Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of switching performance of SiC devices in PWM inverter fed induction motor drives

Double pulse test (DPT) is a widely accepted method to evaluate the switching characteristics of semiconductor switches, including SiC devices. However, the observed switching performance of SiC devices in a PWM inverter for induction motor drives (IMD) is almost always worse than the DPT characterization, with slower switching speed, more switching losses, and more serious parasitic ringing. This paper systematically investigates the factors that limit the SiC switching performance from both the motor side and inverter side, including the load characteristics of induction motor/power cable, two more phase-legs for the three-phase PWM inverter as compared to the DPT, and the parasitic capacitive coupling effect between power devices and heat sink. Based on the three-phase PWM inverter with 1200 V SiC MOSFETs, the test results show that the induction motor, especially with a relatively long power cable, will significantly impact the switching performance, leading to switching time increase by a factor of 2, switching loss increase up to 30%, and serious parasitic ringing with 1.5 μs duration as compared to that tested by DPT. In addition, the interactions among the three phase-legs cannot be ignored unless the decoupling capacitors are mounted close to each phase-leg to support the dc bus voltage during switching transients. Also, the coupling capacitance induced by the heat sink equivalently increases the junction capacitance of power devices. However, its influence on the switching behavior in the motor drives is small considering the relatively large capacitance of the motor load.
Clinical significance of mitral regurgitation after acute myocardial infarction. Survival and Ventricular Enlargement Investigators.

BACKGROUND Mitral regurgitation (MR) may complicate acute myocardial infarction (MI). However, it is not known whether mild MR is an independent predictor of post-MI outcome. METHODS AND RESULTS The study cohort consisted of 727 Survival and Ventricular Enlargement Study patients who underwent cardiac catheterization, including left ventriculography, up to 16 days after MI. Left ventriculograms were analyzed for diastolic and systolic volumes, global left ventricular sphericity, extent of wall motion abnormality, and endocardial curvature. The presence of MR was related to the risk of developing a cardiovascular event during 3.5 years of follow-up. MR was present in 141 patients (19.4%). Severe (3+) MR was present in only 2 patients. Patients with MR were more likely to have a persistently occluded infarct artery (MR versus no MR, 27.3% versus 15.2%; P=.001). Although the ejection fractions were similar, MR patients had larger end-systolic and end-diastolic volumes and more spherical ventricles than patients without MR. Sphericity change from diastole to systole was also significantly reduced in MR patients. Patients with MR were more likely to experience cardiovascular mortality (29% versus 12%; P<.001), severe heart failure (24% versus 16%; P=.0153), and the combined end point of cardiovascular mortality, severe heart failure, or recurrent myocardial infarction (47% versus 29%; P<.001). The presence of MR was an independent predictor of cardiovascular mortality (relative risk, 2.00; 95% CI, 1.28 to 3.04). CONCLUSIONS Mild MR is an independent predictor of post-MI mortality. As such, it adds important information for risk stratification of post-MI patients.
Lactic acid bacteria effective for regulating the growth of contaminant bacteria during the fermentation of Undaria pinnatifida (Phaeophyta)

Lactic acid fermentation of seaweed is a recent topic and quite limited information is available on culture conditions. To know the suitable strains for use as a starter culture for seaweed fermentation, 14 lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains, including 11 species, were tested in culture conditions prepared with or without salt. A commercial product of Undaria pinnatifida powder was used as a substrate for fermentation without sterilizing. Starter-suitability of the LAB strains was assessed from their predominance after culture. Among the tested strains, Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus rhamnosus showed high (>90%) predominance in their cultures, while control cultures prepared without inoculation of LAB did not show any detectable growth of acid producing bacteria and spoiled. A total of 102 strains not showing acid producing activity were isolated and characterized from spoiled cultures, and all the isolates were observed as Bacillus strains, including 64 strains (62.7%) and 16 strains (15.7%) of a Bacillus cereus-related and B. fusiformis-related species, respectively. The Undaria substrate before fermentation contained culturable microorganisms at 1.4−3.1 × 102 CFU/g, but the Bacillus cereus-related strain was not a major composition, suggesting a concern of selective growth of the Bacillus cereus-related strain during the spoiled fermentation.
The effect of increasing the plasma magnesium concentration on renin release from the dog's kidney: interactions with calcium and sodium.

