Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modern Control Methods Applied to a Line-of-Sight Stabilization and Tracking System

Modern control methods are used to develop compensators for a precise optical positioning system designed to track a commanded line-of-sight (LOS) position while rejecting the vibrational environment of an F-16 fighter aircraft, the vehicle upon which the device will be mounted. The physical system being controlled consists of two gimbals that effect large changes in the LOS position, and a mirror assembly that is used, because of its fast dynamic response (but limited range of motion), to reduce LOS jitter (i.e. angular disturbances above 5 Hz that cause blurring). Compensators are designed that include models of the motion to reject and of the motion to track. These models become part of each compensator and enable them to distinguish aircraft vibration from aircraft maneuvers, rejecting the former and tracking the latter. The vibrational disturbance that must be rejected has a magnitude of 560 ¿rads rms, which is magnified by the optical system to 1400 ¿rads of LOS motion. Simulation of closed-loop performance with a nonlinear dynamic model of the system demonstrated that LOS jitter is reduced to about 130 ¿rads rms. A tradeoff between stabilization and tracking is demonstrated. Compensator robustness to unmodelled disturbances is increased using the Loop-Transfer-Recovery technique.
Analysis of a watt-range contactless electromechanical energy harvester facing a moving conductive surface

A watt-range contactless electromechanical energy harvester based on the interaction of a rotating permanent magnet wheel with a moving conductive surface is analyzed, modeled and optimized. The extracted models are verified with two-dimensional (2-D) finite-element-method (FEM) simulations and measurement results. Finally, a ρη-Pareto optimization indicates a power density of the harvester wheel in the range of 2 W/cm3 for surface speeds of 10m/s and an air gap of 3 mm.
WHAT IMPACT DO SINGLE TAXES HAVE ON THE CONVERGENCE OF TAXATION IN THE EU

Increasing globalization and the European Union enlargement have an influence not only on human culture or politics but mainly on the economies of the countries in which integration is at different levels of their development. This paper deals with the convergence of taxation in the European Union. The paper proposes to evaluate and quantify the impact of the single shares of the taxes and tax competition on the effective tax burden convergence in the EU 28 countries between the years 1965 - 2011. The panel regression model reports a statistically significant positive impact of all residuum on tax convergence in the European Union. The most important determinants of tax convergence are tax competition and property taxes. All models meet diagnostic tests and are econometrically robust. Results can be considered as relevant with sufficient information capability.
Development and Evaluation of an Indirect Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Detection of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus Nonstructural Protein Antibody using a Chemically Synthesized 2B Peptide as Antigen

Forty peptides were synthesized corresponding to hydrophilic clusters of amino acids within the sequences of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) nonstructural proteins (NSP). Six peptides were studied in more detail and the most promising, a 2B peptide, was evaluated in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using sera from naïve, vaccinated, and vaccinated-and-challenged cattle as well as bovine sera from field outbreaks. The performance of the new NSP peptide ELISA was compared to that of 4 commercial NSP ELISA kits. Antibody to 2B was detectable from the end of the first week to the second week after infection in most of the nonvaccinated animals and by the second to third week in vaccinated-and-challenged animals. The sensitivity of the 2B peptide ELISA was comparable to the 3ABC Ceditest (Ceditest® FMDV-NS, Cedi Diagnostics B.V.; Chung et al., 2002). With some modification and further validation, this 2B test could be useful as a screening or conformational NSP test in postvaccination surveillance for FMD.
Top Tension Control of a Flexible Marine Riser by Using Integral-Barrier Lyapunov Function

This paper presents a boundary controller for a flexible marine riser to suppress the riser's vibration with a top tension constraint. The flexible marine riser is described by a distributed parameter system with a partial differential equation and four ordinary differential equations. The boundary controller is designed at the top boundary of the riser based on an integral-barrier Lyapunov function to suppress the riser's tension at top. Adaptive control is designed when the system parametric uncertainty exists. With the proposed robust adaptive boundary control, uniformed boundedness under the ocean disturbance can be achieved. Stability analysis of the closed-loop system is given using the Lyapunov stability theory. Simulation results illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed boundary controller with top tension constraint.
Lingual Carcinoma

