Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Line-harmonics reduction techniques for consumer electronics and low-power electronic equipment

This paper discusses line-harmonics reduction techniques for consumer electronics and the other low-power electronic equipment of less than several hundred watts. Among some single-phase and single-stage PFC converters, a parallel-structure converter, where only a single switch is used to reduce both the line harmonics and the output-voltage ripple, is described in detail. The experimental results have confirmed that this converter meets the IEC regulation of line harmonic distortion, and that it obtains the suppression of output-voltage ripple and a high efficiency.
Note Types and Coding in Parid Vocalizations: The chick-a-dee Call of the Mexican Chickadee Poecile sclateri

Abstract. To understand the communicative functions of any vocalization it is important to describe and classify the elements of that vocalization. Mexican Chickadees produce a namesake chick-a-dee call. Here, the note types (A, C, D, and Dh) from a sample of Mexican Chickadee chick-a-dee calls are identified, described, and classified. Frequency and temporal features of each note type are measured and compared to determine which features may be useful for note-type discrimination. Frequency measures, particularly peak frequency, appear to be most useful for discriminating among note types. Call syntax is analyzed to determine rules for note-type production. Mexican Chickadees produce the notes within their chick-a-dee calls in a consistent order: A → C → Dh → D with the potential for any note type to be repeated or omitted within this sequence. Similar to species in the brown-headed chickadee clade, B notes were not found in the calls of Mexican chickadees, suggesting this species may belong to the brown-headed clade. This work describes the chick-a-dee call of Mexican Chickadees and provides a foundation for future work aimed at understanding the communicative significance of this call within this species, as well as for comparative work on the chick-a-dee call among chickadee species.
SCAR (Sequence Characterized Amplified Region) Analysis for Blast Resistant Evaluation on 12 Genotypes of Rice

Resistance evaluation to blast disease (Pyricularia grisea ) on 12 paddy genotypes was carried out in the green house by using spray inoculated method with race 033 and 041 of P . grisea , and SCAR (Sequence Characterized Amplified Region) marker by using Pib primer pairs. The results revealed that among 12 paddy genotypes were classified into six resistance groups. The first group comprised two genotypes (Jatiluhur and Asahan) having three resistance genes. The second group comprised two genotypes (Oryza malampuzhaensis and O . punctata ) having two resistance genes against race 033 and 041. The third group had one resistance gene against race 033, comprised one genotype (Way Rarem). The fourth group comprised one genotype (Danau Tempe) having two resistance genes against 041 race and Pib. The fifth group comprised three genotypes (Kalimutu, Maninjau and Laut Tawar) having two resistance genes against race 033 and Pib. The sixth group comprised two genotypes (Kencana Bali and Cirata) having no resistance gene to blast race 033 and 041, and Pib. These results indicated that Pib gene did not confer resistance to race 033 and 041 of Pyricularia grisea . Resistance to race 033 and 041 might be controlled by different resistant gene.
Genome-wide Studies of Mycolic Acid Bacteria: Computational Identification and Analysis of a Minimal Genome

