Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Novel U-Shaped Structure Switched Reluctance Machine With a Module Outer Rotor

This paper introduces a novel 16/12 outer module rotor-type switched reluctance machine. Unlike conventional structures, the proposed rotor structure includes some discrete module, and every outer module rotor is U-shaped structure and has two rotor poles. Each phase winding is composed of two series coils wrapped on two stator teeth. The short flux lines can be generated by excited adjacent phase and use the U-shaped module rotor. The module rotor can also decrease the mass of the rotor. The proposed U-shaped structure machine can enhance the electrical utilization, decrease the magneto motive force requirement, and reduce the iron loss compared with the conventional machine. The operation and design principle of the proposed U-shaped structure machine are illustrated and elaborated to verify the machine operation performance. The static and dynamic performance of the proposed U-shaped structure 16/12 outer rotor machine and conventional machine is obtained by the finite-element method. The effectiveness and availability of the proposed U-shaped structure outer rotor machine are confirmed by the simulation results.
Electric vehicle automatic stop using wireless power transfer antennas

The challenge of battery's inefficiency, large and wasting space in Electric Vehicles (EVs) can be overcome by the Wireless Power Transfer technology (WPT), a technology that can electrically conduct energy from source to the electric device without interconnecting medium. Thinking one step further, the antennas that will be used in such WPT system could also be used for positioning in one-dimension as an additional benefit. This paper proposes a scheme of the positioning system using WPT antennas by considering the power gradient that the vehicle observes via the receiving antenna. PI controller is used with driving time limit to ensure safety. As an inspection for the controller's stability, simulation results are shown. Then the proposed method is implemented in the actual experimental system. The results show that, with the proposed method, the vehicle can be stopped at the position with maximum received power. The system can also be applied to parking areas with limited space or difficulty in positional awareness such as in tight space or slope surface, drive-through paying booth, e.g., toll ways, where the drivers are assisted to stop the car appropriately.
Dual-Mode High-Speed Data Transmission Using Substrate Integrated Waveguide Interconnects

The enclosed volume by a substrate integrated waveguide interconnect is re-utilized to increase the channel capacity. A stripline is embedded inside the waveguide, thus a dual-mode or hybrid interconnect structure is created. Isolation and transmission characteristics of the two signal channels are evaluated by fullwave simulations. Measurements of the fabricated prototype demonstrate that the hybrid platform handles an aggregate data rate of 8.5 Gb/s.
Nucleotide sequences of genome segments S8, encoding a capsid protein, and S10, encoding a 36K protein, of rice gall dwarf virus.

The nucleotide sequences of DNAs complementary to the eighth (S8) and the tenth (S10) largest of the 12 genome segments of rice gall dwarf virus (RGDV) were determined. The S8 and S10 segments consist of 1578 and 1198 nucleotides, each with a single open reading frame extending for 1278 nucleotides from nucleotide 21, and 960 nucleotides from nucleotide 22, respectively. S8 encodes a polypeptide of 426 amino acids with an Mr of 47419. The amino acid sequences of several peptide fragments of the major outer capsid protein reported as 45K were contained in the predicted polypeptide. This protein, renamed the 47K protein, showed high homology with the outer capsid proteins of rice dwarf virus (RDV) and wound tumour virus (WTV); there was 56, 52 and 48% amino acid sequence identity between RGDV and WTV, RGDV and RDV, and RDV and WTV, respectively. S10 had the coding potential for a polypeptide of 320 amino acids with an Mr of 36,095 (36K protein), which exhibits 32% and 35% amino acid sequence identity with the predicted translation product of RDV S9 and the P9 capsid protein encoded by WTV S11, respectively. The conserved terminal sequences 5' GG.GAU 3' which are present in all genome segments of WTV and RDV so far analysed, and in S9 of RGDV, were also found in RGDV S8 and S10. This conserved sequence together with the segment-specific inverted repeats found in the terminal sequence of RGDV S8 and S10 are thus characteristic structures common to all three phytoreoviruses. The nucleotide sequence of the region surrounding the inverted repeats was more similar between RGDV and WTV than between RGDV and RDV.
Shakuyaku‐kanzo‐to inhibits smooth muscle contractions of human pregnant uterine tissue in vitro

