Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A performance comparison of interleaved boost converter and conventional boost converter for renewable energy application

A performance comparison of an interleaved boost converter (IBC) and the conventional boost converter is presented in this paper. Also this paper investigates the performance of three-phase uncoupled and directly coupled Interleaved Boost Converter (IBC) for renewable energy applications. DC-DC Boost Converters serves many purposes. Low output voltage for renewable energy sources such as Fuel cells, Batteries, Photovoltaic cells. Interleaved Boost converter (IBC) has better performance characteristics when compared to a conventional boost converter due to its increased efficiency, reduction in size and greater reliability. IBC consists of a number of boost converters connected in parallel and controlled by the interleaved method which has the same switching frequency and phase shift. In this paper various parameters of the IBC are compared to a conventional boost converter.
Associations between Common Variants in Iron-Related Genes with Haematological Traits in Populations of African Ancestry

Background Large genome-wide association (GWA) studies of European ancestry individuals have identified multiple genetic variants influencing iron status. Studies on the generalizability of these associations to African ancestry populations have been limited. These studies are important given interethnic differences in iron status and the disproportionate burden of iron deficiency among African ancestry populations. Methods We tested the associations of 20 previously identified iron status-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 628 Kenyans, 609 Tanzanians, 608 South Africans and 228 African Americans. In each study, we examined the associations present between 20 SNPs with ferritin and haemoglobin, adjusting for age, sex and CRP levels. Results In the meta analysis including all 4 African ancestry cohorts, we replicated previously reported associations with lowered haemoglobin concentrations for rs2413450 (β = -0.19, P = 0.02) and rs4820268 (β = -0.16, P = 0.04) in TMPRSS6. An association with increased ferritin concentrations was also confirmed for rs1867504 in TF (β = 1.04, P = <0.0001) in the meta analysis including the African cohorts only. Conclusions In all meta analyses, we only replicated 4 of the 20 single nucleotide polymorphisms reported to be associated with iron status in large GWA studies of European ancestry individuals. While there is now evidence for the associations of a number of genetic variants with iron status in both European and African ancestry populations, the considerable lack of concordance highlights the importance of continued ancestry-specific studies to elucidate the genetic underpinnings of iron status in ethnically diverse populations.
Mining disease-specific molecular association profiles from biomedical literature: a case study

We developed a new literature mining paradigm with the ultimate goal of enabling knowledge discovery in molecular association profiles generated from literature and prior knowledge. We show how to implement the paradigm by building a prototype literature mining framework and performing molecule-bioGist association mining. The framework consists of two modules. The first module, Textual Data Mining, takes the synonym-expanded disease-related molecule names and outputs a list of bioGist list. The second module, Structured Data Mining, takes two inputs, initial disease-related molecular query terms and extracted bioGist list from the first module, and outputs a molecule-bioGist association matrix. Our approach is novel because biomedical literature mining is used here not only as an "information retrieval" tool, but also as a "hypothesis generation and validation" platform. We applied the framework to a molecular pharmacology study of breast cancer. Based on 214 breast cancer-related proteins, 429,067 MEDLINE abstracts were retrieved, and 4,491 drug compounds were identified as bioGists. We evaluated 172 hydrocarbons in the above bioGist list, and found that more than 82.5% hydrocarbons were verified to be related to breast cancer. BRCA1 and BRCA2 were found to have similar profiles in drug compound studies, whereas "doxorubicin", "etoposide", and "paclitaxel" were identified to have similar pharmacological profiles to treat breast cancer.
Evaluating co-occurrence order for automatic thesaurus construction

Identifying the best semantically similar terms in an automatic thesaurus construction task is still an open problem in natural language processing. Many methods have been proposed to solve this problem. In this work we present a comparison between three corpus based methods for automatically build thesaurus. These methods look for related terms using the relations between terms and they differ among themselves in the co-occurrences order of these relations. The evaluation process was carried out by domain specialists who evaluated the related terms generated by each method in an experiment applied to the data privacy domain.
Tracking Dynamic Team Activity

AI researchers are striving to build complex multi-agent worlds with intended applications ranging from the RoboCup robotic soccer tournaments, to interactive virtual theatre, to large-scale real-world battlefield simulations. Agent tracking - monitoring other agent's actions and inferring their higher-level goals and intentions - is a central requirement in such worlds. While previous work has mostly focused on tracking individual agents, this paper goes beyond by focusing on agent teams. Team tracking poses the challenge of tracking a team's joint goals and plans. Dynamic, real-time environments add to the challenge, as ambiguities have to be resolved in real-time. The central hypothesis underlying the present work is that an explicit team-oriented perspective enables effective team tracking. This hypothesis is instantiated using the model tracing technology employed in tracking individual agents. Thus, to track team activities, team models are put to service. Team models are a concrete application of the joint intentions framework and enable an agent to track team activities, regardless of the agent's being a collaborative participant or a non-participant in the team. To facilitate real-time ambiguity resolution with team models: (i) aspects of tracking are cast as constraint satisfaction problems to exploit constraint propagation techniques; and (ii) a cost minimality criterion is applied to constrain tracking search. Empirical results from two separate tasks in real-world, dynamic environments - one collaborative and one competitive - are provided.
Methods and Uses of Graph Demoralization

