Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Performance analysis of seven level three phase asymmetric multilevel Inverter at various modulation indices

This paper analyses the performance of an asymmetric topology of three phase seven level Multi-Level Inverter (MLI) at various modulation indices. The ultimate aim of carrying out the analysis is to vary the modulation index so as to obtain an optimum value at minimum Total Harmonic Distortion (THD). This topology offers a major advantage such that it contains lower number of switches and input DC source as compared to the conventional and other existing three phase MLI topologies. Amongst the conventional topologies such as Diode Clamp Multi-Level Inverter (DCMLI), Flying Capacitor Multi-Level Inverter (FCMLI) and Cascaded Multi-Level Inverter (CMLI), CMLI requires minimum number of components as we go for higher number of levels. In case of seven level, three phase MLI's, conventional CMLI requires thirty six switches whereas in the proposed topology, the required number of switches are one third of the conventional CMLI i.e. only twelve switches are required for the generation of three phase seven level output voltage. For achieving this, Multi-carrier Sinusoidal Pulse Width Modulation (MSPWM) technique is used. The topology is successfully simulated and verified using Simu-link tool at various modulation indices and detailed comparison between modulation indices and THD thus obtained is also carried out.
Does the Ownership of the Admitting Hospital Make a Difference?: Outcomes and Process of Care of Medicare Beneficiaries Admitted With Acute Myocardial Infarction

Background. Concerns have been expressed about quality of for-profit hospitals and their use of expensive technologies. Objective. To determine differences in mortality after admission for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and in the use of low- and high-tech services for AMI among for-profit, public, and private nonprofit hospitals. Study Design, Setting, and Patients. Cooperative Cardiovascular Project data for 129,092 Medicare patients admitted for AMI from 1994 to 1995. Main Outcome Measures. Mortality at 30 days and 1 year postadmission; use of aspirin, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, &bgr;-blockers at discharge, thrombolytic therapy, catheterization, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), and coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) compared by ownership. Results. Mortality rates at 30 days and at 1 year at for-profit hospitals were no different from those at public and private nonprofit hospitals. Without patient illness variables, nonprofit hospitals had lower mortality rates at 30 days (relative risk [RR], 0.95; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.91–0.99) and at 1 year (RR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.93–0.99) than did for-profit hospitals, but there was no difference in mortality between public and for-profit hospitals. Beneficiaries at nonprofit hospitals were more likely to receive aspirin (RR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.03–1.05) and ACE inhibitors (RR, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.02–1.08) than at for-profit hospitals, but had lower rates of PTCA (RR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.86–0.96) and CABG (RR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.86–1.00). Conclusions. Although outcomes did not vary by ownership, for-profit hospitals were more likely to use expensive, high-tech procedures. This pattern appears to be the result of for-profit hospitals’ propensity to locate in areas with demand for high-tech care for AMI.
Interests, Influence and Information: Comparing the Influence of Interest Groups in the European Union

Abstract The purpose of this analysis is to present and test an information processing theory of interest group influence in the EU. While it has long been acknowledged that information is the currency of lobbying in the EU, a systematic examination of how interest groups gather, generate, synthesise, and transmit information to decision-makers is still missing. I posit that interest group influence is a function of a group’s ability to efficiently process information. Conceptualising influence in this way not only brings the study of influence in-line with key insights from the larger interest group literature, but it also helps avoid some serious methodological issues related to measuring influence. Using data from a large-scale online survey and elite interviews I compare how information processing varies across six different types of interest groups. The results suggest that most types of interest groups in the EU have similar information processing capabilities and thus, that influence in the EU appears to be, on balance, fair and impartial.
Measuring E-Government: A Case Study Using Russia

Numerous studies of global electronic government adoption use the presence or absence of website functions to measure development levels and create rankings. This paper investigates whether these ratings really reflect the overall status of e-government by using a case study of the 89 regional governments in Russia. It provides the results of two waves of evaluating these websites using measures derived from prior e-government studies. These website levels are correlated to available data reflecting the status of e-government in many of these regions. It is concluded that website levels are only loosely coupled to the overall state of e-government in these regions. It is therefore hazardous to draw too many conclusions about the development of e-government in various countries using relative rankings that are only based on websites. As a case study, this paper illustrates what can and cannot be done when highly limited data are available.
A new delay testing signal scheme robust to power distribution network impedance variation

This paper presents a new scan-based at-speed test signal scheme called One Clock Alternated Shift (OCAS) for minimizing the potential impact of the power distribution network PDN impedance variation. The strategy behind this new scheme is to mimic the clock signal of the functional mode as closely as possible. As a case study, we consider the PDN impedance variation that can occur with 3-D ICs, more specifically when a top die under test is bounded over a stack of different sizes. HSpice simulation results show that OCAS is less sensitive to such impedance variation when compared to existing scan-based at-speed testing techniques, mainly, SeBoS, and BurstMode.
The Anti-Environmental ‘Wise Use’ Movement in America