Aim: Shakuyaku‐kanzo‐to (SK) is a herbal medicine and is known to possess an antispasmodic effect on skeletal muscle and intestinal smooth muscle. However, it is unclear whether SK is effective in antagonizing uterine smooth muscle contractions. Herein, we investigated the effects of SK on smooth muscle contractions of human pregnant uterine samples.
Manganese Superoxide Dismutase Affects Cytochrome c Release and Caspase-9 Activation after Transient Focal Cerebral Ischemia in Mice

Release of cytochrome c from mitochondria to cytosol is a critical step in the mitochondrial-dependent signaling pathways of apoptosis. The authors have reported that manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) attenuated cytochrome c release and apoptotic cell death after focal cerebral ischemia (FCI). To investigate downstream to the cytochrome c-dependent pathway, the authors examined caspase-9 activation after transient FCI by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting in both wild-type and Sod2 −/+ mice. Mice were subjected to 60 minutes of middle cerebral artery occlusion followed by 1, 2, 4, or 24 hours of reperfusion. Two hours after reperfusion, cytochrome c and caspase-9 were observed in the cytosol and significantly increased in Sod2 −/+ mutants compared with wild-type mice as shown by Western blotting. Immunofluorescent double labeling for cytochrome c and caspase-9 showed cytosolic cytochrome c 1 hour after transient FCI. Cleaved caspase-9 first appeared in the cytosol at 2 hours and colocalized with cytochrome c. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated uridine 5′-triphosphate-biotin nick and labeling (TUNEL) showed significant increase of positive cells in Sod2 −/+ mice compared with the wild-type in the cortex, but not in the caudate putamen. The current study revealed Mn-SOD might affect cytochrome c translocation and downstream caspase activation in the mitochondrial-dependent cell death pathway after transient FCI.
Mutational analysis of familial and sporadic hyperekplexia

Hyperekplexia is a rare, autosomal dominant neurological disorder characterized by hypertonia, especially in infancy, and by an exaggerated startle response. This disorder is caused by mutations in the ϵ1 subunit of the inhibitory glycine receptor (GLRA1). We previously reported two GLRA1 point mutations detected in 4 unrelated hyperekplexia families; both mutations were at nucleotide 1192 and resulted in the replacement of Arg271 by a glutamine (R271Q) in one case and a leucine (R271L) in the other. Here, 5 additional hyperekplexia families are shown to have the most common G‐to‐A transition mutation at nucleotide 1192. Haplotype analysis using polymorphisms within and close to the GLRA1 locus suggests that this mutation has arisen at least twice (and possibly four times). In 2 additional families, a third mutation is also presented that changes a tyrosine at amino acid 279 to a cysteine (Y279C). Five patients with atypical clinical features and equivocal or absent family history of hyperekplexia and 1 patient with a classical presentation but no family history are presented in whom a mutation in the GLRA1 gene was not detected. Thus, only clinically typical hyperekplexia appears to be consistently associated with GLRA1 mutations, and these affect a specific extracellular domain of the protein.
Viruses as a cause of foodborne diseases: a review of the literature

Viruses cause many diseases in plants, animals, and humans. They are strict intracellular parasites with cellular specificity. Viral particles can be transmitted by different routes, such as contaminated food and water. People usually get infected orally, after ingestion of products contaminated during processing or subsequent handling or preparation. This review article is focused on the most severe foodborne viruses specific for humans, of the following genera: Norovirus, Enterovirus, Hepatovirus, Astrovirus, and some others. Methods for detecting viruses in food and strategies for preventing virus transmission via food are also discussed.
The NS5A/NS5 Proteins of Viruses from Three Genera of the Family Flaviviridae Are Phosphorylated by Associated Serine/Threonine Kinases

