Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Economies of Scale in Nuclear Power Generation

Current prospects for the expansion of nuclear electric generating capacity appear dim; there has not been a domestic order placed for a nuclear power plant since 1978, and over 80 plants have been cancelled since the early 1970s. While a host of economic, political and environmental factors are responsible for the current state of the nuclear power industry, concern has increasingly focused on the cost effectiveness of nuclear power, with critics arguing that nuclear power is not an economically feasible alternative. ' Economies of scale are a crucial consideration in addressing nuclear power costs. At the plant level, scale economies could be associated with the size of generating units or with multiunit siting. If the former is important, the strong trend toward larger reactors would imply that, all else equal, electricity produced by new plants should cost less than previous experience would indicate. Siting several reactors at a plant, which is common practice in France, for example, would lead to lower costs if the latter factor is important. Despite the importance of these issues, virtually no empirical evidence on economies of scale in nuclear power operations is available.2 Existing studies of nuclear power production costs [20; 7; 26; 23; 22] typically specify some plant size and type, often the proverbial 1,000 MWe plant, and sum up the costs of the inputs required to run it, including a capital cost. By contrast, cost analyses for fossil-fueled electricity generation are more sophisticated.3 Perhaps the first application of econometric modeling in this area was by Nerlove [19]. However, a more up-to-date example is the study of Christensen and Greene [4], who estimated a translog cost function using cross sections of privately owned utilities in 1955 and 1970. Straightforward application of Christensen and Greene's techniques to nuclear power is prob-
OCEAN SPRAWL: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR BIODIVERSITY MANAGEMENT IN A CHANGING WORLD

1School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Science, Plymouth University, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, United Kingdom Email: Louise.firth@plymouth.ac. uk (corresponding author), Antony.knights@plymouth.ac. uk, R.C. Thompson@plymouth.ac. uk 2Marine Institute, Plymouth University, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, United Kingdom Email: danielle.bridger@plymouth.ac. uk, emma.sheehan@plymouth.ac. uk 3Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth SY23 3DA, United Kingdom Email: aje9@aber.ac. uk, pim2@aber.ac. uk 4The Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, United Kingdom Email: nova@mba.ac. uk 5School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom Email: n.oconnor@qub.ac. uk 6Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, Waterfront Campus, University of Southampton, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, United Kingdom Email: S.J.Hawkins@soton.ac. uk
New site administrators' perceptions of their role in school community partnerships

This study’s purpose was to investigate new site administrators’ perceptions of the term community involvement, of their role to engage the local community members as partners in their school, their preparation and support to work with their communities, and their challenges on-the-job with community engagement. This study also examined new site administrators’ perceptions and needs to better understand what tools are necessary to help them create thriving community partnerships. Thirty new site administrators across 4 counties of Southern California participated in a semi-structured 45-minute interview. All were employed less than 4 years and represented the gender, age and ethnic diversity of these counties. These individuals initially responded that parents were the community, not noting businesses, churches, health and the many other entities that surround and should be involved in school life. Each stated in some fashion that the role of the site administrator was to interface with the community beyond the site faculty and staff. All perceived that their academic preparation lacked any knowledge and skills to work with parents and the community although that is 1 of 6 required components for an administrative license in California. In addition, none indicated formal on-the-job professional development opportunities; 2 in the same district mentioned superintendent support of community involvement. The first year administrators shared their sense of feeling overwhelmed in their new leadership position for a school staff and the myriad of policies/procedures. New site administrators in their second--fourth years commented on the struggle to find time to
Slowed conduction and ventricular tachycardia after targeted disruption of the cardiac sodium channel gene Scn5a