1. A denervated 'auto‐transplanted' dog's kidney preparation was developed to study renin release into renal plasma and lymph. The function of the 'transplant' was compared with that of its partner. In the 'basal' state it had a similar rate of plasma and urine flow, Na, Ca, Mg and Cl excretion but a lower rate of glomerular filtration and K excretion and a lower urinary osmolality. In the 'basal' state the 'transplant' did not release renin into plasma, but invariably released it into lymph. 2. Infusions of MgCl2 solutions into the renal artery which raised the renal plasma Mg concentration (PMg) by 0.1‐2 m‐mole.1. ‐1 provoked a concentration‐related increase in renin release into plasma. This was due to a rise in the veno‐arterial renin difference and in the renal plasma flow rate. Blood pressure and Na excretion were unaltered. 3. In other experiments, an increase in PMg of 1.5‐2.5 m‐mole.1. ‐1 was also found to increase renin release into lymph. 4. When the plasma Ca concentration was doubled by infusion of CaCl2 into one renal artery, an increase in PMg of 1.5‐2.5 m‐mole.1. ‐1 no longer increased renin release into plasma or lymph. 5. When the plasma NaCl concentration was raised by 8‐15 m‐mole.1. ‐1 by infusion of hypertonic saline into the renal artery, MgCl2 infusion failed to increase renin release until PMg was raised by more than 3 m‐mole.1‐1. 6. The results demonstrate that hypermagnesaemia stimulates renal renin release by a mechanism that is independent of the renal nerves, or of any changes in blood pressure or sodium excretion, but which is antagonized by concurrent hypercalcaemia or hypersalaemia. The possibility is discussed that Mg is reabsorbed from the tubular into the interstitial fluid where it antagonizes the action(s) of Ca on renin release from the juxtaglomerular cells.
Comparing the effectiveness of rosuvastatin and atorvastatin in preventing cardiovascular outcomes: estimates using the Archimedes model

Abstract Objective: This study used simulation to compare the effectiveness of rosuvastatin 20 mg vs atorvastatin 40 mg, and rosuvastatin 40 mg vs atorvastatin 80 mg in preventing MACE in a range of patient populations with varying baseline cardiovascular risk. Research design and methods: The Archimedes Model was used to simulate head-to-head clinical trials in nine patient populations: Framingham Risk Score (FRS) ≥ 5%, 5–10%, 10–20%, > 20%, EURO-SCORE ≥ 5% and >10%, diagnosed diabetes, secondary prevention (history of myocardial infarction or stroke, CVD), and acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Simulated patients, aged 45–70 at trial start, were based on the NHANES 1999–2006. Treatments were modeled using results from the STELLAR, JUPITER, CARDS, ASCOT-LLA, and TNT trials. Treatment models were confirmed using trial validations. Results: Comparing rosuvastatin 20 mg vs atorvastatin 40 mg, the 5-year numbers needed to treat to prevent one MACE event (NNT) were 525, 70, and 55 for the FRS ≥ 5%, CVD, and ACS groups, respectively. Comparing rosuvastatin 40 mg vs atorvastatin 80 mg the corresponding NNT values were 468, 63, and 51. The 20-year relative risks of MACE in the FRS ≥ 5% population were 0.907 (0.901–0.913) for rosuvastatin 20 mg vs atorvastatin 40 mg and 0.892 (0.884–0.901) for rosuvastatin 40 mg vs atorvastatin 80 mg. The relative risks were similar for the remaining populations. Conclusions: This study found that rosuvastatin 20 mg and 40 mg lowers the risk of MACE more than atorvastatin 40 mg and atorvastatin 80 mg. While simulation models cannot replace real-world clinical trials, this study bridges gaps in the evidence, and identifies high risk cohorts that would likely see additional benefit from treatment with rosuvastatin rather than atorvastatin.
Directional screens

