Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Two-Loop Performance-Oriented Tip-Tracking Control of a Linear-Motor-Driven Flexible Beam System With Experiments

In this paper, a two-loop control structure for the constrained tip regulation of a linear-motor-driven flexible beam is developed to achieve high performance. Specifically, in the inner loop, a feedback control law with freely assignable closed-loop poles is designed to achieve an arbitrarily good disturbance rejection capability at steady state. In the outer loop, an online trajectory replanning unit is constructed so that the tip-position output of the beam converges to its desired target as fast as possible while all the constraints of the system are satisfied. Theoretically, it is shown that the proposed approach can achieve a sufficiently fast transient converging speed of the tracking error and a guaranteed steady-state tracking accuracy. The proposed strategy is tested on a HIWIN linear-motor-driven stage system with a flexible beam clamped. Experimental results obtained demonstrate the effectiveness and applicability of the proposed approach.
Implementation of Wavelet-Based Robust Differential Control for Electric Vehicle Application

This research letter presents the modeling and simulation of electronic differential, employing a novel wavelet controller for two brushless dc motors. The proposed controller uses discrete wavelet transform to decompose the error between actual and reference speed. Error signal that is actually given by the electronic differential based on throttle and steering angle is decomposed into frequency components. Numerical simulation results are provided for both wavelet and proportional-integral-derivate controllers. In comparison, the proposed wavelet control technique provides greater stability and ensures smooth control of the two back driving wheels.
Making Sense of Design: A Thematic Analysis of Alumni Perspectives

In this paper, we present the findings of a thematic analysis on how alumni make sense of design in light of their undergraduate experiences in the Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) program. These findings are part of a larger embedded, sequential mixed-methods study on the overall alumni experience in EPICS and how this experience prepared them to enter the workplace. In this large-scale study, we interviewed a diverse range of alumni (n = 27), which were purposefully sampled from participants of a previous survey (n = 523). Our semi-structured interview protocol was informed by both the survey responses of alumni and the objectives of this larger investigation. As EPICS is a design course, the topic of design was explicitly probed throughout the survey. Moreover, interview participants often recounted how their design experiences in EPICS informed their current design experiences. Through the thematic analysis, we recognized themes related to design to be quite pervasive in the interview accounts. The objective of this particular paper is to articulate how authentic design experiences, such as EPICS, affect alums in how they understand and practice design in their careers. We discuss the multiple and also common ways that alumni understand and enact design because of their experiences in EPICS. The dominant way in which the participants understood design was as a cyclical, iterative process (i.e., lifecycle) – following the life of a designed artifact, system, or process. However, the alums demonstrated a lucid yet subtle recognition that the knowledge of design is shared by many stakeholders, including design teammates, customers, employers, etc. We discuss these findings in detail, and we elaborate on how their perspectives of design might inform how they do design.
A Central Role for the T1 Domain in Voltage-gated Potassium Channel Formation and Function*

To interpret the recent atomic structures of the Kv (voltage-dependent potassium) channel T1 domain in a functional context, we must understand both how the T1 domain is integrated into the full-length functional channel protein and what functional roles the T1 domain governs. The T1 domain clearly plays a role in restricting Kv channel subunit heteromultimerization. However, the importance of T1 tetramerization for the assembly and retention of quarternary structure within full-length channels has remained controversial. Here we describe a set of mutations that disrupt both T1 assembly and the formation of functional channels and show that these mutations produce elevated levels of the subunit monomer that becomes subject to degradation within the cell. In addition, our experiments reveal that the T1 domain lends stability to the full-length channel structure, because channels lacking the T1 containing N terminus are more easily denatured to monomers. The integration of the T1 domain ultrastructure into the full-length channel was probed by proteolytic mapping with immobilized trypsin. Trypsin cleavage yields an N-terminal fragment that is further digested to a tetrameric domain, which remains reactive with antisera to T1, and that is similar in size to the T1 domain used for crystallographic studies. The trypsin-sensitive linkages retaining the T1 domain are cleaved somewhat slowly over hours. Therefore, they seem to be intermediate in trypsin resistance between the rapidly cleaved extracellular linker between the first and second transmembrane domains, and the highly resistant T1 core, and are likely to be partially structured or contain dynamic structure. Our experiments suggest that tetrameric atomic models obtained for the T1 domain do reflect a structure that the T1 domain sequence forms early in channel assembly to drive subunit protein tetramerization and that this structure is retained as an integrated stabilizing structural element within the full-length functional channel.
Off‐line exhaled nitric oxide measurements in children

