Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A comparison of voltage balancing versus energy balancing approach for modular multilevel converters

The multilevel submodules (SMs) bring the added advantages of compact size and improved efficiency over standard submodules to the modular multilevel converter (MMC). These SMs have more than one floating capacitor, which stores the arm energy. Each arm of MMC has several SMs connected in series to meet the required operating voltage. The SM capacitors voltage or energy must be controlled to ensure the safe and reliable operation of MMC. This objective can be achieved by using either voltage balancing or energy balancing approaches. When all the SMs have equal capacitance value, then the voltage and energy balancing approaches have identical performance. However, the SM capacitance deteriorates over a long run, which affects the performance of MMC. This paper presents the performance comparison of voltage and energy balancing approaches for MMC with equal and unequal SM capacitance. The performance of balancing approaches is evaluated in terms of active and reactive power loading of individual SMs, rating of IGBT devices and SM capacitors, and output voltage and current harmonic distortion.
Retrospective Cohort Analysis of Liposomal Amphotericin B Nephrotoxicity in Patients with Hematological Malignancies

ABSTRACT We retrospectively examined the incidence, onset, risk factors, and outcomes of renal injury during 103 treatment courses of liposomal amphotericin B (L-AMB) in 97 adult patients with hematological malignancies. All the patients were analyzed before, during, and after the administration of L-AMB, and renal injury was graded according to the RIFLE criteria (risk, injury, failure, loss of function, end-stage renal disease). Most patients (87.3%) received L-AMB at 3 mg/kg of body weight/day. Nearly two-thirds (61.7%) of the treatment courses did not meet any RIFLE category for renal injury, while 19.4% of patients were classified at risk, 13.6% met an injury classification, and 5.8% were categorized as developing renal failure. However, 15% of the patients developed renal injury within 48 h of the onset of multiorgan failure associated with sepsis, bleeding, or progressing malignancy. When these patients were analyzed as a competing risk for L-AMB-associated renal injury (RIFLE category I or above) in a multivariate Cox regression model, receipt of cyclosporine (subhazard ratio [SHR], 2.62; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.10 to 6.27; P = 0.03), cyclosporine plus furosemide at ≥40 mg/day (SHR, 5.46; 95% CI, 1.89 to 15.74; P = 0.002), or cyclosporine plus foscarnet (SHR, 9.03; 95% CI, 3.68 to 22.14; P < 0.0001) were the only comedications significantly associated with increased rates of renal injury. The cumulative incidence of L-AMB renal injury during the first 10 days of therapy was 7% overall but only 3% in patients who were not receiving cyclosporine. Hence, the renal risk of L-AMB therapy may be lessened if patients are switched to alternative agents after 7 to 10 days or if aggressive diuresis and/or foscarnet is avoided, especially among patients receiving calcineurin inhibitors.
Pattern retrieval in threshold-linear associative nets.

Networks of threshold-linear neurons have previously been introduced and analysed as distributed associative memory systems. Here, results from simulations of pattern retrieval in a large-scale, sparsely connected network are presented. The storage capacity lies near a = 0.8 and 1.2 for binary and ternary patterns respectively, in reasonable accordance with theoretical estimates. The system is capable of retrieving states strongly correlated with one of the stored patterns even when the initial state is a highly degraded version of one of these patterns. This pattern completion ability holds for an extensive number of memory patterns, up to α ≈ αc/2, thereby increasing the credibility of the model as an effective associative memory.
Patterning of platinum (Pt) thin films by chemical wet etching in Aqua Regia

The chemical and physical properties of platinum (Pt) make it a useful material for microelectromechanical systems and microfluidic applications such as lab-on-a-chip devices. Platinum thin-films are frequently employed in applications where electrodes with high chemical stability, low electrical resistance or a high melting point are needed. Due to its chemical inertness it is however also one of the most difficult metals to pattern. The gold standard for patterning is chlorine RIE etching, a capital-intensive process not available in all labs. Here we present simple fabrication protocols for wet etching Pt thin-films in hot Aqua Regia based on sputtered Ti/Pt/Cr and Cr/Pt/Cr metal multilayers. Chromium (Cr) or titanium (Ti) is used as an adhesion layer for the Pt. Cr is used as a hard masking layer during the Pt etch as it can be easily and accurately patterned with photoresist and withstands the Aqua Regia. The Cr pattern is transferred into the Pt and the Cr mask later removed. Only standard chemicals and cleanroom equipment/tools are required. Prior to the Aqua Regia etch any surface passivation on the Pt is needs to be removed. This is usually achieved by a quick dip in dilute hydrofluoric acid (HF). HF is usually also used for wet-etching the Ti adhesion layer. We avoid the use of HF for both steps by replacing the HF-dip with an argon (Ar) plasma treatment and etching the Ti layer with a hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) based etchant.
Effect of processing conditions on the composition and rheological properties of applesauce