Moralizing graphs is useful in understanding independence relations in a directed graph and in converting to an undirected graph. However, the method of demoralizing graphs has not been properly addressed. This work presents graph demoralization. It describes the various methods for demoralizing graphs, and addresses applications of demoralization.
Large deviations estimates forsome level crossing probabilities in Bayesian setting

The probabilities of rare events have interest in some network and risk problems and, in this paper, we concentrate our attention on some level crossing probabilities for Brownian motion and for Poisson process. We are interested in large deviation estimates and we present the Bayesian and the frequentist approaches which lead to different conclusions; more precisely, as argued in other works in the literature on this topic, the Bayesian approach is more conservative. In the Bayesian framework we always deal with conjugate families of prior distributions.
Complexity in Natural Microbial Ecosystems: The Guerrero Negro Experience

The goal of this project is to describe and understand the organismal composition, structure, and physiology of microbial ecosystems from hypersaline environments. One collection of such ecosystems occurs at North America’s largest saltworks, the Exportadora de Sal, in Guerrero Negro, Baja California Sur. There, seawater flows through a series of evaporative basins with an increase in salinity until saturation is reached and halite crystallization begins. Several of these ponds are lined with thick (10 cm) microbial mats that have received some biological study. To determine the nature and extent of diversity of the microbial organisms that constitute these ecosystems, we are conducting a phylogenetic analysis using molecular approaches, based on cloning and sequencing of small subunit (SSU) rRNA genes (16S for Bacteria and Archaea, 18S for Eukarya). In addition, we report preliminary results on the microbial composition of a laminated community that occurs in a crystallized gypsum-halite matrix in near-saturated salt water. Exposure of the interior of these large (kilogram) wet, endoevaporite crystals reveals a multitude of colors: layers of yellow, green, pink, and purple microbiota. To date, analyses of these two environments indicate the ubiquitous dominance of uncultured organisms of phylogenetic kinds not generally thought to be associated with hypersaline environments.
The secret sex lives of sage-grouse: multiple paternity and intraspecific nest parasitism revealed through genetic analysis

In lek-based mating systems only a few males are expected to obtain the majority of matings in a single breeding season and multiple mating is believed to be rare. We used 13 microsatellites to genotype greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) samples from 604 adults and 1206 offspring from 191 clutches (1999–2006) from Alberta, Canada, to determine paternity and polygamy (males and females mating with multiple individuals). We found that most clutches had a single father and mother, but there was evidence of multiple paternity and intraspecific nest parasitism. Annually, most males fathered only one brood, very few males fathered multiple broods, and the proportion of all sampled males in the population fathering offspring averaged 45.9%, suggesting that more males breed in Alberta than previously reported for the species. Twenty-six eggs (2.2%) could be traced to intraspecific nest parasitism and 15 of 191 clutches (7.9%) had multiple fathers. These new insights have important implications on what we know about sexual selection and the mating structure of lekking species.
Far from champions, close to midgets : international production sharing in Central and South America

This paper assesses the relative participation of Argentina, Brazil, Guatemala and Nicaragua in fragmented world production. Based on trade statistics from 2000 to 2004, it analyses whether the trade flows of these economies have evolved towards production sharing schemes, and how great this type of trade is, in order to sustain their presence in the world economy. Guatemala and Nicaragua have reached a moderate insertion in a production sharing scheme, following a North-South trade pattern. Nonetheless, their participation is still small, being threatened not only by international competition, but also by their dependence on a unique market. Brazil has consolidated participation in a few chains, showing a more diversified North–South trade pattern. Argentina has attained insertion in the automotive chain of production, whereas its participation in other ones seems still quite limited. The country has a more South-South trade pattern, which exposes it to a certain degree of dependence.
Using particle swarm optimization to solve resource-constrained scheduling problems