The concentration of exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) is a useful marker of asthmatic bronchial inflammation. eNO can now be measured away from the laboratory (off‐line), even in children. Short exhalation maneuvers (8 sec) and small samples (1 L) of exhaled gas are probably sufficient in children, but more information is needed about the effect of different measurement conditions. As a preliminary step before conducting epidemiological studies in schoolchildren, we investigated the effects of expiratory flow, dead space, and expiratory time on eNO concentrations collected in 1‐L mylar collection bags. We studied 101 cooperative subjects (62 males) aged 5–18 years (30 healthy volunteers, 51 asthmatics, and 20 children with various other respiratory diseases) in our pulmonary function laboratory. On‐line and off‐line eNO were compared in a single session, and analyzed with a Sievers NOA™ 280 nitric oxide analyzer. For both methods of collecting expired gas, subjects did a single exhalation without breath‐holding against an expiratory pressure 10 cm H2O. We investigated the effects of expiratory flow, dead space, and exhalation time on eNO; we also compared on‐line and off‐line eNO measurements, and the repeatability of both techniques at a given flow rate.
Comparisons of Three Approaches for Discrete Conditional Models

This article describes three methods for computing a discrete joint density from full conditional densities. They are the Gibbs sampler, a hybrid method, and an interaction-based method. The hybrid method uses the iterative proportional fitting algorithm, and it is derived from the mixed parameterization of a contingency table. The interaction-based approach is derived from the canonical parameters, while the Gibbs sampler can be regarded as based on the mean parameters. In short, different approaches are motivated by different parameterizations. The setting of a bivariate conditionally specified distribution is used as the premise for comparing the numerical accuracy of the three methods. Detailed comparisons of marginal distributions, odds ratios and expected values are reported. We give theoretical justifications as to why the hybrid method produces better approximation than the Gibbs sampler. Generalizations to more than two variables are discussed. In practice, Gibbs sampler has certain advantages: it is conceptually easy to understand and there are many software tools available. Nevertheless, the hybrid method and the interaction-based method are accurate and simple alternatives when the Gibbs sampler results in a slowly mixing chain and requires substantial simulation efforts.
Tic40, a membrane‐anchored co‐chaperone homolog in the chloroplast protein translocon

The function of Tic40 during chloroplast protein import was investigated. Tic40 is an inner envelope membrane protein with a large hydrophilic domain located in the stroma. Arabidopsis null mutants of the atTic40 gene were very pale green and grew slowly but were not seedling lethal. Isolated mutant chloroplasts imported precursor proteins at a lower rate than wild‐type chloroplasts. Mutant chloroplasts were normal in allowing binding of precursor proteins. However, during subsequent translocation across the inner membrane, fewer precursors were translocated and more precursors were released from the mutant chloroplasts. Cross‐linking experiments demonstrated that Tic40 was part of the translocon complex and functioned at the same stage of import as Tic110 and Hsp93, a member of the Hsp100 family of molecular chaperones. Tertiary structure prediction and immunological studies indicated that the C‐terminal portion of Tic40 contains a TPR domain followed by a domain with sequence similarity to co‐chaperones Sti1p/Hop and Hip. We propose that Tic40 functions as a co‐chaperone in the stromal chaperone complex that facilitates protein translocation across the inner membrane.
Critical Requirement for the Membrane-Proximal Cytosolic Tyrosine Residue for CD28-Mediated Costimulation In Vivo1

