Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A novel high efficient fifteen level power converter

A novel competitive fifteen level power converter is presented in this paper. The proposed scheme is characterized by the use of small number of power switches and passive components. It presents a reduced impact on the supply network in terms of harmonics and energetic efficiency. A control strategy based on an average model is performed and a linear control law is designed in order to draw a nearly sinusoidal line current. The use of the proposed converter reduces or even avoids utilization of active and passive filters which results on an optimized installation cost. The proposed converter presents also the possibility and the simplicity of changing the number of voltage levels only by acting on-line on the ratios of the desired output voltages. The modeling and control strategy of the proposed fifteen level converter were verified by simulation.
EXACT RESULTS AT THE TWO-DIMENSIONAL PERCOLATION POINT

We derive exact expressions for the excess number of clusters b and the excess cumulants b_n of a related quantity at the 2-D percolation point. High-accuracy computer simulations are in accord with our predictions. b is a finite-size correction to the Temperley-Lieb or Baxter-Temperley-Ashley formula for the number of clusters per site n_c in the infinite system limit; the bn correct bulk cumulants. b and b_n are universal, and thus depend only on the system's shape. Higher-order corrections show no apparent dependence on fractional powers of the system size.
NTCIR-6 Preface

This paper outlines the sixth NTCIR Workshop, which is the latest in a series. It briefly describes the background, tasks, participants, and test collections of the workshop. The purpose of this paper is to serve as an introduction to the research described in detail in the rest of the proceedings of the sixth NTCIR Workshop.
Impact of meditation on emotional intelligence and self-perception of leadership skills

Effective leadership is still a subject of much research, but it seems that the questions of what is an effective leadership and how to be an effective leader, still remain. In order to address this issue, the transformation of leaders in terms of self-development, attitude, their perception and behaviour is necessary in order to help leaders cope with the uncertainties and continuous change in business environments. This research investigates the role of meditation for enhancing emotional intelligence and self-perception of leadership skills of executives. An experimental research involving 80 executives in Bangkok and 64 executives in London has been conducted for 12 weeks in each city. Study participants have been divided into two groups: an experimental group and a control group. Experimental groups in Bangkok and London had 40 and 32 participants respectively from different organisations. Through testing the two groups of executives, this research explored the differences between executives in an experimental group who practised an one-hour meditation for every week for 12 weeks, and executives from the control group who were merely monitored. All research participants in both groups completed 125 items EQ-i Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory (Bar-On EQ-i) as well as 25 items of Self-perception of Leadership Skills Inventory before the start of the first session, and after the last session. Results of the overall test for analysis using Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) showed that the Wilks Lambda multivariate tests of overall differences obtained for experimental groups in both Bangkok and London were statistically significant (p<.05). This implies that there are statistically proven significant differences in emotional intelligence and self-perception of leadership skills simultaneously due to meditation practice within experimental groups. Furthermore, the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) showed a particular impact was made on the management of stress, intrapersonal awareness and motivating people. Meditation helps to gradually cultivate mindful awareness and concentration, resulting in a direct effect of enhancing emotional intelligence and selfperception of leadership skills. Insight competence resulting from meditation, if utilised in an appropriate way, can be a potential tool for enhancing the skills of business leaders.
Référentiel d'évaluation de la performance d'une chaîne logistique : application à une entreprise de l'ameublement