This investigation introduced a particle swarm optimization (PSO) approach to solve the multi-processor resource-constrained scheduling problems. There are two new rules are proposed and evaluated, named anti-inertia solution generation rule and bidirectional searching rule of PSO. The anti-inertia solution generation rule enables some jobs with anti-inertia velocity used to decide the start processing time, and escaping from local minimum. The bidirectional searching rule combines forward and backward scheduling to extend the search solution space. These two suggested rules applied in PSO scheme are capable of finding global minimum. The simulation results reveal that the proposed approach in this investigation can successfully solve scheduling problems.
Protective responses to sublytic complement in the retinal pigment epithelium

Significance The complement system regulates immune defense and inflammation. Abnormal complement activation in the retina is associated with blinding macular degenerations, which have limited treatment options. The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is an initial site of injury in macular degenerations, but mechanisms that protect the RPE from complement-mediated damage are unclear. Here, we identify two critical responses to complement in the RPE: accelerated recycling of the complement inhibitor CD59 and lysosome-mediated membrane repair. We show that in models of macular degeneration, excess cholesterol impairs both defense mechanisms, resulting in mitochondrial damage. Drugs that decrease RPE cholesterol restore these mechanisms and help the RPE combat complement attack. Our studies identify promising drug targets to preserve RPE health and function in macular degenerations. The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is a key site of injury in inherited and age-related macular degenerations. Abnormal activation of the complement system is a feature of these blinding diseases, yet how the RPE combats complement attack is poorly understood. The complement cascade terminates in the cell-surface assembly of membrane attack complexes (MACs), which promote inflammation by causing aberrant signal transduction. Here, we investigated mechanisms crucial for limiting MAC assembly and preserving cellular integrity in the RPE and asked how these are compromised in models of macular degeneration. Using polarized primary RPE and the pigmented Abca4−/− Stargardt disease mouse model, we provide evidence for two protective responses occurring within minutes of complement attack, which are essential for maintaining mitochondrial health in the RPE. First, accelerated recycling of the membrane-bound complement regulator CD59 to the RPE cell surface inhibits MAC formation. Second, fusion of lysosomes with the RPE plasma membrane immediately after complement attack limits sustained elevations in intracellular calcium and prevents mitochondrial injury. Cholesterol accumulation in the RPE, induced by vitamin A dimers or oxidized LDL, inhibits these defense mechanisms by activating acid sphingomyelinase (ASMase), which increases tubulin acetylation and derails organelle traffic. Defective CD59 recycling and lysosome exocytosis after complement attack lead to mitochondrial fragmentation and oxidative stress in the RPE. Drugs that stimulate cholesterol efflux or inhibit ASMase restore both these critical safeguards in the RPE and avert complement-induced mitochondrial injury in vitro and in Abca4−/− mice, indicating that they could be effective therapeutic approaches for macular degenerations.
Postprandial Glycemic and Insulinemic Responses to Common Breakfast Beverages Consumed with a Standard Meal in Adults Who Are Overweight and Obese

Breakfast beverages with different nutrient compositions may affect postprandial glycemic control differently. We assessed the effects of consuming (1) common breakfast beverages (water, sugar-sweetened coffee, reduced-energy orange juice (OJ), and low-fat milk (LFM)); and (2) fat-free, low-fat, and whole milk with breakfast on postprandial plasma glucose and insulin responses in adults who were overweight/obese. Forty-six subjects (33F/13M, body mass index: 32.5 ± 0.7 kg/m2, age: 50 ± 1 years, mean ± SEMs) consumed a standard sandwich with one of the six beverages on separate mornings in randomized order. The test beverages (except water) each contained 12 g digestible carbohydrate. Plasma glucose and insulin concentrations were measured from blood obtained pre- and post-meal at 30-min intervals for 4 h and incremental areas under the curve (AUC) were computed. We found (1) among different beverage types, glucose AUC was higher for coffee versus water, OJ, and LFM. Insulin AUC was higher for coffee and LFM versus OJ and water; (2) Glucose AUCs were not different among water and milks while insulin AUC was higher for milks versus water. In conclusion, consumption of water, reduced-energy OJ, or milk (irrespective of fat content) with a meal may be preferable to consuming sugar-sweetened coffee for glucose control in middle-aged adults who are overweight and obese.
Mechanism for the Formation of Equatorial Superrotation in Forced Shallow-Water Turbulence with Newtonian Cooling

AbstractForced shallow-water turbulence on a rotating sphere with Newtonian cooling is examined with the aim of elucidating the mechanism of the robust formation of equatorial superrotation reported by R. K. Scott and L. M. Polvani. It is shown that the Newtonian cooling term distorts the structure of the Hough modes. This distortion can be visualized as either the westward or eastward tilting of the equiphase line with increasing absolute value of latitude; the structural change of the Hough modes leads to the acceleration of the zonal-mean flow. A statistical analysis based on a weak-nonlinear theory predicts that stochastically excited Hough modes generate a prograde equatorial jet, the profile of which is quantitatively consistent with that of the ensemble-averaged zonal-mean flow obtained in nonlinear time evolutions. The predicted prograde equatorial jet originates mainly from the acceleration produced by Rossby modes, the equiphase line of which is tilted westward by the Newtonian cooling term. Thi.
Gambit: An autonomous chess-playing robotic system