The YMNM motif that exists in the CD28 cytoplasmic domain is known as a binding site for phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and Grb-2 and is considered to be important for CD28-mediated costimulation. To address the role of the YMNM motif in CD28 cosignaling in primary T cells, we generated transgenic mice on a CD28 null background that express a CD28 mutant lacking binding ability to phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and Grb-2. After anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 Ab stimulation in vitro, the initial proliferative response and IL-2 secretion in CD28 Y189F transgenic T cells were severely compromised, while later responses were intact. In contrast to anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 Ab stimulation, PMA and anti-CD28 Ab stimulation failed to induce IL-2 production from CD28 Y189F transgenic T cells at any time point. Using the graft-vs-host reaction system, we assessed the role of the YMNM motif for CD28-mediated costimulation in vivo and found that CD28 Y189F transgenic spleen cells failed to engraft and could not induce acute graft-vs-host reaction. Together, these results suggest that the membrane-proximal tyrosine of CD28 is required for costimulation in vivo. Furthermore, these results indicate that the results from in vitro assays of CD28-mediated costimulation may not always correlate with T cell activation in vivo.
A Tractable and Efficient One-Pot Synthesis of 5'-Azido-5'-deoxyribonucleosides

Synthetic routes to 5'-azidoribonucleosides are reported for adenosine, cytidine, guanosine, and uridine, resulting in a widely applicable one-pot methodology for the synthesis of these and related compounds. The target compounds are appropriate as precursors in a variety of purposive syntheses, as the synthetic and therapeutic relevance of azido- and amino-modified nucleosides is expansive. Furthermore, in the conversion of alcohols to azides, these methods offer a tractable alternative to the Mitsunobu and other more difficult reactions.
In Vivo Detection of Monoaminergic Degeneration in Early Parkinson Disease by 18F-9-Fluoropropyl-(+)-Dihydrotetrabenzazine PET

PET with 18F-9-fluoropropyl-(+)-dihydrotetrabenzazine (18F-DTBZ), a novel radiotracer targeting vesicular monoamine transporter type 2 (VMAT2), has been proven as a useful imaging marker to measure dopaminergic integrity. Methods: The aim of this study was to evaluate the capability of 18F-DTBZ PET in detecting the monoaminergic degeneration in early Parkinson disease (PD) in vivo. Seventeen age-matched healthy subjects and 30 PD patients at early stage of disease (duration of disease ≤ 5 y) with mild and unilateral motor symptoms underwent 18F-DTBZ PET scans. The severity of disease, including Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale and modified Hoehn and Yahr Stage (mHY), were recorded at off-medication states. The standardized volumes of interest were applied to the spatial normalized image for quantification analysis. The specific uptake ratios (SURs) were calculated according to the formula (specific volumes-of-interest counts/occipital cortex counts) − 1. SUR measurements were summarized for each brain region. Results: The mean duration of disease in the PD group was 3.2 ± 2.1 y (range, 0.5–5 y). The mean mHY was 1.0 ± 0.1 (range, 1–1.5). The SURs of bilateral caudate, anterior putamen, posterior putamen, substantia nigra, and nucleus accumbens were significantly lower in PD patients than those of healthy subjects. The reduction of SURs was most severe in the contralateral (the brain regions that are located opposite to the symptomatic side) posterior putamen (−81%), followed by the ipsilateral posterior putamen (−67%). Receiver-operating-characteristic curve analysis showed that the SURs of the bilateral posterior putamen and contralateral anterior putamen had a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 100% in differentiating PD patients from healthy subjects. Conclusion: 18F-DTBZ PET was as an excellent tool for the early diagnosis of PD. The obvious decline of 18F-DTBZ uptake in the ipsilateral (asymptomatic) striatum suggested that 18F-DTBZ PET might serve as an in vivo biomarker to detect the monoaminergic degeneration in the premotor phase of PD.
Bilevel programming approach to optimizing a time-variant electricity tariff for demand response

This paper proposes a bilevel programming model to day-ahead electricity tariff optimization in smart grids to balance grid-level demand and supply at all times. In this Stackelberg game approach, the leader is the grid operator, who aims to set the tariff to ensure the balance of supply and demand. The followers are groups of consumers, who, in response to the observed tariff, schedule their controllable consumption and determine the charging/discharging policy of their batteries to minimize their cost. The bilevel optimization problem is reformulated into a single-level quadratically constrained quadratic program (QCQP), which is then solved by a successive linear programming (SLP) algorithm. The approach is illustrated on an example with three different consumer groups.
Analysis of the Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae HlyX (FNR) regulon and identification of iron‐regulated protein B as an essential virulence factor