ABSTRACT Phosphorylation of the expressed NS5A protein of hepatitis C virus (HCV), a member of the Hepacivirus genus of the familyFlaviviridae, has been demonstrated in mammalian cells and in a cell-free assay by an associated kinase activity. In this report, phosphorylation is also shown for the NS5A and NS5 proteins, respectively, of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) and yellow fever virus (YF), members of the other two established genera in this family. Phosphorylation of BVDV NS5A and YF NS5 was observed in infected cells, transient expression experiments, and a cell-free assay similar to the one developed for HCV NS5A. Phosphoamino acid analyses indicated that all three proteins were phosphorylated by serine/threonine kinases. Similarities in the properties of BVDV NS5A, YF NS5, and HCV NS5A phosphorylation in vitro further suggested that closely related kinases or the same kinase may phosphorylate these viral proteins. Conservation of this trait among three quite distantly related viruses representing three separate genera suggests that phosphorylation of the NS5A/NS5 proteins or their association with cellular kinases may play an important role in the flavivirus life cycle.
Determination of energy and amino acid digestibility in growing pigs fed corn distillers' dried grains with solubles containing different lipid levels

Two experiments were conducted to estimate the digestibility of energy, nitrogen and amino acids (AA) in growing pigs fed diets containing one of five corn distillers' dried grains with solubles (DDGS), including three normal oil DDGS (NO-DDGS) and two low oil DDGS (LO-DDGS) samples. Exp. 1 was conducted to determine the digestible energy (DE) and metabolisable energy (ME) content. Six growing barrows (initial body weight [BW]: 35.1 ± 2.2 kg) were allotted to a 6 × 6 Latin square design, with six periods and six diets. One diet was a corn–soybean meal basal diet and the other five diets were based on corn, soybean meal and 28.8% DDGS. The average DE and ME values for the three NO-DDGS samples were 16.0 and 14.9 MJ/kg dry matter (DM). These values were 9 and 13% greater than the LO-DDGS values of 14.7 and 13.2 MJ/kg DM respectively. Exp. 2 was conducted to determine and compare apparent (AID) and standardised (SID) ileal digestibility for crude protein and AA in the five DDGS samples. Six growing barrows (initial BW, 32.2 ± 1.9 kg) fitted with a simple T-cannula were allotted to a 6 × 6 Latin square design with six periods and six diets. Five of the diets were based on the five DDGS samples, and the remaining one diet was nitrogen-free diet based on cornstarch and sucrose. Titanium dioxide (0.1%) was used as inert marker. The results of the experiment showed the largest variation among the different samples in AID and SID for lysine (from 41.8 to 65.8% and 53.8 to 73.9% respectively) and threonine (from 54.3 to 73.8% and 65.2 to 79.5% respectively). Also, among the indispensable AA, the SID values for arginine, histidine, threonine and tryptophan observed in LO-DDGS were not different from the values derived from NO-DDGS. In conclusion, LO-DDGS may have decreased energy compared with NO-DDGS because of its lower fat content. However, oil removal during the production of DDGS may not affect amino acid digestibility.
The 3a Protein of SARS-coronavirus Induces Apoptosis in Vero E6 Cells

An outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) occurred in China and the first case emerged in mid November 2002. The etiologic agent of this disease was found to be a previously unknown coronavirus, SARS-CoV. The detailed pathology of SARS-CoV infection and the host response to the viral infection are still not known. The 3a gene encodes a non-structural viral protein which is predicted to be a transmembrane protein. In this study, we showed that the 3a protein was localized to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in 3a-transfected monkey kidney Vero E6 cells. In vitro experiments of chromatin condensation and DNA fragmentation suggest that the 3a protein may trigger apoptosis. Our data show that over-expression of a single SARS-CoV protein can induce apoptosis in vitro. Thus GFP-3a fusion protein could also be used as a biosensor for monitoring the cytopathic features of SARS infection, e.g. lymphopenia, in animal model systems, similar to nucleocapsid and 7a proteins
Using Collaborative Online Drawing to Build Up Distributed Teams

Building up effective teams over a distance is achallenging but common problem in global softwareengineering. We propose an approach to help build up teamsthrough collaborative online drawing. Our goal is to evaluatehow drawing, as one activity that can facilitate expression ofpersonal affective status, can benefit distributed teams. Preliminary results indicate positive effects of collaborativeonline drawing in increasing team cohesion and positiveemotions. We discuss our approach and preliminary results interms of design implications for future collaborative drawingsystems for building up distributed teams.
I-DWRR — An insolvency enabled scheduling scheme extending Deficit Weighted Round Robin