Dans le cadre de cette these, nous selectionnons deux inducteurs de performance sur lesquels une entreprise peut s’appuyer pour soutenir la competitivite de ses produits et sa chaine logistique : la gestion des competences de ses ressources et la mise en place de pratiques collaborative au sein de la chaine logistique. Nous developpons ainsi un referentiel d’evaluation de la performance basee sur ces deux inducteurs. Ce referentiel est compose de deux modeles. Le premier permet de caracteriser la performance collaborative et le comportement collaboratif d’une entreprise. La mise en relation de ces deux elements permet de degager des pistes d’amelioration potentielles. Le second modele repond a une problematique d’affectation des ressources humaines. Apres avoir modelise la notion de competence et performance liee, nous developpons des approches de planification impactant certains indicateurs de performance. Ces deux modeles sont appliques au cas industriel de l’entreprise Ligne Roset.
p38 Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase is Not Activated in the Quadriceps of Patients with Stable Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Abstract Quadriceps weakness is associated with a poor prognosis in COPD. Several data suggest that immobility and muscle wasting may be related through up-regulation of the p38 Mitogen associated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling pathway. We therefore hypothesised that this might occur in the quadriceps of COPD patients. We studied 105 stable COPD outpatients (mean FEV1 43.9% predicted) and 27 age and gender matched controls. We measured fat-free mass, quadriceps strength and daily physical activity using triaxial accelerometry. A quadriceps biopsy was obtained in which components of the p38-MAPK signalling pathway were examined. Patients had reduced fat-free mass index (16.1 (2.2) kg/m2 vs 17.2 (2.2) kg/m2, p = 0.02) and exhibited quadriceps weakness (mean (SD) maximal voluntary contraction force 72.1% (18.7) predicted and 82.3% (7.1) predicted for patients and controls respectively, p = 0.01). Physical activity was significantly reduced in the patient group; in particular mean (SD) locomotion time was 101 (48) minutes/12 hours in controls and 48 (31) minutes in patients (p < 0.0001). However, in biopsies obtained from these patients, no differences were observed for total or phosphorylated HSP27 or p38 MAPK protein or p38 MAPK mRNA (MAPK14); of the downstream products both GADD45β and c-jun mRNA were reduced in COPD patients while c-myc was not different from controls. No parameter correlated with physiological data within the patient group. We conclude that, despite the presence of reduced fat-free mass, quadriceps weakness and inactivity, p38 MAPK signalling was not up-regulated in skeletal muscle of stable out-patients with COPD.
Unseen handset mismatch compensation based on feature/model-space a priori knowledge interpolation for robust speaker recognition

The unseen but mismatched handset is the major source of performance degradation for speaker recognition in the telecommunication environment. In this paper, an unseen handset characteristics estimation method based on a priori knowledge interpolation (AKI) is proposed. AKI could be applied in both the feature and model space to interpolate the feature and model transformation functions measured using stochastic matching (SM) and maximum likelihood linear regression (MLLR), respectively. Cross-validation experimental results on the HTIMIT database showed that the average speaker recognition rate could be improved from 59.6%/57.8% to 73.8%/66.8% for seen/unseen handsets. It is therefore a promising method for robust speaker recognition.
Contemporary University Students' Ratings of Characteristics of Men, Women, and Ceos

Very few women have reached the highest echelons of corporate America, perhaps because gender stereotypes, including perceptions of women that vary from those of successful executives, block their promotion and advancement. In the current study, differences in how participants perceive similarities in characteristics of successful executives and those of both men and women were studied. The scope of the extant program of research is also extended upward in the organizational hierarchy with the operationalization of executive as “CEO” (Chief Executive Officer) rather than as “manager” or “middle-manager. ” While men in general continue to be likened more to successful executives than do women in general, the gaps between male and female CEOs' similarities and between successful male and female CEOs' similarities to prototypically successful executives were smaller than reported in the 1970s. Noteworthy trends regarding 92 characteristics from Schein's Descriptive Index are also discussed.
Anatomy of a Spin: The Information-Theoretic Structure of Classical Spin Systems

Collective organization in matter plays a significant role in its expressed physical properties. Typically, it is detected via an order parameter, appropriately defined for each given system's observed emergent patterns. Recent developments in information theory, however, suggest quantifying collective organization in a system- and phenomenon-agnostic way: decompose the system's thermodynamic entropy density into a localized entropy, that solely contained in the dynamics at a single location, and a bound entropy, that stored in space as domains, clusters, excitations, or other emergent structures. We compute this decomposition and related quantities explicitly for the nearest-neighbor Ising model on the 1D chain, the Bethe lattice with coordination number k=3, and the 2D square lattice, illustrating its generality and the functional insights it gives near and away from phase transitions. In particular, we consider the roles that different spin motifs play (in cluster bulk, cluster edges, and the like) and how these affect the dependencies between spins.
Two-Dimensional Mixed Autoregressive Models for Space-Time Adaptive Processing

