy clustering techniques is proposed to overcome the above-mentioned difficulties. Two real datasets, including the supervised WINE and the unsupervised RFM, are used to validate the proposed approach. Experimental results show that the proposed approach cannot only fulfill robust classification, but also achieve robust segmentation simultaneously.
30 pJ/b, 67 Mbps, Centimeter-to-Meter Range Data Telemetry With an IR-UWB Wireless Link

This paper reports an energy-efficient, impulse radio ultra wideband (IR-UWB) wireless link operating in 3-5 GHz for data telemetry over centimeter-to-meter range distances at rates extended to tens of Mbps. The link comprises an all-digital, integrated transmitter (TX) fabricated in 90 nm 1P/9M CMOS that incorporates a waveform-synthesis pulse generator and a timing generator for on-off-keying (OOK) pulse modulation and phase scrambling. The link also incorporates an energy-detection receiver (RX) realized with commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components that performs radio-frequency (RF) filtering, amplification, logarithmic power detection for data demodulation and automatic level control for robust operation in the presence of distance variations. Employing a miniaturized, UWB, chip antenna for the TX and RX, wireless transmission of pseudo-random binary sequence (PRBS) data at rates up to 50 Mbps over 10 cm-1 m is shown. Further, employing a high-gain horn antenna for the RX, wireless transmission of PRBS data at rates up to 67 Mbps over 50 cm-4 m is shown with a TX energy consumption of 30 pJ/b (i.e., power consumption of 2 mW) from 1.2 V. The measured bit error rate (BER) in both cases is . Results from wireless recording of the background current of a carbon-fiber microelectrode (CFM) in one fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) scan using the IR-UWB link are also included, exhibiting excellent match with those obtained from a conventional frequency-shift-keyed (FSK) link at ~ 433 MHz.
A new control technique to enhance the stability of a DC microgrid and to reduce battery current ripple during the charging of plug-in electric vehicles

The charging of batteries acting as constant power loads from a DC microgrid leads to oscillations in the main bus voltage beyond certain power levels and hence makes the system unstable. A control technique is proposed to generate the reference current for a battery charger such that it enhances the power absorbed from the grid without creating instability. The technique also mitigates the charging current ripple when the current shifts from one reference to the other. Small signal approximation was done to obtain a linearized system model. The eigen values of the system matrix were analyzed to examine stability.
Glass Houses and Friends-and-Neighbors Voting: An Exploratory Analysis of the Impact of Political Scandal on Localism

The 2017 U.S. Senate Special Election in Alabama, which was decided on 12 December 2017, was one of the most contentious and scandal-laden political campaigns in recent memory. The Republican candidate, Roy Moore, gained notoriety during the 2017 campaign when a number of women alleged to national media that as teenagers they were subject to sexual advances by Moore, who was then in his early 30s and serving as a local assistant district attorney. The process and results of this particular election provide the heretofore unexamined impact of political scandal on localism or friends-and-neighbors voting in political contests. Based on data from the 2017 special election in Alabama, econometric results presented here suggest that a candidate who is embroiled in political scandal suffers an erosion in the usual friends-and-neighbors effect on his or her local vote share. In this particular case, the scandal hanging over Moore eroded all of the friends-and-neighbors effect that would have been expected (e.g., about five percentage points) in his home county, as well as about 40% of the advantage Moore had at home over his opponent in terms of constituent political ideology.
Early outcomes of exon 11 mutants in GIST treated with standard dose Imatinib.

BACKGROUND The exon 11 KIT mutant gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) is a heterogeneous cohort with variable biological behavior based on different mutational subtypes. METHODS Patients with histologically proven GIST with KIT exon 11 mutations were selected from a prospectively maintained database, and evaluated for clinical characteristics and event free survival (EFS). Patients were divided into mutations upstream to codon 557 (G1), mutations involving codon 557-558 (G2) and mutation downstream to codon 558 (G3). RESULTS A total of 90 patients satisfied the inclusion criteria for study. Substitutions, indels and duplications were seen in 23 patients. Deletions were seen in 67 patients, of which 44 patients had large deletions (>6 base pairs), while 23 has small deletions (<6 base pairs). Complex mutations were seen in 15 patients. G2 mutations were noted in 33 patients, while G1 and G3 mutations were seen 32 and 25 patients respectively. With a median follow-up of 26 months, estimated median EFS for the entire cohort was 55 months. The G2 cohort had an inferior EFS compared to the G1 and G3 cohorts (46 vs. 55 months), but this did not achieve statistical significance (univariate analysis: P=0.075). On multivariate analysis, patients undergoing radical intent surgery vs. no surgery (58 vs. 55 months; P=0.005) and G1 or G3 vs. G2 cohort (P=0.058) showed trend towards improved EFS. CONCLUSIONS In patients with GIST exon 11 codon 557-558 mutation subset there is a trend towards an inferior survival even when treated with imatinib mesylate (IM).
CCR7 Directs the Migration of Thymocytes into the Thymic Medulla1