The allocation of network resources to flows within a computer network is performed using scheduling algorithms with the aim of enabling every flow to receive the required resources to perform well. One of several algorithms proposed in the last decades is the well-known Deficit (Weighted) Round Robin (D(W)RR) scheduling algorithm proposed by Shreedhar and Varghese [1]. It has a low complexity, but at the same time allows fair and weighted sharing of limited resources. Nevertheless, DWRR does not work deadline compliant and active handling of nearly over-delayed packets is not considered. In this paper, we present a novel insolvency enabled extension of the DWRR scheduling algorithm called I-DWRR. It reduces the number of deadline violations by preventing them using an innovative mechanism called Queue Insolvency (QI). The proposed extension provides a lower packet-loss rate for multi-queue scenarios in comparison to DWRR while keeping the occurring latency equal to DWRR. The algorithm and its benefits have been validated through a broad simulation study.
Do housing market and stock market perform differently in Taiwan? an application of stochastic dominance tests

Abstract This paper applies recent econometric tests of stochastic dominance to examine the investment performance between Housing Market and Stock Market from the period 1996 to 2011 in Taiwan. We find that there is non-significant first-order stochastic dominance relation between Housing Market and Stock Market. But the investment performance of Stock Market is second and third order stochastically dominated by that of Housing Market. The outstanding findings from our empirical evidences could be demonstrated that the investment performance of Housing Market stochastically dominates the investment performance of Stock Market in Taiwan.
Contractile responses to calcium chloride in rat aortic rings bathed in K+‐free solution are resistant to organic calcium antagonists

1 In rat aortic rings, devoid of functional endothelium, suspended in a modified Krebs solution (KCl: 0 mM; CaCl2: 0.63 mm), addition of CaCl2 (0.89–10 mm) produced concentration‐related increases in tension (Emax = 2.38 ± 0.10g, EC50 = 2.31 ± 0.15mM, n = 36). 2 The Ca2+ evoked contractile responses were not modified by cinnarizine (10 μm), diltiazem (1 μm), ryanodine (10 μm), verapamil (1 μm), or the dihydropyridines, nitrendipine (1 μm) and (−)‐Bay K 8644 (0.003–0.3 μm). 3 Cobalt chloride (0.1–1 mm) competitively antagonized the Ca2+ concentration‐response curve; the Schild plot (slope 1.08 ± 0.04), gave a pA2 value of 3.3 ± 0.01 (n = 27). Nickel chloride (0.5‐l mm) displaced the Ca2+ concentration‐response curve to the right, without an effect on the maximum response. Cadmium chloride (3–30 μm) depressed the maxima of concentration‐response curves to Ca2+ with an IC50 of 15.5 ± 1.1 μm (n = 6). 4 Monochlorobenzamil (100 μm), a Na+‐Ca2+ exchange inhibitor, failed to modify the Ca2+‐induced contractions. 5 In conclusion, Ca2+ evoked concentration‐related contractile responses of rat aortic rings bathed in a K+‐free medium; these effects were attenuated by the divalent cations cobalt, nickel and cadmium, but not modified by several organic calcium antagonists. The lack of effect of diltiazem verapamil and the dihydropyridines would suggest that, under these experimental conditions, extracellular Ca2+ enters the cytosol via pathways which are distinct from the slow (L‐type) calcium channels.
Force Feedback Plays a Significant Role in Minimally Invasive Surgery: Results and Analysis