We introduce a new class of parametric models for two-dimensional (space-time) adaptive processing for (slow-time) stationary multivariate interference (clutter). This class is based on maximum-entropy (ME) extensions (completions) of partially specified block- Toeplitz covariance matrices. We derive exact solutions for the ME extensions and also provide computationally advantageous suboptimal solutions for efficient STAP filter design. The efficiency of the proposed parametric models is illustrated by an airborne radar scenario provided by the DARPA KASSPER dataset.
Biochemical Characterization of Netrin-synergizing Activity*

The netrin-1 protein elicits spinal commissural axon outgrowth and turning in vitro and has been shown to be required for commissural axon guidance in vivo in the developing spinal cord. Biochemical observations made during the purification of netrin-1 suggest that this ligand and its receptor, DCC, may not function alone in directing commissural axon guidance. Recombinant netrin-1 protein is ∼10 times more active in eliciting axon outgrowth from embryonic day (E) 13 rat dorsal spinal cord explants than from E11 rat dorsal spinal cord explants (Serafini, T., Kennedy, T. E., Galko, M. J., Mirzayan, C., Jessell, T. M., and Tessier-Lavigne, M. (1994) Cell 78, 409–424) even though the starting material for the netrin purification, a high salt extract of E10 chicken brain membranes, is equally active on E13 and E11 explants. We previously reported an activity termed netrin-synergizing activity (NSA) that can potentiate the outgrowth-promoting activity of netrin-1 on E11 explants (Serafiniet al.). Here we report a biochemical characterization of NSA in netrin-depleted high salt extracts of E10 chicken brain membranes. We provide evidence that NSA is composed of a denaturation-resistant basic protein(s) in the 25–35-kDa size range. We also provide evidence that the activity may be heterogeneous, splitting into three species that may be distinct or related. The results reported here should facilitate purification of this activity from a more abundant source or identification of the activity based on similarity to known proteins that share its distinctive biochemical properties.
Ultrastructural Analysis of the Oocytes of Female Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latreille, 1806) (Acari: Ixodidae) Ticks Subjected to the Action of Azadirachta indica A. Juss (Neem)

The present study provides ultrastructural information about the acaricidal effects of neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) on the ovaries of R. sanguineus engorged females. In general, the main damage caused in the oocytes was alteration in the shape of the cell and of the germinal vesicle, ring-shaped nucleolus, cytoplasmic vacuolation, and disorganization of the organelles and of the cell membranes (including the chorion), all of which indicate that these cells could be in the process of death. The results showed that azadirachtin would be an efficient acaricide agent for inhibiting and/or neutralizing the reproduction process of R. sanguineus females, impairing the reproductive ability of this species.
Axillary buds are dwarfed shoots that tightly regulate GA pathway and GA-inducible 1,3-β-glucanase genes during branching in hybrid aspen

Highlight Axillary buds uniquely regulate gibberellin (GA) pathway genes, enabling them to stay inhibited but simultaneously poised for growth. Decapitation promotes expression of GA-inducible 1,3-β-glucanase genes that function to reinvigorate symplasmic connections to the stem.
Content based threshold adaptation for image processing in industrial application

In this paper the use of feedback information from a higher level of image processing to adapt the parameter of algorithm at a lover level of processing is considered. The idea behind is to achieve the robust and reliable image processing. The automatic determination of optimal threshold value in two different industrial applications: welding process and character recognition for the applications such as car manufacturing, is presented. The optimal threshold value at image segmentation level is estimated according to the desired result of the overall image processing system.
Distributed Trust and Reputation Mechanisms for Vehicular Ad-Hoc Networks