Voltage-gated sodium channels drive the initial depolarization phase of the cardiac action potential and therefore critically determine conduction of excitation through the heart. In patients, deletions or loss-of-function mutations of the cardiac sodium channel gene, SCN5A, have been associated with a wide range of arrhythmias including bradycardia (heart rate slowing), atrioventricular conduction delay, and ventricular fibrillation. The pathophysiological basis of these clinical conditions is unresolved. Here we show that disruption of the mouse cardiac sodium channel gene, Scn5a, causes intrauterine lethality in homozygotes with severe defects in ventricular morphogenesis whereas heterozygotes show normal survival. Whole-cell patch clamp analyses of isolated ventricular myocytes from adult Scn5a+/− mice demonstrate a ≈50% reduction in sodium conductance. Scn5a+/− hearts have several defects including impaired atrioventricular conduction, delayed intramyocardial conduction, increased ventricular refractoriness, and ventricular tachycardia with characteristics of reentrant excitation. These findings reconcile reduced activity of the cardiac sodium channel leading to slowed conduction with several apparently diverse clinical phenotypes, providing a model for the detailed analysis of the pathophysiology of arrhythmias.
Effects of monoamines on interneurons in four spinal reflex pathways from group I and/or group II muscle afferents

Effects of locally applied serotonin (5‐HT) and noradrenaline (NA) were tested on extracellularly recorded responses of single spinal interneurons in deeply anaesthetized cats. These effects were tested on: (i) interneurons mediating reciprocal inhibition from group Ia afferents; (ii) interneurons mediating non‐reciprocal inhibition from group Ia and Ib afferents; (iii) intermediate zone interneurons co‐excited by group I and II afferents; and (iv) dorsal horn interneurons excited by group II afferents. Effects of monoamines were tested on responses evoked at latencies compatible with monosynaptic coupling. Responses evoked by group Ia and/or Ib muscle afferents were facilitated in all of the tested interneurons both by NA and 5‐HT. Responses evoked by group II muscle afferents were depressed in the majority of the interneurons but were facilitated in some of them. 5‐HT depressed these responses in all dorsal horn interneurons and in one subpopulation of intermediate zone interneurons, while it facilitated them in another subpopulation of intermediate zone interneurons. NA depressed them in all intermediate zone interneurons and in one subpopulation of dorsal horn interneurons, while it facilitated them in another subpopulation of dorsal horn interneurons. The results of this study lead to the conclusions that: (i) modulation of synaptic actions of muscle spindle and tendon organ afferents on spinal interneurons by 5‐HT and NA is related to both the type of the afferent and the functional type of the interneuron; and that (ii) 5‐HT and NA counteract each others' actions on some interneuronal types but mutually enhance them on the others.
Estimation of insulation life of inverter- fed induction motors

This paper is concerned with the effect of power system harmonics and voltage unbalances on the thermal aging of the insulation of electric motors. A thermal model is proposed where the motor is divided geometrically into a number of lumped components, with interconnections to neighboring components through a linear mesh of thermal impedances. The lumped parameters are derived from entirely dimensional information, the thermal properties of the materials used, and constant heat transfer coefficients. Arrhenius chart is then used to estimate motor insulation remaining life. The proposed approach is used to determine the effect of supply harmonics and voltage unbalances on the useful life of a three phase induction motor and also validated by experimental results.
Maintaining and using Provenance Data in Computer Music

E-Science is increasingly recognising the importance of provenance, that is the origin and subsequent history of a document, in assessing its value. We argue here that computer music can also benefit from incorporating indications of provenance at many levels. We recognise that the challenge is to create and maintain metadata noninvasively . until, that is, the composer or musicologist wants access. Although this paper, having explored the general idea of computational provenance, describes an application to composition, in particular using the Csound system, the same idea could be incorporated into other systems. We also look forward to further possible applications.
Radio-Frequency Power Amplifier Based on CVD Graphene Field-Effect Transistor