Developing thymocytes migrate from the cortex to the medulla of the thymus as a consequence of positive selection. This migration is likely to be essential for tolerance because it allows the developing cells to move into an environment that is optimal for negative selection. Guidance mechanisms that draw positively selected thymocytes into the medulla have not been clarified, but several studies have implicated chemokines in the process. CCR7, the receptor for the medullary chemokines CCL19 and CCL21, is induced on thymocytes during their positive selection. In this study we show that premature expression of CCR7 repositions CD4+CD8+ double-positive cells into the medulla of transgenic mice. This repositioning of the thymocytes is accompanied by impairment of their development. The data show the involvement of CCR7 in medullary migration and emphasize the importance of proper thymocyte positioning for efficient T cell development.
INTERNAL MIGRATIONS THEORY APPLICATION IN CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

o nome da revista, a edição, o ano e as páginas nas quais o artigo foi publicado originalmente, mas sem sugerir que a RAM endosse a reutilização do artigo. Esse termo de licenciamento deve ser explicitado para os casos de reutilização ou distribuição para terceiros. Não é permitido o uso para fins comerciais. MARCELA DO CARMO SILVA Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Rio de Janeiro – RJ, Brazil.
Meta‐analysis methodology for combining non‐parametric sibpair linkage results: Genetic homogeneity and identical markers

Meta‐analysis methodology is developed for combining sibpair linkage results across multiple studies employing different study designs, some employing quantitative traits (e.g., blood pressure) and some employing qualitative traits (e.g., clinical hypertension), under the assumption that the underlying (disease) trait loci are the same. Pooling results based on three commonly used sibpair methods is considered: the affected sibpair method for dichotomous traits and, for quantitative traits, the Haseman‐Elston regression method and the Risch‐Zhang extremely discordant sibpair method. The proportion of genes shared identical by descent (IBD) by a sibpair of certain trait outcomes is chosen as a common effect to be pooled across studies. Variation in the observed IBD proportions among individual studies is modeled using a random effects model. A heterogeneity test is provided to assess the variability among individual studies. When results from all three types of studies are available, we derive pooled estimates of IBD proportions both for sibpairs with extremely concordant trait values and for sibpairs with extremely discordant trait values, and construct a combined test of linkage based on the difference of the two estimates. Simulation studies demonstrate the need for and the advantage of meta‐analysis of linkage results. We also present some guidelines for reporting linkage studies bearing potential future meta‐analysis in mind. Genet. Epidemiol. 15:609–626,1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Equity Return Dispersion and Stock Market Volatility: Evidence from Multivariate Linear and Nonlinear Causality Tests

We employ bivariate and multivariate nonlinear causality tests to document causality from equity return dispersion to stock market volatility and excess returns, even after controlling for the state of the economy. Expansionary (contractionary) market states are associated with a low (high) level of equity return dispersion, indicating asymmetries in the relationship between return dispersion and economic conditions. Our findings indicate that both return dispersion and business conditions are valid joint forecasters of stock market volatility and excess returns and that return dispersion possesses incremental information regarding future stock return dynamics beyond that which can be explained by the state of the economy.
Exfoliative cytology: a helpful tool for the diagnosis of paracoccidioidomycosis.

OBJECTIVE To describe the main cytological findings associated with smears collected from oral lesions of paracoccidioidomycosis and to appraise the use of cytology as a diagnostic tool for the disease. STUDY DESIGN Cytological smears and biopsies were collected from 40 lesions with a clinical suspicion of paracoccidioidomycosis. Evaluation of the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, accuracy and the positive likeness ratio of the oral smear when compared with the histological diagnosis, was performed. The latter is considered the 'gold standard' for comparison. RESULTS The main morphological findings were the rounded-shaped, birefringent and multiple-budded fungi, Langhans' giant cells and epithelioid cells. The following associative measures were found: sensitivity, 67.9%; specificity, 91.7%; positive predictive value, 95.0%; negative predictive value, 55.0%; accuracy, 75.0%; and positive likeness ratio, 8.14. CONCLUSION The cytological findings of paracoccidioidomycosis are characteristic and cytology is accurate in the diagnosis of the disease. Positive patients should be treated. Negative patients should be submitted to biopsy to confirm or to dismiss the diagnosis of this mycosis.
Infliximab improves health related quality of life and physical function in patients with psoriatic arthritis

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of infliximab on health related quality of life (HRQoL) and physical function in patients with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in the IMPACT 2 trial. Methods: 200 patients with PsA unresponsive to conventional treatment were randomised to intravenous infusions of infliximab 5 mg/kg or placebo at weeks 0, 2, 6, 14, and 22; patients with inadequate response entered early escape at week 16. HRQoL was assessed using the Short Form-36 (SF-36) at weeks 0, 14, and 24. Functional disability was assessed using the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) at every visit through week 24. Associations between changes in quality of life (SF-36) and articular (American College of Rheumatology (ACR)) and dermatological (Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI)) responses were examined. Results: Mean percentage improvement from baseline in HAQ was 48.6% in the infliximab group compared with worsening of 18.4% in the placebo group at week 14 (p<0.001). Furthermore, 58.6% and 19.4% of infliximab and placebo treated patients, respectively, achieved a clinically meaningful improvement in HAQ (that is, ⩾0.3 unit decrease) at week 14 (p<0.001). Increases in physical and mental component summary (PCS and MCS) scores and all eight scales of the SF-36 in the infliximab group were greater than those in the placebo group at week 14 (p⩽0.001). These benefits were sustained through week 24. Patients achieving ACR20 and PASI75 responses had the greatest improvements in PCS and MCS scores. Conclusions: In patients with PsA, infliximab 5 mg/kg significantly improved HRQoL and physical function compared with placebo through 24 weeks.
Annual Automobile Sales Prediction Using ARIMA Model