Purpose: To determine the utility of MR imaging in the evaluation of lingual carcinomas. Material and Methods: Eleven patients with lingual carcinoma were evaluated with MR imaging including dynamic study within one week before surgery. Nine patients underwent preoperative chemotherapy or irradiation, and 2 patients had no preoperative treatment. Delineation of the tumor, the contrast between tumor and surrounding tissue, and extent of the tumor were evaluated in a blinded manner. After glossectomy, MR images were correlated with pathological findings. Statistical analysis was performed on the visual assessment ratings. Results: Blinded evaluation suggested that dynamic and T2-weighted images (T2WI) were significantly superior to postcontrast T1WI in demonstrating the lesion. There were no significant differences between dynamic MR images and T2WIs. However, histopathological correlation showed that in patients with preoperative treatment, dynamic MR imaging demonstrated more accurately the size and extent of the residual tumor than did T2WI and postcontrast T1WI, which tended to demonstrate an area of signal abnormality that was more extensive than the true size of the residual lesion. In patients without preoperative treatment, dynamic MR imaging, T2WI, and postcontrast T1WI gave an equivalent depiction of the extent of the carcinoma. Conclusion: In patients with no preoperative treatment, dynamic MR imaging does not appear to offer any advantage over T2WI. However, in patients with preoperative treatment, dynamic MR imaging provides a more accurate assessment of the residual tumor than do T2WI and postcontrast T1WI.
Molecular Epidemiology of Lyme Disease Spirochetes Based on a Probe Complementary to Ribosomal RNA.

Lyme disease is caused by the spirochete, Borrelia burgdorferi, a bacteria which infects many vertebrates including humans. Borrelia have been isolated from many parts of the world, and there is interest to identify common genetic markers to improve molecular methods of diagnosis, and to aid in understanding varied manifestations of the disease. A total of 48 Borrelia burgdorferi strains, including: 38 isolated from ticks (Ixodes dammini, I. persulcatus, I. ricinus and I. pacificus), 3 from animals (dog, bird and hamster), and 7 from human clinical cases (skin, CSF, plasma and blood) from different geographic areas, were studied by DNA/DNA hybridization and rRNA gene restriction patterns by using a biotinylated pKK3535 probe (Altewegg M., Mayer L.W., 1989). The migration patterns of rRNA gene-restriction fragments after clevage by Hind III separate these strains into 5 ribotypes of Borrelia burgdorferi: Type I (38 American,2 European strains); Type II (13 American strains); Type III (3 Asian and 1 European strains); Type IV (1 European and 2 Asian strains) and Type V (1 Asian strain). The use of ribotyping has provided an additional tool to investigate the differences or common patterns which cause various Lyme disease syndromes.
The Importance of Maximal Leg Strength for Female Athletes When Performing Drop Jumps

Abstract Barr, MJ and Nolte, VW. The importance of maximal leg strength for female athletes when performing drop jumps. J Strength Cond Res 28(2): 373–380, 2014—A common suggestion is that a predetermined level of maximal leg strength is required before drop jump (DJ) training can begin. This study sought to examine the relationship between maximal squat strength (1 repetition maximum [RM]) and DJ performance in 15 female rugby players (n = 15). The subjects were tested for 1RM, countermovement jump, squat jump, and DJs from 0.24, 0.36, 0.48, 0.60, 0.72, and 0.84 m. Jump height (JH) was calculated for all jumps and relative peak eccentric force, relative peak concentric force, ground contact time (GCT), and reactive strength index were also calculated for DJs. Pearson correlations were used to examine the relationship between 1RM relative to body mass (BM) (1RM/BM) and JHs, reactive strength index, and GCT during DJs. The subjects were placed in a high strength (HS) or low strength (LS) group depending on whether or not their 1RM/BM was >1 or <1. The T-tests and 2-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to compare the groups. A Fishers post hoc test was used for the ANOVA with significance set at p < 0.05. A large correlation between JH and 1RM/BM was shown at the 0.84-m dropping height (r = 0.56). A significant overall difference was found between the HS and LS groups for DJ JH with a post hoc analysis revealing a significant difference at the 0.84-m drop height (p = 0.029). It is likely beneficial for female athletes to achieve high levels of maximal leg strength if they are going to use high (>0.8-m) drop heights when performing DJs.
Use of Protein Folding Reagents