This paper presents Gambit, a custom, mid-cost 6-DoF robot manipulator system that can play physical board games against human opponents in non-idealized environments. Historically, unconstrained robotic manipulation in board games has often proven to be more challenging than the underlying game reasoning, making it an ideal testbed for small-scale manipulation. The Gambit system includes a low-cost Kinect-style visual sensor, a custom manipulator, and state-of-the-art learning algorithms for automatic detection and recognition of the board and objects on it. As a use-case, we describe playing chess quickly and accurately with arbitrary, uninstrumented boards and pieces, demonstrating that Gambit's engineering and design represent a new state-of-the-art in fast, robust tabletop manipulation.
Corporate Power and Responsibility: Issues in the Theory of Company Law

Part 1 Corporate power: the corporate economy the nature of corporate power corporate power and the need for public-interest justification companies and the creation of social wealth. Part 2 Ownership, control and the pursuit of profit: delegation and the problem of control the separation of ownership and control. Part 3 The legal control of management discretion: the content of the duty to act bona fide for the benefit of the company the effectiveness of the duty to act bona fide for the benefit of the company. Part 4 Managerial efficiency: directors and the duty of care the discipline of the market the role of liability rules. Part 5 Reinforcing and challenging the legal model: protecting the governance structure protecting the shareholders' financial interests challenging the legal model - the redefinition of management duties. Part 6 Corporate governance - shareholder democracy and the monitoring board: control through shareholder democracy institutional control the nexus of contracts model of the company board reform. Part 7 Management self-dealing self-interest transactions directors' terms of employment and remuneration corporate opportunities. Part 8 The enforcement of directors' duties: enforcement by the company enforcement by minority shareholders. Part 9 Social responsibility within the current legal fabric: social responsibility and the modern public company a typology of corporate social responsibility the scope for social policy within the legal model social responsibility in practice. Part 10 An evaluation of profit-sacrificing social responsibility: the three criticisms the adoption of other-regarding constraints social activism conclusion - social responsibility as a process concept. Part 11 Strengthening the constraints: enforcing external constraints increasing corporate responsibility - two models. Part 12 The democratic imperative - beyond social responsibility: the case for employee participation board-level participation employee share ownership worker-controlled enterprises.
anti-corporate globalization protests Performing politics: Image, embodiment, and affective solidarity during

sociological, and related literature on media, emotion, and performance to explore the role of counter-summit protests within anti-corporate globalization movements. Counter-summit actions produce both external and internal effects, allowing activists to communicate political messages, while generating deeply felt emotions and political identities. However, activists eventually tire while public interest may wane as protests become routine. Moreover, the most unpredictable, free form actions which produce high levels of affective solidarity among core activists often elicit media frames that stigmatize or trivialize protesters. Through comparative ethnographic accounts of mass mobilizations in Prague and Barcelona and subsequent media analysis, I argue that counter-summit protests are important networking tools, but they are difficult to reproduce over time, while the emotional and media impacts of counter-summit actions are often contradictory. I further suggest that grasping the affective dimensions of protest requires an engaged and embodied ethnographic
Lack of Timeliness, Noise and Transitory Components in Earnings as Explanations for the Apparent Decline in the Value Relevance of Earnings

Prior studies identify three factors that contribute to the low contemporaneous association between returns (prices) and earnings: lack of timeliness of earnings capturing value relevant information, noise in earnings, and transitory elements in earnings. This study seeks to identify whether these factors contribute to the observed inter-temporal decline in the contemporaneous association between returns (prices) and earnings documented in recent literature. Prior studies do not explicitly examine the affect of these factors on the inter-temporal decline, and the extant evidence is mixed. Empirical evidence presented here indicates that lack of timeliness of earnings and value-irrelevant noise in earnings have increased over time, both contributing to the documented inter-temporal decline in the contemporaneous association between returns (prices) and earnings.
Valuing Nature With Travel Cost Models: A Manual

Contents: Introduction 1. Support for Environmental Policy Decisions 2. History and Scope of TCM 3. Demand Theory and TCM 4. Benefits Theory and TCM 5. Design Principles for TCMs 6. Design and Administration of Surveys 7. Measurement of the Variables 8. Data Management and Analysis 9. Developing and Maintaining Expertise Conclusion