The Gram‐negative rod Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae is a facultative anaerobic pathogen of the porcine respiratory tract, and HlyX, the A. pleuropneumoniae homologue of fumarate and nitrate reduction regulator (FNR), has been shown to be important for persistence. An A. pleuropneumoniae hlyX deletion mutant has a decreased generation time but highly prolonged survival in comparison to its wild type parent strain when grown anaerobically in glucose‐supplemented medium. Applying a combination of proteomic and transcriptomic approaches as well as in silico analyses, we identified 23 different proteins and 418 genes to be modulated by HlyX (≥ twofold up‐ or down‐regulated). A putative HlyX‐box was identified upstream of 54 of these genes implying direct control by HlyX. Consistent with its role as a strong positive regulator, HlyX induced the expression of genes for anaerobic metabolism encoding alternative terminal reductases and hydrogenases. In addition, expression of virulence‐associated genes encoding iron uptake systems, a putative DNA adenine modification system, and an autotransporter serine protease were induced by HlyX under anaerobic growth conditions. With respect to virulence‐associated genes, we focused on the iron‐regulated protein B (FrpB) as it is the outer membrane protein most strongly up‐regulated by HlyX. An frpB deletion mutant of A. pleuropneumoniae had the same growth characteristics as wild type grown aerobically and anaerobically. In contrast, A. pleuropneumoniae ΔfrpB did not cause any disease and could not be re‐isolated from experimentally infected pigs, thereby identifying FrpB as a previously unknown virulence factor.
A balanced-fed 45° linearly polarized slot array antenna using SIW technology

A 45° linearly polarized slot array antenna with balanced feeding network is proposed in this paper for automotive radar applications. The radiation element consists of one 45° inclined slot and two reflection cancellation vias. The balanced meandering feeding network proposed in this paper is able to achieve a relatively wide impedance bandwidth resulting from the traveling-wave propagation. In addition, it can obtain a wide gain bandwidth and a stable broadside radiation as the standing-wave array antennas do. A prototype array antenna with 4 radiation elements is designed and fabricated at 24 GHz to validate the proposed design. The experimental results agree well with simulation predictions. The prototype array antenna can properly work from 23.9 GHz to 25.0 GHz (4.5 %) with its reflection coefficient under -10 dB. Besides, the gain bandwidth of the prototype antenna is 23.9 GHz- 25 GHz (4.5 %) with the gain dropped by 1 dB. The maximum gain of the prototype array is around 10.81 dBi at 24.7 GHz.
The differential effects of low birth weight and Western diet consumption upon early life hepatic fibrosis development in guinea pig

Postnatal intake of a high saturated fat/high sugar diet, the Western diet (WD), is a risk factor for liver fibrosis. Recently, adverse in utero conditions resulting in low birth weight (LBW) have also been associated with postnatal fibrosis development. We demonstrate that suboptimal in utero conditions resulting in LBW are associated with changes in hepatic profibrotic genes in conjunction with minimal liver fibrosis in young non‐overweight adult guinea pigs. Our results also indicate that WD promotes liver steatosis, enhanced expression of hepatic genes and proteins of the proinflammatory, profibrotic, cell death and collagen deposition pathways in conjunction with mild hepatic fibrosis. Our data highlight that pathways responsible for the initiation of a profibrotic state and ultimately hepatic fibrosis appear different depending upon the insult, an in utero‐induced LBW outcome or a postnatal WD exposure.
Suspicion of deception: implications for conformity research.

Subjects' suspicions were appraised about two conformity procedures–a simulated-group version of the Asch situation and questionnaires with fictitious norms. Many subjects suspected that the purpose of both procedures was to determine whether their responses would be influenced by others, that they did not hear spontaneous responses by others in the simulated group, and that the normative answers reported on the questionnaires were incorrect. Boys were generally more suspicious than girls. The suspicion variables were highly interrelated for both sexes and, in general, negatively related to conformity measures. Correlates of the suspicion variables included acquiescence and SD response styles, ascendance, self-esteem, and intelligence.
Atomic pair distribution function at the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory: application to the Pb1-xLaxZr0.40Ti0.60O3 ferroelectric system.