Abstract One of the social values which seems to most characterize America today is widespread support for the environment. Public opinion polls consistently show a significant proportion of the U.S. public who identify with environmental values and back public policy action to protect the environment. See R. Dunlap, Trends in Public Opinion Toward Environmental Issues, 4 Society and Natural Resources No. 3 at 285–312 (1991). In fact, it has gotten to the point that almost all politicians find it necessary to identify themselves as “environmentalists” as a basic condition for credibility in running for office.
Analytical model for nanoscale viscoelastic properties characterization using dynamic nanoindentation

In the last few decades, nanoindentation has gained widespread acceptance as a technique for materials properties characterization at micron and submicron length scales. Accurate and precise characterization of material properties with a nanoindenter is critically dependent on the ability to correctly model the response of the test equipment in contact with the material. In dynamic nanoindention analysis, a simple Kelvin–Voigt model is commonly used to capture the viscoelastic response. However, this model oversimplifies the response of real viscoelastic materials such as polymers. A model is developed that captures the dynamic nanoindentation response of a viscoelastic material. Indenter tip-sample contact forces are modelled using a generalized Maxwell model. The results on a silicon elastomer were analysed using conventional two element Kelvin–Voigt model and contrasted to analysis done using the Maxwell model. The results show that conventional Kelvin–Voigt model overestimates the storage modulus of the silicone elastomer by ~30%. Maxwell model represents a significant improvement in capturing the viscoelastic material behaviour over the Voigt model.
Selective Deficit of Autobiographical Incident Memory in Subjects with Bipolar Disorder

Background: Previous studies have suggested that episodic memory impairment is one of the trait-like markers of bipolar disorder (BD), and is also associated with the course of the illness. Autobiographical memory (AM) is a special type of episodic memory, and disruption of AM causes severe psychosocial dysfunctions in patients with various neuropsychiatric disorders. However, little is known about possible deficits in AM in BD. This study investigated AM performance of BD patients and the effect of aging on their memory function. Sampling and Methods: We assessed AM of particular incidents (incident AM) and AM of personal facts (semantic AM), focusing on 4 time periods in 31 BD patients and 38 normal controls. Each group was divided into younger and older subgroups. General episodic memory functioning was also assessed by a word list learning task. Results: While there were no impairments in semantic AM throughout the lifetime in either group, both the younger and older BD groups exhibited impairments in incident AM compared to controls, and this effect was more profound in the recent period in the older BD group. Performance on the word list learning test was not impaired in either subgroup of BD patients, indicating that general episodic memory function was preserved. Conclusions: We are the first group to report relatively selective AM impairments in BD, which have severer effects upon recent incident memory, and seemed to worsen with aging and/or clinical course.
Mining top-k influential nodes in social networks via community detection

Influence maximisation is a challenging problem with high computational complexity. It aims to find a small set of seed nodes in a social network that maximises the spread of influence under a certain influence model. In this paper, we propose a community-based greedy algorithm for mining top-k influential nodes in a social network. Our method consists of two separate steps: community detection and top-k nodes mining. In the first step, we use an efficient algorithm to discover the community structure in a network. Then a 'divide and conquer' process is adopted to find the top-k influential nodes from the network. Experimental results on real-world networks show that our method is effective for mining highly influential nodes in networks. Moreover, it is more efficient than the traditional algorithms using greedy policy.
Comparison of ultrasound and caliper measurements of normal and inflamed skin thickness

We have compared ultrasound and Harpenden calipers for the measurement of thickness of non‐inflamed and anthralin‐inflamed skin. In non‐inflamed skin ultrasound gave consistently and significantly lower values (0.87 mm ±2.3% s.e.) than calipers (1.1 mm±2.7% s.e.) and the ultrasound/caliper ratio was 0.89±1.3%. In anthralin‐inflamed skin the ultrasound/caliper ratio was not significantly different from unity (1.02±1.3%), but ultrasound was unable to measure inflamed skin thickness in 18% of cases because the echo could not detect the dermis‐subcutaneous fat interface. The proportion of unreadable ultrasound results increased linearly with increase in skin thickness and the variance of ultrasound readings increased as inflammatory skin thickness increased; by contrast caliper variance remained constant. Harpenden calipers cannot be used in all subjects or in skin sites in which skin folds cannot be raised, but if the patient and site to be studied can be selected, Harpenden calipers have a greater precision, reproducibility and reliability than ultrasound for measurement of the thickness of inflamed skin.
Computational study of SCRAM Jet combustor with a co-axial strut fuel injector