The relation between the composition and rheological properties of applesauce was studied in two ways. For artificial applesauces, reconstituted from isolated applesauce particles and applesauce serum, the residual shear stress increases exponentially with pulp content. Below a particle size of 0.625 mm the values of residual shear stress and apparent viscosity are lower for smaller particles. The effect of the processing conditions (finisher screen openings and cooking time) and raw material (apple variety and ripeness) on particle size and pulp content was studied on sauce made in a pilot plant. The particle size and pulp content of these applesauces affect the rheological properties in the same way as was shown for the artificial applesauces.
Assessment of Driving Safety in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment

Background: With population aging, drivers with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are increasing; however, there is little evidence available regarding their safety. Objective: We aimed to evaluate risk of unsafe on-road driving performance among older adults with MCI. Method: The study was a cross-sectional observational study, set in Canberra, Australia. Participants were non-demented, current drivers (n = 302) aged 65 to 96 years (M = 75.7, SD = 6.18, 40% female) recruited through the community and primary and tertiary care clinics. Measures included a standardized on-road driving test (ORT), a battery of screening measures designed to evaluate older driver safety (UFOV®, DriveSafe, Multi-D), a neurocognitive test battery, and questionnaires on driving history and behavior. Results: Using Winblad criteria, 57 participants were classified as having MCI and 245 as cognitively normal (CN). While the MCI group had a significantly lower overall safety rating on the ORT (5.61 versus 6.05, p = 0.03), there was a wide range of driving safety scores in the CN and MCI groups. The MCI group performed worse than the CN group on the off-road screening tests. The best fitting model of predictors of ORT performance across the combined sample included age, the Multi-D, and DriveSafe, classifying 90.4% of the sample correctly. Conclusion: Adults with MCI exhibit a similar range of driving ability to CN adults, although on average they scored lower on off-road and on-road assessments. Driving specific tests were more strongly associated with safety ratings than traditional neuropsychological tests.
Comparative Evaluation of Flexural Strength of Heat Polymerised Denture Base Resins after Reinforcement with Glass Fibres and Nylon Fibres: An In vitro Study

Aim: This study was an in vitro study done to evaluate and compare the flexural strength (FS) of heat polymerised polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) denture base resins after reinforcement with nylon fibres and different concentration of glass fibres (GFs). Materials and Methods: Fifty heat-cured PMMA resin samples were fabricated using a die and divided into five groups, having ten samples in each group. All the samples were tested on universal testing machine and three point bending test was done. Then, FS of each sample was calculated. Mean value of FS of each group was used for statistical analysis. One-way analysis of variance test was used for statistical analysis. Results: Results showed that the fibres significantly affected the FS of PMMA. FS increases to the maximum with 5% GFs as compared to 2% glass, 2% nylon and 10% GFs. Conclusion: Polymers used in denture base fabrication, reinforced with GFs have shown to have a positive effect on the fracture resistance of dentures as compared to unreinforced PMMA.
Increased risk of attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder associated with exposure to organophosphate pesticide in Taiwanese children

Attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is male predominated, and the etiology of this disorder remains unclear. Past studies have assessed the association of low‐level organophosphate pesticide exposure with childhood ADHD cross‐sectionally and prospectively. However, the results have been inconsistent. A first case–control study was performed to investigate the relationship between organophosphate pesticide exposure and ADHD with adjusted covariates. We recruited 97 doctor‐diagnosed ADHD cases and 110 non‐ADHD controls who were 4–15 years of age. Exposure was assessed using urinary levels of dialkylphosphate metabolites, which are biomarkers of OP pesticide exposure. Blood lead levels and polymorphisms of two commonly verified dopaminergic‐related genes (the D4 dopamine receptor gene DRD4 and the dopamine transporter gene DAT1) were also analyzed. The sociodemographics and lifestyles of the children and of the mothers during pregnancy were collected using a questionnaire. The blood lead levels of both groups were similar (1.57 ± 0.73 vs. 1.73 ± 0.77 μg/dL, p = 0.15). Significant urinary concentration differences in one of the six dialkylphosphate metabolites, dimethylphosphate (DMP), were found between ADHD and control subjects (322.92 ± 315.68 vs. 224.37 ± 156.58 nmol/g cr., p < 0.01). A dose–response relationship was found between urinary concentrations of DMP and ADHD in both crude and adjusted analyses (p for trend<0.05). Children with higher urinary DMP concentrations may have a twofold to threefold increased risk of being diagnosed with ADHD. We report a dose–response relationship between child DMP levels and ADHD. Organophosphate pesticide exposure may have deleterious effects on children's neurodevelopment, particularly the development of ADHD.
Numerical Study Of Structural Joints ReinforcedWith Composite Fabrics