In this work, we investigate the performance of radio-frequency (RF) power amplifier based on chemical vapor deposition (CVD) graphene field-effect transistors (GFETs). The GFETs with gate length of 300 nm were fabricated on SiO2/Si substrate, which show an extrinsic current gain cut-off frequency (fT) of 18.6 GHz and an extrinsic maximum oscillation frequency (fmax) of 19.8 GHz. The parameters of compact large-signal model for the GFETs were extracted from the measured direct current (DC) and RF characteristics of GFETs, followed by implementation of the compact model using Verilog-A for circuit simulation. Using electronic design automation (EDA) tools, we designed a GFET-based power amplifier. The power amplifier working at 2.5 GHz shows a gain of ∼7 dB, an output power of ∼0 dBm (1 mW), a power added efficiency (PAE) of 2.8% and third order intermodulation distortion (IMD) of ∼20 dBc, at the 1 dB compression point.
De novo 14q24.2q24.3 microdeletion including IFT43 is associated with intellectual disability, skeletal anomalies, cardiac anomalies, and myopia

We report an 11‐year‐old girl with mild intellectual disability, skeletal anomalies, congenital heart defect, myopia, and facial dysmorphisms including an extra incisor, cup‐shaped ears, and a preauricular skin tag. Array comparative genomic hybridization analysis identified a de novo 4.5‐Mb microdeletion on chromosome 14q24.2q24. 3. The deleted region and phenotype partially overlap with previously reported patients. Here, we provide an overview of the literature on 14q24 microdeletions and further delineate the associated phenotype. We performed exome sequencing to examine other causes for the phenotype and queried genes present in the 14q24.2q24. 3 microdeletion that are associated with recessive disease for variants in the non‐deleted allele. The deleted region contains 65 protein‐coding genes, including the ciliary gene IFT43. Although Sanger and exome sequencing did not identify variants in the second IFT43 allele or in other IFT complex A‐protein‐encoding genes, immunocytochemistry showed increased accumulation of IFT‐B proteins at the ciliary tip in patient‐derived fibroblasts compared to control cells, demonstrating defective retrograde ciliary transport. This could suggest a ciliary defect in the pathogenesis of this disorder. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effective Voltage Flicker Calculation Based on Multiresolution S-Transform

This paper introduces a new method for calculating the voltage flicker characteristics. A voltage waveform envelope, which captures the main flicker characteristics, is obtained by calculating rms values instantaneously using a moving window approach. The S-transform (ST) is then used to extract the voltage flicker components for each frequency. The multiresolution characteristic of the ST provides timing data which presents a “Magnitude-Time” and “Frequency-Time” contour for tracking flicker. The effects of signal sampling rate, voltage harmonics, and frequency variation on the calculation results are considered. The results show that the proposed method can identify the frequency and magnitude of flicker components in a short time and with very good precision. This method is independent of calculating the fundamental frequency of the system, which has been used for flicker index calculation. Finally, the method is tested on a real voltage flicker signal sampled from the voltage signal of an electric arc furnace. The results are quite promising.
The classic suggestion effect: relationships with scales of hypnotizability, effortless experiencing, and imagery vividness.

Abstract How well the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scales (Weitz-enhoffer & Hilgard, 1959, 1962) assess what Weitzenhoffer (1978) terms the “classic suggestion effect” is addressed by developing an index of nonvolitional behavior (N-VB) for a group form of the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, Form C (SHSS:C) of Weitzenhoffer and Hilgard (1962) given to 43 Ss. The N-VB index, reflecting the classic suggestion effect's dual criteria of both behavioral responsiveness to suggestion and nonvolition ratings, was correlated highly with the traditional scoring of the group SHSS:C and moderately with the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility, Form A (Shor & E. Orne, 1962). Effortless experiencing of imagination and imagery vividness relate similarly to traditional and N-VB scores of hypnotizability. In addition, the relationship between involuntary ratings and passing and failing an item of the group SHSS:C was examined for each of the 10 items. Thew was a significant relationship for 7 of the .
Semantic facilitation in bilingual everyday speech comprehension