The goal of display and screen manufacturers is to design devices or surfaces that maximize the perceived image quality, e.g., resolution, brightness, and color reproduction. Very often, a particular viewer location is not taken into account, and the quality is maximized across all viewing directions. This, however, has significant implications for energy efficiency. There is usually a very wide range of viewing directions (e.g., ceiling, floor, or walls) for which the displayed content does not need to be provided. Ignoring this fact results in energy waste due to a significant amount of light reflected towards these regions. In our work, we propose a new type of screen - directional screens, which can be customized depending on a specific audience layout. They can provide up to 5 times increased gain when compared to high-gain screens and up to 15 times brighter reflection than a matte screen. In addition, they provide uniform brightness across all viewing directions, which addresses the problem of "hot-spotting" in high-gain screens. The key idea of our approach is to build a front-projection screen from tiny, highly reflective surfaces. Each of these surfaces is carefully designed so that it reflects the light only towards the audience. In this paper, we propose a complete process for designing and manufacturing such screens. We also validate our concept in simulations and by fabricating several fragments of big screens.
Isolation and cryopreservation of monocytes from plateletapheresis cellular residues

Human monocytes were isolated from the cellular residues remaining after plateletapheresis of donors using an automated blood cell processor. Mononuclear cells were obtained with density gradients and separated from lymphocytes by stepwise elutriation. The isolated cells were frozen using extracellular hydroxyethyl starch and intracellular dimethylsulfoxide.
Understanding the Successes and Challenges of Anti-corruption Agency (ACA) in Nigeria: A Case of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)

The purpose of this study is to understand the current state of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in terms of the successes and challenges in fighting corrupt related offences in Nigeria. The Study investigated the operational achievements of the Commission and the obstacles to achieving the mandate of the EFCC. This study adopted a qualitative research approach through a single case study design. Data were obtained using multiple sources (interviews, documentary evidence and observations) to answer the research questions. In all, 12 interviews were carried out during a period of three months. Senior, middle and first line management were purposively selected to participate in the research. The data gathered were analyzed using Nvivo 10. The result of the textual evidence reveals the apparent successes in the investigation, prosecution and conviction of corrupt offences in Nigeria. However, the context in which the agency exists remains its major obstacle, especially the legal system, government commitment and management issues. This study recommended that adequate budgetary allocation is needed to enable the EFCC achieve its mandate and the need for reform in the Nigerian legal system for an improved service delivery.
Lactational changes in oxytocin release, intramammary pressure and milking characteristics in dairy cows

Summary Two experiments were conducted to investigate possible changes of milking-related oxytocin release (Expt 1) and of intramammary pressure and milking characteristics (Expt 2) throughout entire lactations in German Braunvieh dairy cows. Mean oxytocin concentrations after stimulation at onset of milking increased from 18·3 ± 15·9 to 30·7 ± 24·1 pg/ml in Expt 1 and decreased from 23·9 ± 17·6 to 15·4 ± 9·1 pg/ml in Expt 2, respectively, but remained above the level necessary to elicit complete milk ejection in both trials. Premilking baseline intramammary pressure had its maximum in early lactation until about month 4 and then decreased to ∼50% of its initial level. Ejection pressure followed a similar pattern, but dropped only to ∼75% of its maximum. This was due to the constant elevation of pressure increase, reaching its highest level in late lactation. Time from commencement of stimulation until maximum pressure exceeded 1 min in almost all instances even in early lactation and increased throughout lactation. Despite the normal decrease of milk yield average milk flow fell only slightly while maximum flow rate remained almost constant. Pressure increase, milk yield and milk flow were not different after 1 min and after extended stimulation. Thus there were no indications of a decreasing sensitivity of the milk ejection reflex during lactation, and milking characteristics were positively affected by intense teat stimulation. Suggestions for practical dairying are made.
[Effect of Jianpi Qinghua decoctions on interleukin-6 and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 in rats with focal segmental glomurular sclerosis nephropathy: role of the inflammatory signaling pathways].