The parallel evolution of automotive industry and anywhere/anytime communication mechanisms has defined a revolutionary moment for intelligent driving concept. Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks, also known as VANETs, exploit the capability of wireless communications protocols to confidently disseminate sensitive information among peers, restricted to a particular geographic area, as well as the advanced safety-assets, on road sensors and sophisticated driving-assistance features of top-generation vehicles. Such a complement are not only oriented to offer a more pleasant in-car experience for driver and passengers, but also are intended to introduce autonomous and efficient ways to prevent hazardous situations on roads. Then, VANETs deployment should follow a primary task based on reliable message handling for sharing traffic conditions, weather variables, driving assistance, navigation support, entertainment content multicasting and even spurious notifications [1], [2].
Association between Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in ERCC4 and Risk of Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck

Background Excision repair cross-complementation group 4 gene (ERCC4/XPF) plays an important role in nucleotide excision repair and participates in removal of DNA interstrand cross-links and DNA double-strand breaks. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in ERCC4 may impact repair capacity and affect cancer susceptibility. Methodology/Principal Findings In this case-control study, we evaluated associations of four selected potentially functional SNPs in ERCC4 with risk of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) in 1,040 non-Hispanic white patients with SCCHN and 1,046 cancer-free matched controls. We found that the variant GG genotype of rs2276466 was significantly associated with a decreased risk of SCCHN (OR = 0.69, 95% CI 0.50–0.96), and that the variant TT genotype of rs3136038 showed a borderline significant decreased risk with SCCHN (OR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.58–1.01) in the recessive model. Such protective effects were more evident in oropharyngeal cancer (OR = 0.61, 95% CI: 0.40–0.92 for rs2276466; OR = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.48–0.98 for rs3136038). No significant associations were found for the other two SNPs (rs1800067 and rs1799798). In addition, individuals with the rs2276466 GG or with the rs3136038 TT genotypes had higher levels of ERCC4 mRNA expression than those with the corresponding wild-type genotypes in 90 Epstein-Barr virus-transformed lymphoblastoid cell lines derived from Caucasians. Conclusions These results suggest that these two SNPs (rs2276466 and rs3136038) in ERCC4 may be functional and contribute to SCCHN susceptibility. However, our findings need to be replicated in further large epidemiological and functional studies.
Scientific and Theoretical Aspects of the Staff Recruitment Organization within the Concept of "Talent Management"

The purpose of the study of scientific and theoretical aspects of the staff recruitment organization within theconcept of "Talent Management" was a generalization of existing scientific approaches and results of originalauthor’s research in this area. The article presents the research results of organizational problems on effectivestaffing system at enterprises that use the concept of "Talent Management". In particular, the article studies themain theoretical and practical approaches for organizing and conducting various types of interviews, whenselecting employees and rotating them within the organization in accordance with the plans for staff training anddevelopment. The article also describes the principles of the structured interviewing techniques and one of itskinds, namely competency based interview, built on STAR or PARLA techniques, allowing one to evaluate notonly professional, but also social and psychological competences of applicants. Importance of preliminarypreparation for the structured interview is substantiated and the author's scheme of a structured interview issuggested. In addition, as a result of the study, the author generalized peculiarities of application of researchmethodology and evaluation of meta-programs, based on the linguistic analysis of applicants’ and employees’discourse. Author describes the main types of meta-programs, allowing assessment of the applicants’ motivationand their preferences in terms of the business relations development, applicants’ ways of thinking and makingvarious production and management decisions. Author gives original recommendations on preferences, whenchoosing candidates for certain positions in the organizations with regard to the objectives of the organizationwithin the concept of "Talent Management".
In Vitro and in Vivo Evaluation of Lactoferrin-Conjugated Liposomes as a Novel Carrier to Improve the Brain Delivery