The reagents and methods for purification and use of the most commonly used denaturants, guanidine hydrochloride (guanidine‐HCl) and urea, are described. Other protein denaturants and reagents used to fold proteins are briefly mentioned. Sulfhydryl reagents (reducing agents) and “oxido‐shuffling” (or oxidative regeneration) systems are also described. © 2016 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Instrumental Variables: Application and Limitations

To correct for confounding, the method of instrumental variables (IV) has been proposed. Its use in medical literature is still rather limited because of unfamiliarity or inapplicability. By introducing the method in a nontechnical way, we show that IV in a linear model is quite easy to understand and easy to apply once an appropriate instrumental variable has been identified. We also point out some limitations of the IV estimator when the instrumental variable is only weakly correlated with the exposure. The IV estimator will be imprecise (large standard error), biased when sample size is small, and biased in large samples when one of the assumptions is only slightly violated. For these reasons, it is advised to use an IV that is strongly correlated with exposure. However, we further show that under the assumptions required for the validity of the method, this correlation between IV and exposure is limited. Its maximum is low when confounding is strong, such as in case of confounding by indication. Finally, we show that in a study in which strong confounding is to be expected and an IV has been used that is moderately or strongly related to exposure, it is likely that the assumptions of IV are violated, resulting in a biased effect estimate. We conclude that instrumental variables can be useful in case of moderate confounding but are less useful when strong confounding exists, because strong instruments cannot be found and assumptions will be easily violated.
Scorpion Toxins Affecting Sodium Current Inactivation Bind to Distinct Homologous Receptor Sites on Rat Brain and Insect Sodium Channels (*)

Sodium channels posses receptor sites for many neurotoxins, of which several groups were shown to inhibit sodium current inactivation. Receptor sites that bind α- and α-like scorpion toxins are of particular interest since neurotoxin binding at these extracellular regions can affect the inactivation process at intramembranal segments of the channel. We examined, for the first time, the interaction of different scorpion neurotoxins, all affecting sodium current inactivation and toxic to mammals, with α-scorpion toxin receptor sites on both mammalian and insect sodium channels. As specific probes for rat and insect sodium channels, we used the radiolabeled α-scorpion toxins AaH II and LqhαIT, the most active α-toxins on mammals and insect, respectively. We demonstrate that the different scorpion toxins may be classified to several groups, according to their in vivo and in vitro activity on mammalian and insect sodium channels. Analysis of competitive binding interaction reveal that each group may occupy a distinct receptor site on sodium channels. The α-mammal scorpion toxins and the anti-insect LqhαIT bind to homologous but not identical receptor sites on both rat brain and insect sodium channels. Sea anemone toxin ATX II, previously considered to share receptor site 3 with α-scorpion toxins, is suggested to bind to a partially overlapping receptor site with both AaH II and LqhαIT. Competitive binding interactions with other scorpion toxins suggest the presence of a putative additional receptor site on sodium channels, which may bind a unique group of these scorpion toxins (Bom III and IV), active on both mammals and insects. We suggest the presence of a cluster of receptor sites for scorpion toxins that inhibit sodium current inactivation, which is very similar on insect and rat brain sodium channels, in spite of the structural and pharmacological differences between them. The sea anemone toxin ATX II is also suggested to bind within this cluster.
Balance recovery of ankle strategy: Using knee joint for biped robot