This work reports the setting up of the X-ray diffraction and spectroscopy beamline at the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory for performing total scattering experiments to be analyzed by atomic pair distribution function (PDF) studies. The results of a PDF refinement for Al2O3 standard are presented and compared with data acquired at a beamline of the Advanced Photon Source, where it is common to perform this type of experiment. A preliminary characterization of the Pb1-xLaxZr0.40Ti0. 60O3 ferroelectric system, with x = 0.11, 0.12 and 0.15, is also shown.
A Hypermethylation Detected by Fluorescent Methylation-specific PCR in Plasmas from Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer 1

Purpose: The p16 tumor suppressor gene is inactivated in many solid tumors, including non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs), through promoter hypermethylation. Presence of p16 hypermethylation in precursor lesions of NSCLC and in body fluids of individuals at risk makes it a potential candidate for early disease detection. However, the current low sensitivity of p16 hypermethylation detection in plasma limits its consideration in a diagnostic grid. Experimental Design: A fluorescent methylationspecific PCR assay (F-MSP) was established to evaluate p16 promoter hypermethylation in 35 NSCLC and paired plasma samples and in 15 plasmas from healthy donors. F-MSP sensitivity was investigated in combination with microsatellite alterations on 3p (evaluated by fluorescent PCR), K-ras mutations (determined by a mutantenriched PCR), and quantification of circulating DNA. Assay results were analyzed by two-sided 2 or Fisher’s exact tests. Results: p16 promoter hypermethylation, detectable by F-MSP in 22 of 35 NSLCs (63%) and in 12 of 22 (55%) plasmas from patients with methylated tumors, was independent of microsatellite alterations (detectable in 57% of tumors and 50% of paired plasmas), K-ras mutations (detectable in 31% of tumors but in no paired plasma), or amount of circulating DNA. p16 methylation in association with microsatellite alterations identified 62% (18 of 29) of plasma samples from patients presenting the same alteration in their tumors, and its sensitivity increased to 80% when combined with the amount of circulating DNA. Conclusions: The establishment of F-MSP remarkably improved p16 promoter hypermethylation detection in plasmas from NSCLC patients. Microsatellite alterations, circulating DNA quantification, and p16 hypermethylation might contribute to a diagnostic grid for NSCLC.
DISPERSAL AND GENETIC STRUCTURE IN KANGAROO RATS

We used spatial autocorrelation of allele frequencies to examine local structure in a population of bannertailed kangaroo rats for which Wright's isolation‐by‐distance model seems applicable, and for which we can estimate neighborhood size based on 10 years of data on demography and dispersal. The uniform dispersion and strong philopatric tendencies of this species provide a test case for the idea that restricted dispersal can lead to local genetic structure in small mammals. Whether we considered such complications as nonnormal dispersal distances, variation in lifetime reproductive success, fluctuating population density, and adult as well as juvenile dispersal, our estimate of effective population size was fewer than 15 animals. Nevertheless, data from four polymorphic allozyme loci analyzed over a range of separations between 50 m (approximately one home range diameter) and 1,000 m detected no evidence for spatial clustering of alleles. One resolution of this apparent paradox is that “gamete dispersal,” caused by the movements of males away from their residences during the breeding season, may be a significant (and unmeasured) component of gene dispersal. Our analyses also demonstrate that a decline in population density may actually increase neighborhood size. A more general implication is that even extremely philopatric mammals have effective population sizes large enough to prevent the development of local genetic structure.
Resonator miniaturization for oscillators

This paper first compares the trends and the challenges of miniaturization for silicon micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) resonators and quartz crystals. Core resonators are compared in terms of electrical parameters, frequency definitions and tolerances, temperature compensation. As packaging occupies much larger area than core resonators, miniaturization of packaging is also discussed.