Previous research suggests that bilinguals presented with low and high predictability sentences benefit from semantics in clear but not in conversational speech [1]. In everyday speech, however, many words are not highly predictable. Previous research has shown that native listeners can use also more subtle semantic contextual information [2]. The present study reports two auditory lexical decision experiments investigating to what extent late Asian-English bilinguals benefit from subtle semantic cues in their processing of English unreduced and reduced speech. Our results indicate that these bilinguals are less sensitive to semantic cues than native listeners for both speech registers. Index Terms: acoustic reduction, word recognition, speech perception, semantics, latent semantic analysis, English, Asian, bilinguals
Animal models of fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva

Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva is a rare human disease of heterotopic ossification. FOP patients experience progressive development of ectopic bone within fibrous tissues that contributes to a gradual loss of mobility and can lead to early mortality. Due to lack of understanding of the etiology and progression of human FOP, and the fact that surgical interventions often exacerbate FOP disease progression, alternative therapeutic methods are needed, including modeling in animals, to study and improve understanding of human FOP. In this review we provide an overview of the existing animal models of FOP and the key mechanistic findings from each. In addition, we highlight the specific advantages of a new adult zebrafish model, generated by our lab, to study human FOP. Developmental Dynamics 247:279–288, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Endogenous product compatibility choice under Cournot competition with a network externality

We provide a simple model of endogenous product compatibility choice under Cournot competition with a network externality. Using the model, we consider how the degree of a network externality and product substitutability affects the choice regarding product compatibility. In particular, if the degree of the network externality is larger than that of the product substitutability, there exist multiple equilibria, involving imperfect, partial, and perfect compatibility. However, if another assumption formula regarding a spillover effect, which is a component of network size, is made, i.e., the converter case, there is a unique equilibrium, i.e., perfect compatibility, irrespective of the degree of the network effect versus product substitutability. Furthermore, we show that a perfectly compatible product standard is socially optimal and analyze, therefore, whether a social dilemma arises in the network products market.
Preceding vehicle recognition based on learning from sample images

Preceding vehicle recognition is an important enabling technology for developing a driver assistance system and an autonomous vehicle system. However, this is difficult for computer vision to achieve because of the variety of shapes and colors in which vehicles are made. In this paper, we propose a novel vision-based preceding vehicle recognition method, which has the capability of recognizing a wide selection of vehicles. In the proposed method, classifiers learned from "vehicle" training samples and "nonvehicle" training samples are used to enable recognition. We also propose a novel classification method, the "multiclustered modified quadratic discriminant function" (MC-MQDF). The MC-MQDF is capable of estimating the complex distribution due to the variety of different possible appearances for preceding vehicles. In order to confirm the feasibility of recognizing various vehicles, and to demonstrate the advantage of the MC-MQDF over the MQDF, classification experiments were carried out using the images of various vehicles. In a complex distribution test including a variety of vehicles, the classification rate for the MC-MQDF was approximately 98%, whereas the classification rate for the ordinary MQDF technique was approximately 93%. This supports the superiority of the MC-MQDF technique over the MQDF technique, and demonstrates the feasibility of recognizing a variety of different vehicles.
Human Metapneumovirus–Associated Lower Respiratory Tract Infections among Hospitalized Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1)–Infected and HIV-1–Uninfected African Infants

Abstract Respiratory tract infections due to human metapneumovirus (hMPV) have been reported worldwide, with the exception of Africa. The prevalence of hMPV infection was studied among human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)–infected and HIV-1–uninfected African infants who were hospitalized for lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs). Nasopharyngeal aspirate samples obtained from 81 HIV-1–infected and 110 HIV-1–uninfected infants who had tested negative for other respiratory viruses were selected for investigation. hMPV was detected in 10 HIV-1–uninfected infants (9.1%) and 3 HIV-1–infected infants (3.7%). Compared with the entire cohort of HIV-1–uninfected infants, hMPV was 4.6-fold less common than respiratory syncytial virus, but it was 3.2-fold more common than influenza virus and 2.1-fold more common than parainfluenza virus types 1–3. Genotyping of 7 of 14 isolates revealed the circulation of 2 major phylogenetic groups of the virus, which were similar to those described in North America and Europe.
Prospective Longitudinal ctDNA Workflow Reveals Clinically Actionable Alterations in Ovarian Cancer