The geometric configuration of Supersonic Combustion Ramjet (SCRAM) is relatively simple when compared to gas turbine engines as there are no moving parts, but the flow physics associated with it is quite complex. At high speeds of flight the residence time of the atmospheric air in the combustion chamber is very low it is of the order of milliseconds, within this short time the fuel injected in to air must efficiently mix and react to release energy in the combustion chamber. The Combustor length and Weight can be minimized and Thrust produced can be maximized by rapid and effective mixing of fuel and oxidizer. The present study focuses on using coaxial type fuel injectors and studies the characteristics of SCRAM Jet Engines. From the results obtained it is observed that the turbulence kinetic energy of the coaxial jets is improved by the four times at the point of fuel injection when compared with the circular jet injector. As Turbulent kinetic energy is one of the parameter indicating the mixing of the fuel and oxidized (air), it is concluded that by employing the coaxial strut fuel injectors the mixing of fuel and oxidized can be enhanced.
Cliquet options and volatility models

Wilmott magazine From the point of view of the sell side, aiming to minimize market risk by delta hedging, their main exposure is to volatility risk. However, the contract is very subtle in its dependence on the assumed model for volatility. In this brief note, I will show how the contract value depends on the treatment of volatility. In particular, I shall show results for constant volatility and volatility ranges.
European Option Under Stochastic Interest Rate and Local Volality

A partial differential equation formulation is developed to value an european option under stochastic interest rate and local volatility. The partial differential equation is one dimensional under forward measure.The formulation follows the usual techniques based on replication or the martingale methods, but require modifications. A monte carlo simulation is also performed to verify a posteriori the final partial differential formulation. Finite difference method is used to solve the partial differential equation, and a family of implicit methods are used for time-stepping in the monte carlo simulations.
Emulating new policy goals into past successes: Greenhouse gas emissions mitigation as a side effect of biofuels programmes in Brazil

The Sustainable Development – Policies and Measures (SD-PAM) proposal, in which developing countries could achieve greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation goals as side effects of sustainable development programmes, is a creative option for international climate-driven agreements that consider the principle of ‘common but differentiated responsibilities’. Analysing and comparing the Brazilian Ethanol Program (Proalcool) and the Brazilian Biodiesel Production Program (PNPB) can lead to a better understanding of how SD-PAM, or any other similar tool, as, for example, Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMA), which are initiatives under evaluation within UNFCCC, could shape or reshape domestic policies in developing countries if they had been considered as SD-PAM (or NAMA) in their inceptions. Both programmes were analysed from a programme theory perspective to investigate the possibility of having the programmes reshaped for the achievement of UNFCCC objectives under the SD-PAM mechanism. The comparison between the two programmes led to the understanding that, despite differences in their primary goals, implementation and maturity, their outcomes are very similar so far, very much focused on large-scale, capital-intensive agricultural sectors. In this regard, SD-PAM, or other similar tool, could play an important role for guaranteeing the sustainability of some developing countries' programmes, by bringing on board the perspectives of international negotiations on climate change.
Diglycolic acid, the toxic metabolite of diethylene glycol, chelates calcium and produces renal mitochondrial dysfunction in vitro

Abstract Context: Diethylene glycol (DEG) has caused many cases of acute kidney injury and deaths worldwide. Diglycolic acid (DGA) is the metabolite responsible for the renal toxicity, but its toxic mechanism remains unclear. Objective: To characterize the mitochondrial dysfunction produced from DGA by examining several mitochondrial processes potentially contributing to renal cell toxicity. Materials and methods: The effect of DGA on mitochondrial membrane potential was examined in normal human proximal tubule (HPT) cells. Isolated rat kidney mitochondria were used to assess the effects of DGA on mitochondrial function, including respiratory parameters (States 3 and 4), electron transport chain complex activities and calcium-induced opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore. DGA was compared with ethylene glycol tetraacetic acid (EGTA) to determine calcium chelating ability. DGA cytotoxicity was assessed using lactate dehydrogenase leakage from cultured proximal tubule cells. Results: DGA decreased the mitochondrial membrane potential in HPT cells. In rat kidney mitochondria, DGA decreased State 3 respiration, but did not affect State 4 respiration or the ADP/O ratio. DGA reduced glutamate/malate respiration at lower DGA concentrations (0.5 mmol/L) than succinate respiration (100 mmol/L). DGA inhibited Complex II activity without altering Complex I, III or IV activities. DGA blocked calcium-induced mitochondrial swelling, indicating inhibition of the calcium-dependent mitochondrial permeability transition. DGA and EGTA reduced the free calcium concentration in solution in an equimolar manner. DGA toxicity and mitochondrial dysfunction occurred as similar concentrations. Discussion: DGA inhibited mitochondrial respiration, but without uncoupling oxidative phosphorylation. The more potent effect of DGA on glutamate/malate respiration and the inhibition of mitochondrial swelling was likely due to its chelation of calcium. Conclusion: These results indicate that DGA produces mitochondrial dysfunction by chelating calcium to decrease the availability of substrates and of reducing equivalents to access Complex I and by inhibiting Complex II activity at higher concentrations.
Restoration of Growth Phenotypes of Escherichia coli DH5α in Minimal Media through Reversal of a Point Mutation in purB