The structural application of composite materials such as fiber reinforced plastics (FRP) has increased in recent years. The FRP products can be used in the initial construction or for repair and structural enhancement. FRP materials have several advantages over steel including, light weight, corrosion resistance, and the ability to mold FRP overlays to concrete surfaces. FRP overlays have been used to strengthen/repair both concrete beam and column elements. Limited studies have been performed on the use of FRP overlays at beam-column connections. Joints that are reinforced with FRP overlays have a different failure mode than FRP plated beams or wrapped columns. At the beam-column connection the interface is subjected to prying or peeling stresses. This investigation involves parametric studies of the application of FRP overlays to exterior beam-column connections for enhancement of structural performance. Different composite materials and different overlay configurations are used. The choice of the composite materials affects the structural performance. Materials that are considered are "E"-glass, kevlar, and graphite. Configurations studied include overlays bonded to the tensile faces with and without wraps. Numerical analysis shows that the bond stress perpendicular to the overlay/concrete interface at the beam-column junction can easily exceed the tensile strength of the underlying concrete. Therefore, the configuration of the FRP overlay plays an important role in the prevention of peeling. Transactions on Engineering Sciences vol 21, © 1998 WIT Press, www.witpress. com, ISSN 1743-3533
Evening use of caffeine moderates the relationship between caffeine consumption and subjective sleep quality in students

Caffeine is often used to reduce sleepiness; however, research suggests that it can also cause poor sleep quality. The timing of caffeine use, amongst other factors, is likely to be important for the effects it has on sleep quality. In addition, individual differences exist in the effect of caffeine on sleep quality. This cross‐sectional study investigated the influence of the timing of caffeine consumption on and a possible moderating role of chronotype in the relationship between caffeine consumption and sleep quality in 880 students (74.9% female, mean age 21.3 years, SD = 3.1). Respondents filled in online questionnaires about chronotype (the Morningness–Eveningness Questionnaire), sleep quality (the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) and caffeine consumption. Mean caffeine consumption was 624 mg per week, and 80.2% of the sample drank caffeine after 18:00 hours. Regression analyses demonstrated that higher total caffeine consumption was only related to poorer sleep quality for people who did not drink caffeine in the evening (β = 0.209, p = .006). We did not find a relationship between caffeine and sleep quality in people who drank caffeine in the evening (β = −0.053, p = .160). Furthermore, we found no evidence for a moderating role of chronotype in the relationship between caffeine consumption and sleep quality. We concluded that a self‐regulating mechanism is likely to play a role, suggesting that students who know that caffeine negatively affects their sleep quality do not drink it in the evening. Caffeine sensitivity and the speed of caffeine metabolism may be confounding variables in our study.
Single Device Logic using 3D Gating of Screen Grid Field Effect Transistors

The screen grid field effect transistor (SGrFET) is an oxide-gated FET with a novel 3D gating configuration perpendicular to the current flow in the channel. The multiple gate character of the SGrFET lends itself perfectly to compact logic applications with a reduced number of devices per gate. In this report TCAD results of both DC and transient performance of double-gate row SGrFET logic are presented. The analysis of both the complementary and the all-n-type SGrFET inverter logic gives ps rise times and large noise margins up to 400 mV for IV supply. NAND, NOR and XOR logics can be obtained using only two n-type SGrFETs.
Xylariales: First results of mycological exploration in the Sangay and Llanganates National Parks, Ecuador

Fungal samples were collected in the Sangay (SP) and Llanganates (LP) National Parks in Ecuador. Sequences of the internal transcribed spacer regions (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2) of the ribosomal DNA of the samples were analyzed.Taxonomic identification of fungi of the order Xylariales was done through phylogenetic analysis using a Maximun Likelihood method. All analyzed collections presented here belong to the genus Xylaria, of these eight belong to PL and two to SP. Four samples were not identified at the species level, suggesting it could be a new species. This data contributes with base information on the biodiversity of the Parks, necessary to design and implement measures for the conservation of fungi in Ecuador.
A Trained-once Crowd Counting Method Using Differential WiFi Channel State Information

This paper focuses on the problem of providing a rough count of the number of people in a room using passive WiFi Channel State Information (CSI) measurements taken by a single commodity receiver. The feature which mainly distinguishes our work from others is the attempt to emerge with an approach which does not require any dedicated training inside the specific environment where the system is deployed. Our proposal stems from the intuitive observation that features which account for em variations of CSI are expected to be less sensitive to the surrounding environment as opposed to features which account for absolute CSI measurements. We turn such intuition into a concrete proposal, by suitably identifying a set of differential CSI feature candidates, and by selecting the (two) most effective ones via minimization of the summation of the Davies-Bouldin indexes. We preliminary assess the effectiveness of the proposed approach by training once for all the system in a room, and testing the system in two em different rooms having different size and furniture, and involving people freely moving in the rooms with no a-priori movement constraints.
Non-Sinusoidal PWM Method for Cascaded Multilevel Inverter