This paper presents the motion of recovering the balance for biped robot. Recently, it is expected that the humanoid robots can coexist to human beings. However, it may be possible for the robots to do harm the human beings. In other words, the relaxation of the collision with the human beings and the robots is necessary. Hence, it is necessary to become complication in order to absorb the crash each other. For the biomechanical studies, it is well known that the human beings are applied “three strategies”, ankle strategy, hip strategy, and step strategy, to keep their balance for an external forces. Therefore the human beings can keep the balance by using ankle joint, hip joint. On the other hand, this strategy, which the ankle joint and/or hip joint is used, is applied to a certain impact. We propose the motion of knee joint to keep the balance for more large impact. The robots can keep their balance for more large impact to add the knee joint. The relation between the ankle and knee joint is based on Reaction Null-Space Method (RNS), which is used to control the postures of the free-flying space robots. The proposed method is confirmed by simulation results.
A Multicentre Placebo-Controlled Study in General Practice to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Tizanidine in Acute Low-Back Pain

Patients (112) with acute low-back pain of recent onset were recruited to this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled parallel group study in general practice to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of the muscle relaxant, tizanidine. They were treated for 7 days with tizanidine (4 mg three times daily) or matching placebo. Aspirin tablets (300 mg) were taken as required as ‘rescue’ medication. Symptoms were assessed by the patient and doctor before treatment, and after 3 and 7 days. Patients recorded pain and aspirin consumption in a daily diary. Both treatments were effective. In patients who had taken no medication prior to entry, aspirin consumption was almost halved in the first 3 days of taking tizanidine compared with placebo (P = 0.037). Results for pain at rest, pain at night, restriction of movement and pain on movement suggest that tizanidine may give greater improvement, earlier. No serious drug-related adverse events or abnormal biochemistry or haematology were observed in either group. Drowsiness occurred in 22% of patients taking tizanidine although, in patients with severe acute low-back pain, sedation, analgesia and bed rest might be beneficial and desired. Considerably more patients given aspirin/placebo had gastro-intestinal side-effects (P = 0.018). In conclusion, tizanidine may reduce the need for analgesics and be useful in the treatment of acute low-back pain.
Quantifying Ground Water Recharge at Multiple Scales Using PRMS and GIS

Management of ground water resources requires a method to calculate demonstrably accurate recharge rates at local to regional scales using readily available information bases. Many methods are available to calculate recharge, but most are unable to satisfy all these conditions. A distributed parameter model is shown to meet the stated needs. Such models are input intensive, however, so a procedure to define most inputs from GIS and hydrogeological sources is presented. It simplifies the PRMS calibration observed streamflow hydrographs by reducing degrees of freedom from dozens to four.
Modularity of Prosthetic Implants

The vast majority of total-joint-replacement components currently utilized are modular to some degree. Modularity reduces inventory and increases the surgeon's options in both primary and revision total-joint arthroplasty. Use of a modular interface, however, increases the risk of fretting, wear debris, and dissociation and mismatching of components. The use of modular heads in total hip replacement is firmly established. The occurrence of corrosion and fretting has been recognized, and most manufacturers have improved the quality of the interface to minimize these problems. Modular polyethylene liners also offer advantages, particularly in revision procedures, where the option of additional screw fixation remains important. Many uncemented acetabular components are inserted without screws, which may generate renewed interest in one-piece factory-preassembled components. The conformity, locking mechanism, and nonarticular interface of modular acetabular components have all been studied and improved. Modular tibial components offer additional flexibility in the performance of total knee replacement but introduce the risk of dissociation and increased polyethylene wear; in revision procedures, modularity provides a valuable option for dealing with bone loss and an additional method of fixation by means of press-fit stems. Modular humeral components offer a significant advantage with limited apparent risk; however, longer clinical experience is required to assess potential problems.
Gradient-Based Real-Time Spectrum Sensing at Low SNR