PURPOSE Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) detection is a minimally invasive technique that offers dynamic molecular snapshots of genomic alterations in cancer. Although ctDNA markers can be used for early detection of cancers or for monitoring treatment efficacy, the value of ctDNA in guiding treatment decisions in solid cancers is controversial. Here, we monitored ctDNA to detect clinically actionable alterations during treatment of high-grade serous ovarian cancer, the most common and aggressive form of epithelial ovarian cancer with a 5-year survival rate of 43%. PATIENTS AND METHODS We implemented a clinical ctDNA workflow to detect clinically actionable alterations in more than 500 cancer-related genes. We applied the workflow to a prospective cohort consisting of 78 ctDNA samples from 12 patients with high-grade serous ovarian cancer before, during, and after treatment. These longitudinal data sets were analyzed using our open-access ctDNA-tailored bioinformatics analysis pipeline and in-house Translational Oncology Knowledgebase to detect clinically actionable genomic alterations. The alterations were ranked according to the European Society for Medical Oncology scale for clinical actionability of molecular targets. RESULTS Our results show good concordance of mutations and copy number alterations in ctDNA and tumor samples, and alterations associated with clinically available drugs were detected in seven patients (58%). Treatment of one chemoresistant patient was changed on the basis of detection of ERBB2 amplification, and this ctDNA-guided decision was followed by significant tumor shrinkage and complete normalization of the cancer antigen 125 tumor marker. CONCLUSION Our results demonstrate a proof of concept for using ctDNA to guide clinical decisions. Furthermore, our results show that longitudinal ctDNA samples can be used to identify poor-responding patients after first cycles of chemotherapy. We provide what we believe to be the first comprehensive, open-source ctDNA workflow for detecting clinically actionable alterations in solid cancers.
The Cedar Project: risk factors for transition to injection drug use among young, urban Aboriginal people

Background: Studies suggest that Aboriginal people in Canada are over-represented among people using injection drugs. The factors associated with transitioning to the use of injection drugs among young Aboriginal people in Canada are not well understood. Methods: The Cedar Project is a prospective cohort study (2003–2007) involving young Aboriginal people in Vancouver and Prince George, British Columbia, who use illicit drugs. Participants’ venous blood samples were tested for antibodies to HIV and the hepatitis C virus, and drug use was confirmed using saliva screens. The primary outcomes were use of injection drugs at baseline and tranisition to injection drug use in the six months before each follow-up interview. Results: Of 605 participants, 335 (55.4%) reported using injection drugs at baseline. Young people who used injection drugs tended to be older than those who did not, female and in a relationship. Participants who injected drugs were also more likely than those who did not to have been denied shelter because of their drug use, to have been incarcerated, to have a mental illness and to have been involved in sex work. Transition to injection drug use occurred among 39 (14.4%) participants, yielding a crude incidence rate of 19.8% and an incidence density of 11.5 participants per 100 person-years. In unadjusted analysis, transition to injection drug use was associated with being female (odds ratio [OR] 1.98, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.06–3.72), involved in sex work (OR 3.35, 95% CI 1.75–6.40), having a history of sexually transmitted infection (OR 2.01, 95% CI 1.07–3.78) and using drugs with sex-work clients (OR 2.51, 95% CI 1.19–5.32). In adjusted analysis, transition to injection drug use remained associated with involvement in sex work (adjusted OR 3.94, 95% CI 1.45–10.71). Interpretation: The initiation rate for injection drug use of 11.5 participants per 100 person-years among participants in the Cedar Project is distressing. Young Aboriginal women in our study were twice as likely to inject drugs as men, and participants who injected drugs at baseline were more than twice as likely as those who did not to be involved in sex work.