Sales forecasting is a most important application in industries and has been one of the most scientifically and technologically challenging problems around the world. One approach of prediction is to spot patterns in the past, when it is known in advance what followed them and verify it on more recent data. If a pattern is followed by the same outcome frequently enough, it can be concluded that it is a genuine relationship. Because this approach does not assume any special knowledge or form of the regularities, the method is quite general applicable to other series not just climate. Sales prediction phenomena have many parameters like Number of sales, production, Consumed cost and Time required that are impossible to enumerate and measure. In this paper, we are going to use the ARIMA model for predicting the number of sales for a Time series data. The dataset tractor sales data for a period of ten years (2003-2014) obtained from the Mahindra Tractors Company are used from which use to classify the performance by drawing various scattered plots and graphs. The result of the ARIMA results shows that which predicts better for the sales prediction of the next following 5 years.
Evidence for Individual Face Discrimination in Non-Face Selective Areas of the Visual Cortex in Acquired Prosopagnosia

Two areas in the human occipito-temporal cortex respond preferentially to faces: ‘the fusiform face area’ (‘FFA’) and the ‘occipital face area’ (‘OFA’). However, it is unclear whether these areas have an exclusive role in processing faces, or if sub-maximal responses in other visual areas such as the lateral occipital complex (LOC) are also involved. To clarify this issue, we tested a brain-damaged patient (PS) presenting a face-selective impairment with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The right hemisphere lesion of the prosoagnosic patient encompasses the ‘OFA’ but preserves the ‘FFA’ and LOC [14,16]. Using fMRI-adaptation, we found a larger response to different faces than repeated faces in the ventral part of the LOC both for normals and the patient, next to her right hemisphere lesion. This observation indicates that following prosopagnosia, areas that do not respond preferentially to faces such as the ventral part of the LOC (vLOC) may still be recruited to subtend residual perception of individual faces.
Supporters’ responses to contested trade negotiations: the European Commission’s rhetoric on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership*

Abstract Negotiations on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) commenced in 2013, and soon became the most controversial bilateral trade agreement negotiations ever attempted by the European Union (EU). When trying to understand the escalating debate over the proposed agreement, most analyses have highlighted opposition to the deal, especially from civil society organizations. However, a full understanding of the debate surrounding TTIP requires analysis of supporters’ responses, as these changed in response to strategies used by opponents of the agreement. This article uses a novel approach in trade policy scholarship—rhetorical analysis—to focus on the European Commission Trade Directorate’s response to contestation over TTIP. Drawing on work on the ‘rhetoric of reaction’, this article identifies the rhetorical strategies used by EU trade commissioners from 2013 to 2016. It outlines the evolution of the rhetoric and accompanying changes in process and policy, providing insights on the impact of TTIP politicization on the guiding principles of the EU’s trade policy.
The Italian Pension Gap: A Stochastic Optimal Control Approach

We study the gap between the state pension provided by the Italian pension system pre-Dini reform and post-Dini reform. The goal is to fill the gap between the old and the new pension by joining a defined contribution pension scheme and adopting an optimal investment strategy that is target-based. We find that it is possible to cover, at least partially, this gap with the additional income of the pension scheme, especially in the presence of late retirement and in the presence of stagnant careers. Workers with dynamic careers and workers who retire early are those who are most penalised by the reform. Results are intuitive and in line with previous studies on the subject.
Protective Effect of Methylcellulose and Other Polymers on Insect Cells Subjected to Laminar Shear Stress

The relative sensitivity of two insect cell lines to laminar shear stress was determined, and the protective effect of polymers added to the growth media of two insect cell lines, Trichoplusia ni (TN‐368) and Spodoptera frugiperda (SF‐9), was evaluated. TN‐368 and SF‐9 cells were found to be equally sensitive to laminar shear stress. Methylcellulose [0.5% (w/v) Dow E4M Methocel] and dextran [4.5% (w/v)] increased the resistance of suspended cells to lysis due to laminar shear stress by factors of up to 76 and 28, respectively, compared to cells in media without additives. It was observed that the protective effect of Pluronic F‐68 was concentration‐dependent: 0.2% and 0.3% (w/v) F‐68 increased the resistance of SF‐9 cells to shear stress by factors of 15 and 42, respectively. However, increasing the concentration to 0.5% did not significantly increase the cells' resistance compared to 0.3% (w/v). F‐68 at 0.2% only increased the resistance of TN‐368 cells by a factor of 6. It is believed that the protection is a result of the polymer adsorbing to the cell membrane. None of the polymer additives tested had a significant effect on SF‐9 or TN‐368 growth rate.