In this study, lactoferrin-conjugated PEGylated liposomes (PL), a potential drug carrier for brain delivery, was loaded with radioisotope complex, 99mTc labeled N,N-bis(2-mercaptoethyl)-N′,N′-diethylethylenediamine (99mTc-BMEDA) for in vitro and in vivo evaluations. The hydrophilicity of liposomes was enhanced by PEGylation which was not an ideal brain delivery system for crossing the blood brain barrier (BBB). With the modification of a brain-targeting ligand, lactoferrin (Lf), the PEGylated liposome (PL) might become a potential brain delivery vehicle. In order to test the hypothesis in vitro and in vivo, 99mTc-BMEDA was loaded into the liposomes as a reporter with or without Lf-conjugation. The mouse brain endothelia cell line, bEnd.3 cells, was cultured to investigate the potential uptake of liposomes in vitro. The in vivo uptake by the mouse brain of the liposomes was detected by tissue biodistribution study. The results indicated that Lf-conjugated PEGylated liposome showed more than three times better uptake efficiency in vitro and two-fold higher of brain uptake in vivo than PEGlyated liposome. With the success of loading the potential Single Photon Emission Tomography (SPECT) imaging probe, 99mTc-BMEDA, Lf-PL might serve as a promising brain delivery system for loading diagnostics or therapeutics of various brain disorders.
A Survey of Power Management in Embedded System Using Transistor Sizing

This paper describes a transistor sizing methodology for both analog and digital CMOS circuits. Various techniques are used for power optimization in CMOS VLSI circuits. Transistor sizing is one of the important techniques for the determination of circuit performance. The aim of the power optimization is to minimize the power and power-delay product or the energy consumption of the circuit. Thus, the main purpose of transistor sizing in CMOS VLSI circuits is to obtain the minimum power dissipation under certain performance requirements. Transistor sizing is based on different algorithms. Analysis is based on some simulation parameter like No. of transistors, power, delay, power delay product, different technologies, aspect ratio. Each of these circuits cell exhibits different power consumption, delay and area in different VLSI technology. This survey paper discusses the different algorithms for transistor sizing analog and digital CMOS circuits and that will be beneficial for the circuit designers.
Enabling autonomic access network QoE management through TCP connection monitoring.

The experienced quality of services such as IPTV, video on demand, online gaming and VoIP is very sensitive to packet loss, delay and jitter. Therefore it is an essential requirement that access network providers are able to monitor and control with rather high resolution the end-to-end service delivery paths. Because this task is very complicated we are developing an autonomic framework for quality of experience (QoE) management. A two layer architecture is proposed, consisting of a monitor plane and a knowledge plane. The first is responsible for providing the available monitor information, the latter uses that information to determine the location and cause of a QoE problem and determines a fitting solution. The first step in autonomicly managing service QoE is detecting when a problem occurs. In this paper we introduce ANTMA, the Access Node TCP Monitoring Algorithm. It monitors TCP connections by analyzing the packets that pass an intermediate point, such as an access network element or a residential gateway, thereby allowing fault isolation. We provide a detailed analysis of how ANTMA works and also present a thorough evaluation of its behavior. The algorithm is an essential component in enabling autonomic QoE management.
Detection Schemes for Distributed Space-Time Block Coding in Time-Varying Wireless Cooperative Systems

In this paper, we investigate the influence of time-varying channels on the bit-error-rate (BER) performance for distributed space-time block coded system. We make use of pilot symbol assisted modulation (PSAM) to estimate the time-varying channel coefficients. We assess the performance of different reception methods, one of which is our newly considered receiver called cooperative maximum likelihood detector. The others are maximum likelihood detection in [12], Alamouti's receiver, zero-forcing detection and decision-feedback detection. Our results show that all detection methods, except cooperative maximum likelihood detection, achieve nearly the same BER performance over time-varying channels, unlike the results obtained in (Vielmon et al., 2001) by assuming perfect channel estimation. In many cases, cooperative maximum likelihood detection performs better by about 5dB due to the diversity gain. In addition, we have found that the time-varying nature contributes to the error flooring effect.