One of the main steps of enabling dynamic spectrum allocation for cognitive radios is spectrum sensing. Two critical problems in sensing a wide bandwidth are variations in noise power and degraded performance at a low SNR. The common FCME approach may lead to missed detection in sensing a wideband. The improved gradient-based energy detection method proposed here satisfactorily addresses the problem of choosing an appropriate threshold in such a scenario. The sensing bandwidth is divided into smaller subbands, and the gradient of the mean of subbands (GMSB) is computed and summed over past data samples in each subband. Applying a histogram-based threshold on the GMSB enables the accurate distinction of signal and noise without perfect knowledge of the noise floor. The theory of the proposed algorithm has been validated with numerical simulations over a wide range of low SNR values at different signal bandwidths. The detection performance of the approach is more effective than the FCME. The technique is tested over real-time wideband sensing in the GSM and CDMA bands.
EFFECTS OF POSITIVE END-EXPIRATORY PRESSURE IN AN EXPERIMENTAL MODEL OF ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCT IN WISTAR RATS

ABSTRACT Our purpose in this study was to access the pulmonary effects of mechanical ventilation with positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP; 10 cmH2O) or without PEEP (zero PEEP-ZEEP) in a rat model of acute myocardial infarction that resulted in hypotension but not in pulmonary congestion. Methods-Wistar rats were anesthetized (1.5% isoflurane) and myocardial infarct was induced by ligature of the anterior interventricular coronary artery. Rats with myocardial infarct were compared with sham-operated (Sham) and closed thorax groups. Results and Conclusion-There was a significant decrease in MAP in the acute myocardial infarct group (92.5 ± 4.2 mmHg) when compared with closed chest group (113.0 ± 4.4 mmHg). There was no significant difference between acute myocardial infarct and Sham groups in PEEP or ZEEP. Mechanical ventilation for 120 min resulted in a significant increase in respiratory system elastance in the groups ventilated with ZEEP (2.59 ± 0.17 and 2.32 ± 0.17 cmH2O·mL−1, Sham and acute myocardial infarct groups, respectively). This effect of mechanical ventilation was not observed in the presence of PEEP in both groups. There was no significant increase in the amount of perivascular pulmonary edema measured in all groups studied. Mean airspace linear intercept and lung tissue distortion index also did not show statistically significant difference between Sham and acute myocardial infarct groups. We conclude that in this experimental model of acute myocardial infarct (12.4 ± 4.1% area of necrotic tissue and 26.4 ± 4.0% area of ischemic tissue), there was a protective pulmonary effect of PEEP.
Ryanodine receptor binding to FKBP12 is modulated by channel activation state

Ryanodine receptor (RyR) Ca2+ release channels undergo a conformational change between the open and closed states. Its protein modulator, FK506 binding protein 12 (FKBP12), stabilises the channel gating between the four subunits that surround a central Ca2+-conducting pore. To understand the interdependence of RyR and FKBP12 binding, physiological and pharmacological agents were used to modulate the RyR open/closed state. ELISA sandwich binding assays showed that FKBP12 binding was dependent on the free Ca2+ and was lower at 1-10 μM free Ca2+ compared with 1 mM EGTA and 1 mM Ca2+, and this effect was enhanced by the inclusion of 1 mM ATP. Ruthenium red increased the binding of FKBP12. [3H]Ryanodine binding confirmed that 1 mM EGTA, 1 mM Ca2+ and 1 μM ruthenium red closed the channel, whereas 1 μM free Ca2+, 1 μM free Ca2+ + 1 mM ATP, or 10 mM caffeine opened it. These binding conditions were used in surface plasmon resonance studies to measure equilibrium binding kinetics. The affinity constant KA was significantly greater for the closed than the open channel, a change mediated by a decreased dissociation rate constant, kd. The results show that surface plasmon resonance is a powerful technique that can measure differences in RyR1 equilibrium binding kinetics with FKBP12.