This paper presents a new switching method for Cascaded Multilevel Inverter (CMI). The new method uses multiple non-sinusoidal signals as the modulating signal. The main advantage of using non-sinusoidal modulating signal is that it provides higher fundamental component but at the cost of having a numbers of low-order harmonics in its unfiltered output voltage; naturally contributed by the non-sinusoidal modulating signal. In this paper, the Trapezoidal waveform is employed as the non-sinusoidal modulating signal for the CMI. Its harmonics profile of different slope angles is analysed. From the analysis, it was found that the trapezoidal with the slope angle of 36 o eliminates the third and fifth harmonics yet yields a high fundamental magnitude. To verify, a single-phase CMI prototype is constructed and an ALTERA FPGA is deployed to implement the proposed method’s algorithm. From the results, it was shown that analysis is validated. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.11591/telkomnika.v10i4. 855 Full Text: PDF
Reactivation of ERK and Akt confers resistance of mutant BRAF colon cancer cells to the HSP90 inhibitor AUY922

Oncogenic mutations of BRAF occur in approximately 10% of colon cancers and are associated with their resistance to clinically available therapeutic drugs and poor prognosis of the patients. Here we report that colon cancer cells with mutant BRAF are also resistant to the heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) inhibitor AUY922, and that this is caused by rebound activation of ERK and Akt. Although AUY922 triggered rapid reduction in ERK and Akt activation in both wild-type and mutant BRAF colon cancer cells, activation of ERK and Akt rebounded shortly in the latter leading to resistance of the cells to AUY922-induced apoptosis. Reactivation of ERK was associated with the persistent expression of mutant BRAF, which, despite being a client of HSP90, was only partially degraded by AUY922, whereas reactivation of Akt was related to the activity of the HSP90 co-chaperone, cell division cycle 37 (CDC37), in that knockdown of CDC37 inhibited Akt reactivation in mutant colon cancer cells treated with AUY922. In support, as a HSP90 client protein, Akt was only diminished by AUY922 in wild-type but not mutant BRAF colon cancer cells. Collectively, these results reveal that reactivation of ERK and Akt associated respectively with the activity of mutant BRAF and CDC37 renders mutant BRAF colon cancer cells resistant to AUY922, with implications of co-targeting mutant BRAF and/or CDC37 and HSP90 in the treatment of mutant BRAF colon cancers.
The association of media exposure and media literacy with adolescent alcohol and tobacco use

This study examined the relationship of media exposure and media literacy to alcohol and tobacco use among adolescents in Taiwan. A total of 2992 10th-grade students recruited from 26 high schools in Taipei, Taiwan, completed a questionnaire in 2010. The multivariable analysis results indicated that the students with higher alcohol and tobacco media exposure were more likely to use alcohol and tobacco and have intentions to drink and smoke, while students with higher media literacy were less likely to use alcohol and have intentions to drink and smoke.
Study of wireless energy transfer by magnetic resonance coupling with two loads

The technology of wireless energy transfer by magnetic resonant coupling has attracted strong interest in recent years. The WET system with multiple loads is more practical and flexible. In this paper, a research on efficiency of WET system by magnetic resonant coupling with two loads is implemented by a full-wave electromagnetic tool. The efficiency and resonant frequency of different angle between the two loads are analyzed. It is shown that the resonant frequencies of two loads are different. The maximum efficiencies of two loads and the WET system can't be obtained at the same time. But the total efficiency of the WET system is about the same. Therefore, for the WET system with multiple loads via magnetic resonant coupling, we can choose the proper resonant frequency and structure to charge two devices as demand. The research will provide design guidelines for the wireless power transfer system with multiple loads.
DataLair: Efficient Block Storage with Plausible Deniability against Multi-Snapshot Adversaries

Abstract Sensitive information is present on our phones, disks, watches and computers. Its protection is essential. Plausible deniability of stored data allows individuals to deny that their device contains a piece of sensitive information. This constitutes a key tool in the fight against oppressive governments and censorship. Unfortunately, existing solutions, such as the now defunct TrueCrypt [5], can defend only against an adversary that can access a user’s device at most once (“single-snapshot adversary”). Recent solutions have traded significant performance overheads for the ability to handle more powerful adversaries able to access the device at multiple points in time (“multi-snapshot adversary”). In this paper we show that this sacrifice is not necessary. We introduce and build DataLair1, a practical plausible deniability mechanism. When compared with existing approaches, DataLair is two orders of magnitude faster for public data accesses, and 5 times faster for hidden data accesses. An important component in DataLair is a new write-only ORAM construction which improves on the complexity of the state of the art write-only ORAM by a factor of O(logN), where N denotes the underlying storage disk size.