Objective:To evaluate the role of force feedback with applications to minimally invasive surgery (MIS). Two research hypotheses were tested using our automated laparoscopic grasper. Summary Background Data:Conventional laparoscopic tools do not have the ability of providing force feedback to a surgeon when in use with or without robotic surgical systems. Loss of haptic (force and tactile) feedback in MIS procedures is a disadvantage to surgeons since they are conventionally used to palpating tissues to diagnose tissues as normal or abnormal. Therefore, the need exists to incorporate force feedback into laparoscopic tools. Methods:We have developed an automated laparoscopic grasper with force feedback capability to help surgeons differentiate tissue stiffness through a haptic interface device. We tested our system with 20 human subjects (10 surgeons and 10 nonsurgeons) using our grasper to evaluate the role of force feedback to characterize tissues and answer 2 research hypotheses. Results:Our experiments confirmed 1 of our 2 research hypotheses, namely, providing both vision and force feedback leads to better tissue characterization than only vision feedback or only force feedback. Conclusions:We have validated 1 of our 2 research hypotheses regarding incorporating force feedback with vision feedback to characterize tissues of varying stiffness.
Indexes of flow and cross-sectional area of the middle cerebral artery using doppler ultrasound during hypoxia and hypercapnia in humans.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE This study examined changes in cross-sectional area of the middle cerebral artery as assessed by changes in Doppler signal power during hypoxia and hypercapnia. In addition, it examined the degree of consistency among three indexes of cerebral blood flow and velocity: the velocity spectral outline (VP), the intensity-weighted mean velocity (VIWM), and an index of middle cerebral artery flow (P. VIWM). P. VIWM was calculated as the product of VIWM multiplied by the total power signal. Power is proportional to cross-sectional area of the vessel; this calculation therefore allows for any changes in this variable. METHODS Four protocols were used, each repeated six times for six healthy adults aged 20.8 +/- 1.7 years (mean +/- SD). The first was a control protocol (A) with end-tidal PO2 (ETPO2) maintained at 100 mm Hg and ETPCO2 at 1 to 2 mm Hg above eucapnia throughout. The second was a hypoxic step protocol (B) with ETPO2 lowered from control values to 50 mm Hg for 20 minutes. The third was a hypercapnic step protocol (C) with ETPCO2 elevated from control by 7.5 mm Hg for 20 minutes. The fourth was a combined hypoxic and hypercapnic step protocol (D) lasting 20 minutes. A dynamic end-tidal forcing system was used to control ETPCO2 and ETPO2. Doppler data were collected and stored every 10 milliseconds, and mean values were determined later on a beat-by-beat basis. VP, VIWM, power, and P.VIWM were expressed as a percentage of the average value over a 3-minute period before the step. RESULTS In protocols A and B, there were no changes in power and there were no differences between VP, VIWM, and P.VIWM. In C, at the relief from hypercapnia, there was a transient nonsignificant increase in power and a transient nonsignificant decrease in both VP and VIWM compared with P.VIWM. In D, during the stimulus period, VP was significantly higher than VIWM (paired t test, P < .05), but both indexes were not different from P.VIWM. In the period that followed relief from hypoxia and hypercapnia, the Doppler power signal was significantly increased by 3.8%. During this period, VP and VIWM were significantly lower than P.VIWM. CONCLUSIONS At the levels of either hypoxia or hypercapnia used in this study, there were no changes in cross-sectional area of the middle cerebral artery, and changes in both VP and VIWM accurately reflect changes in P.VIWM. With combined hypoxia and hypercapnia, however, at the relief from the stimuli when there is a very large and rapid decrease in P.VIWM, power is increased, suggesting an increase in the cross-sectional area. During this period, changes in VP and VIWM underestimate the changes in P.VIWM.
Contextual influences on children's use of vocal affect cues during referential interpretation

In three experiments, we investigated 5-year-olds' sensitivity to speaker vocal affect during referential interpretation in cases where the indeterminacy is or is not resolved by speech information. In Experiment 1, analyses of eye gaze patterns and pointing behaviours indicated that 5-year-olds used vocal affect cues at the point where an ambiguous description was encountered. In Experiments 2 and 3, we used unambiguous situations to investigate how the referential context influences the ability to use affect cues earlier in the utterance. Here, we found a differential use of speaker vocal affect whereby 5-year-olds' referential hypotheses were influenced by negative vocal affect cues in advance of the noun, but not by positive affect cues. Together, our findings reveal how 5-year-olds use a speaker's vocal affect to identify potential referents in different contextual situations and also suggest that children may be more attuned to negative vocal affect than positive vocal affect, particularly early in an utterance.