OBJECTIVE To study the effect of Jianpi Qinghua decoctions in ameliorating kidney fibrosis in rats with focal segmental glomurular sclerosis (FSGS) nephropathy in light of blocking the functions of the inflammatory cells. METHODS Rat models of FSGS nephropathy were established by left nephrectomy and intravenous injection of adriamycin and treated with Jianpi Qinghua decoction. The renal expressions of interleukin-6 (IL-6), monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1), and intercellular adhesion molecular-1 (ICAM-1) were detected. RESULTS Treatment with Jianpi Qinghua decoction, Jianpi decoction, Qinghua decoction, and Niaoduqing particles all significantly lowered renal tubulointerstitial expressions of IL-6 in the model rats (P<0.01). Renal tubulointerstitial MCP-1 expressions were all lowered significantly in the rats by treatments with Jianpi Qinghua decoction, Jianpi decoction, QingHua decoctions, and Niaoduqing particles (P<0.01), and Jianpi Qinghua decoction produced a stronger effect than Niaoduqing particles (P<0.05). Jianpi Qinghua decoction, Jianpi decoction, Qinghua decoctions and and Niaoduqing particles all significantly decreased renal tubulointerstitial MCP-1 and ICAM-1 expressions (P<0.01), and Jianpi Qinghua and Qinghua decoctions both showed stronger effects than Niaoduqing particles (P<0.01). Jianpi Qinghua decoctions significantly suppressed the expressions of IL-6, MCP-1, and ICAM-1 and produced stronger effects than Niaoduqing particles on MCP-1 and ICAM-1 expressions. CONCLUSION Jianpi Qinghua decoctions can ameliorate inflammatory injury and lower the levels of inflammatory factors in rats with FSGS nephropathy, the mechanism of which is associated with inhibiting IL-6 signaling pathway.
Mechanism of action and NAD+-binding mode revealed by the crystal structure of l-histidinol dehydrogenase

The histidine biosynthetic pathway is an ancient one found in bacteria, archaebacteria, fungi, and plants that converts 5-phosphoribosyl 1-pyrophosphate to l-histidine in 10 enzymatic reactions. This pathway provided a paradigm for the operon, transcriptional regulation of gene expression, and feedback inhibition of a pathway. l-histidinol dehydrogenase (HisD, EC 1.1.1.23) catalyzes the last two steps in the biosynthesis of l-histidine: sequential NAD-dependent oxidations of l-histidinol to l-histidinaldehyde and then to l-histidine. HisD functions as a homodimer and requires the presence of one Zn2+ cation per monomer. We have determined the three-dimensional structure of Escherichia coli HisD in the apo state as well as complexes with substrate, Zn2+, and NAD+ (best resolution is 1.7 Å). Each monomer is made of four domains, whereas the intertwined dimer possibly results from domain swapping. Two domains display a very similar incomplete Rossmann fold that suggests an ancient event of gene duplication. Residues from both monomers form the active site. Zn2+ plays a crucial role in substrate binding but is not directly involved in catalysis. The active site residue His-327 participates in acid-base catalysis, whereas Glu-326 activates a water molecule. NAD+ binds weakly to one of the Rossmann fold domains in a manner different from that previously observed for other proteins having a Rossmann fold.
Effect of Insulin-Like Growth Factor-Binding Protein 7 on Steroidogenesis in Granulosa Cells Derived from Equine Chorionic Gonadotropin-Primed Immature Rat Ovaries

Abstract Insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-binding protein (IGFBP) 7 is a secreted protein that regulates cellular proliferation, adhesion, and angiogenesis, and has low affinity for IGF compared with that of IGFBP1-IGFBP6. We sought to determine whether IGFBP7 is present in follicular fluid and to elucidate whether IGFBP7 participates in the steroidogenesis of rat mature follicles. Follicular fluid and granulosa cells (GCs) were collected from immature rats 2 days after their treatment with equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG). IGFBP7 protein was detected in the follicular fluid and the conditioned medium of cultured ovarian GCs by immunoblot analysis. When subconfluent GCs were cultured and treated with FSH and activin, coincubation with FSH and activin markedly increased GC expression of Cyp19a1 (aromatase) mRNA and 17beta-estradiol (E2) secretion. The addition of recombinant murine IGFBP7 to these cultures decreased in the activin-enhanced, FSH-stimulated Cyp19a1 mRNA levels in the cells and suppressed the 17beta-E2 levels in the culture medium. Treatment of GCs with Igfbp7-specific small interfering RNA (siRNA), which knocked down Igfbp7 expression, increased the FSH-stimulated levels of Cyp19a1 but not Cyp11a1 expression. Basal and FSH-stimulated 17beta-E2 secretion into the culture medium was also enhanced by Igfbp7 siRNA. These results suggest that IGFBP7 suppresses estrogen production in GCs. These observations support the notion that this protein, which is secreted into the follicular fluid, may serve as an intraovarian factor that negatively regulates GC differentiation.
National Kidney Foundation's Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative clinical practice guidelines for chronic kidney disease in children and adolescents: evaluation, classification, and stratification.