ABSTRACT A point mutation (E115K) resulting in slower growth of Escherichiacoli DH5α and XL1-Blue in minimal media was identified in the purB gene, coding for adenylosuccinate lyase (ASL), through complementation with an E. coli K-12 genomic library and serial subcultures. Chromosomal modification reversing the mutation to the wild type restored growth phenotypes in minimal media.
Organisational rigidities and marketing theory: examining the US department store c.1910–1965

By analysing the US department store during the period c.1910–1965, this article deepens our understanding of the nature of the transition to phases of ‘maturity’ and ‘decline’ that are fundamental to models of retail change (retail wheel, retail life cycle). By employing a close reading of key marketing and management writing of the period, it finds that ‘lock-in’ to an organisational structure associated with a single downtown store posed significant obstacles to suburban branched expansion. Only partial organisational centralisation occurred with the formation of holding companies in the 1920s, which contrasted with chains of general-merchandise and some department store retailers that were efficiently structured and better able to exploit suburban growth. When major department store companies finally embraced branched expansion, they were forced to significantly revise their operational structures.
Right-to-Work Laws: A Suggested Economic Rationale

IN 1947 Section 14(b) of the Taft-Hartley Act gave the individual states the right to outlaw union security provisions, and by 1965 twenty-one states prohibited such agreements. ' This article will address itself to the question of why twenty-one states should adopt this so-called right-to-work legislation and twenty-nine states should choose not to adopt right-to-work laws. Is there any evidence that economic factors play a role in some states adopting
Duplexed Label-Free G Protein—Coupled Receptor Assays for High-Throughput Screening

This article describes duplexed label-free optical biosensor cellular assays for simultaneously assaying 2 endogenous receptors, the Gq-coupled histamine receptor (H 1) and the Gs-coupled β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR), in A431 cells. The biosensor cellular assays consist of 2 sequential steps—an initial agonist screening using Sigma LOPAC (Library of Pharmaceutically Active Compounds) and a subsequent antagonist screening using a solution mixture containing the H1 agonist histamine and the β2AR agonist epinephrine. Results showed that costimulating A431 cells with histamine and epinephrine led to an optical response additive to individual responses. The agonist screening not only identified all full agonists for both the H1 and β2 receptors, but also detected pathway-biased ligands for the β2AR. Furthermore, the succeeding antagonist screening documented all known antagonists in the library for either the H1 or β2 receptors. This is the 1st demonstration of a single cellular assay that is capable of screening ligands against 2 GPCRs coupled to distinct G proteins, and highlights the power of pathway-unbiased and label-free biosensor cellular assays for GPCR screens. (Journal of Biomolecular Screening 2008:975-985)
Micropolar continuum modelling of bi-dimensional tetrachiral lattices

The in-plane behaviour of tetrachiral lattices should be characterized by bi-dimensional orthotropic material owing to the existence of two orthogonal axes of rotational symmetry. Moreover, the constitutive model must also represent the chirality inherent in the lattices. To this end, a bi-dimensional orthotropic chiral micropolar model is developed based on the theory of irreducible orthogonal tensor decomposition. The obtained constitutive tensors display a hierarchy structure depending on the symmetry of the underlying microstructure. Eight additional material constants, in addition to five for the hemitropic case, are introduced to characterize the anisotropy under Z2 invariance. The developed continuum model is then applied to a tetrachiral lattice, and the material constants of the continuum model are analytically derived by a homogenization process. By comparing with numerical simulations for the discrete lattice, it is found that the proposed continuum model can correctly characterize the static and wave properties of the tetrachiral lattice.
Structure and function of the human chromosome 15 imprinting center

The Prader‐Willi syndrome (PWS) and the Angelman syndrome (AS) are distinct neurogenetic disorders that are caused by a deficiency of paternal (PWS) or maternal (AS) contributions to chromosome 15. The affected genes are located in an imprinted chromosomal domain of 2 Mb, which is controlled by an imprinting center (IC). The IC has been mapped to a 100‐kb region including the SNRPN gene and appears to have a bipartite structure. Mutations of the proximal part of the IC block the paternal → maternal imprint switch during female gametogenesis, whereas mutations of the distal part of the IC block the maternal → paternal imprint switch during male gametogenesis. Imprinting involves differential DNA methylation, which appears to be instrumental in the regulation of gene activity and can be used for diagnostic purposes. J. Cell. Physiol. 173:237–241, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.