OBJECTIVES A series of new guidelines has been developed by the National Kidney Foundation's Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative to improve the detection and management of chronic kidney disease (CKD). In most instances of CKD, the earliest manifestations of the disorder may be identified by relatively simple tests. Unfortunately, CKD is often "underdiagnosed," in part because of the absence of a common definition of CKD and a classification of the stages in its progression. The Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative clinical practice guidelines for CKD evaluation, classification, and stratification provide a basis to remedy these deficits. The specific goals of the guidelines described in this review are to provide: 1) an overview of the clinical practice guidelines as they pertain to children and adolescents, 2) a simple classification of the stages of CKD, and 3) a practical approach to the laboratory assessment of kidney disease in children and adolescents. METHODS The guidelines were developed as part of an evidence-based evaluation of CKD and its consequences in patients of all ages. The data that were used to generate the guidelines in this article were extracted from a structured analysis of articles that reported on children with CKD. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS This review presents the definition and 5-stage classification system of CKD developed by the work group assigned to develop the guidelines, and summarizes the major recommendations regarding the early detection of CKD. Major emphasis is placed on the identification of children and adolescents with CKD by measuring the protein-to-creatinine ratio in spot urine specimens and by estimating the glomerular filtration rate from serum creatinine using prediction equations.
A shape-based approach to change detection of lakes using time series remote sensing images

Shape analysis has not been considered in remote sensing as extensively as in other pattern recognition applications. However, shapes such as those of geometric patterns in agriculture and irregular boundaries of lakes can be extracted from the remotely sensed imagery even at relatively coarse spatial resolutions. This paper presents a procedure for efficiently retrieving and representing shapes of interesting features in remotely sensed imagery using supervised classification, object recognition, parametric contour tracing, and proposed piecewise linear polygonal approximation techniques. In addition, shape similarity can be measured by means of a computationally efficient metric. The study was conducted on a time series of radiometric and geometric rectified Landsat Multispectral Scanner (MSS) images and Thematic Mapper (TM) images, covering the scenes containing lakes in the Nebraska Sand Hills region. The results validate the effectiveness of the proposed processing chain in change detection of lake shapes and show that shape similarity is an important parameter in quantitatively measuring the spatial variations of objects.
The Causal (Non-)Effect of Dynastic Control on Firm Performance

The conventional wisdom is that dynastic control provides sharp incentives to entrepreneurs ex-ante, when founders run firms in anticipation of their progeny being in charge once they retire, and bad management ex-post, when untalented heirs take over. Using data on Swedish private firms and the individuals who control them, I construct a cross-sectional measure of owners’ dynastic intentions based on the presence in the board of children of the current chairman, and provide instruments for dynastic control using the main owner’s family characteristics. Dynastic intentions make it three times less likely that the firm will be taken over by outsiders in the future and they also immediately lead to less delegation of management to outsiders. Yet, my estimations rule out any first-order effect, positive or negative, of dynastic control on firm profitability.
Higher order hierarchical discretization scheme for surface integral equations for layered media

This paper presents an efficient technique for the analysis of electromagnetic scattering by arbitrarily shaped perfectly conducting objects in layered media. The technique is based on a higher order method of moments (MoM) solution of the electric field, magnetic field, or combined-field integral equation. This higher order MoM solution comprises higher order curved patches for the geometry modeling and higher order hierarchical basis functions for expansion of the electric surface current density. Due to the hierarchical property of the basis functions, the order of the expansion can be selected separately on each patch depending on the wavelength in the layer in which the patch is located and the size of the patch. In this way, a significant reduction of the number of unknowns is achieved and the same surface mesh can be reused in a wide frequency band. It is shown that even for fairly large problems, the higher order hierarchical MoM requires less memory than existing fast multipole method (FMM) or multilevel FMM implementations.