Genome wide studies of mycolic acid bacteria: Computational Identification and Analysis of a Minimal Genome Frederick Kinyua Kamanu The mycolic acid bacteria are a distinct suprageneric group of asporogenous Grampositive, high GC-content bacteria, distinguished by the presence of mycolic acids in their cell envelope. They exhibit great diversity in their cell and morphology; although primarily non-pathogens, this group contains three major pathogens Mycobacterium leprae, Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, and Corynebacterium diphtheria. Although the mycolic acid bacteria are a clearly defined group of bacteria, the taxonomic relationships between its constituent genera and species are less well defined. Two approaches were tested for their suitability in describing the taxonomy of the group. First, a Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST) experiment was assessed and found to be superior to monophyletic (16S small ribosomal subunit) in delineating a total of 52 mycolic acid bacterial species. Phylogenetic inference was performed using the neighborjoining method. To further refine phylogenetic analysis and to take advantage of the widespread availability of bacterial genome data, a computational framework that simulates DNA-DNA hybridisation was developed and validated using multiscale bootstrap resampling. The tool classifies microbial genomes based on whole genome DNA, and was deployed as a web-application using PHP and Javascript. It is accessible online at http://cbrc.kaust. edu.sa/dna_hybridization/
Identification of genes involved in long-term survival in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a remarkably adaptable organism which is able to survive and persist under a broad range of environmental conditions. The traditional views of bacterial growth phases usually come from standard laboratory cultures which can be different from natural conditions. In many natural environments, bacteria could maintain a long-term surviving status. To understand bacterial long-term survival, a luxCDABE-based random promoter library of P. aeruginosa was used to screen genes persistently expressed in the long-term culture of which 45 of such genes were identified. Among them, 13 genes encode different enzymes and are involved in different metabolic processes. Eight genes encode transcriptional regulators or two-component systems. In addition, a large portion of the identified genes encode hypothetical proteins with unknown function. Six of these unknown genes (PA1216, PA2827, PA0550, PA0256, PA0057 and PA4578) were selected and gene knockout mutants were constructed. All of these mutants exhibited reduced competitiveness than the wild-type PAO1 in the long-term competition assay, suggesting that these genes may play important roles for the long-term survival in P. aeruginosa.
Interactions of α-Lactalbumin with Fatty Acids and Spin Label Analogs*

Bovine α-lactalbumin (α-LA) has been shown by intrinsic protein fluorescence and electron spin resonance methods to interact with the spin-labeled fatty acid analog, 5-doxylstearic acid, as well as stearic acid. An intrinsic fluorescence titration of various α-LA forms with 5-doxylstearic acid causes first an increase and then a decrease in emission intensity with concomitant shifts in tryptophan emission wavelength. In some cases, up to three steps in the fluorescence titration curves were visible, which were fit to apparent binding steps from 10−6 to 10−4 m. The binding parameters of 5-doxylstearic acid for apo- and Ca2+-α-LA were an order of magnitude different from one another; the stronger one, apo-α-lactalbumin, exhibited aK d of 35 μm. Electron spin resonance titrations of 5-doxylstearic acid-loaded apo-α-LA with stearate (micelles) seem to suggest separate binding loci if α-LA indeed binds stearate at these concentrations. The titration of α-LA by stearic acid results in a fluorescence emission red shift and an apparent stepped increase in fluorescence intensity. Lipid-protein association occurred at concentrations at which stearic acid micelles and aggregates begin to form in the absence of protein. Nonetheless, the relatively strong association between stearic acid and apo-α-LA was also confirmed by means of the fluorescent indicator acrylodated fatty acid binding protein, in which addition of α-LA to the stearate-loaded indicator protein reverses the decrease in fluorescence of the acrylodan chromophore conjugated to the protein.
Does the Silvopastoral System Alter Hymenopteran Fauna (Insecta: Hymenoptera) in Brachiaria decumbens Monocultures?

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to evaluate whether environmental changes promoted by the conversion from a Brachiaria decumbens monoculture to a silvopastoral system can be measured by the diversity, richness, abundance, and constancy of insects of the order Hymenoptera. A Malaise trap for collecting insects was installed in a B. decumbens area managed as a silvopastoral system, and another was installed in a monoculture system. Hymenoptera richness and abundance were determined based on the number of morphospecies and specimens, respectively. The diversity and constancy indices were calculated using the Shannon-Wiener and Bodenheimer methodologies. Fifteen families of Hymenoptera were collected, seven of which were unique to the monoculture system. The samples from the silvopastoral system were significantly more abundant (3,889) and rich (305) compared with those from the monoculture system, which were much less abundant (1,473) and rich (173). Similar trends were noted for the families Formicidae, Ichneumonidae, and Braconidae. Additionally, these families and Sphecidae showed significantly greater diversity in the silvopastoral system. Formicidae and Braconidae were constant in both systems, while Ichneumonidae was constant only in the silvopastoral system. The families Vespidae, Pompilidae, and Apidae were more diverse; Chalcididae, Pompilidae, Sphecidae, Halictidae, Evaniidae, and Gasteruptiidae were more abundant; and Vespidae had more richness in the monoculture system. The conversion from the monoculture system to the silvopastoral system can be measured by the occurrence of Hymenoptera, especially the families Formicidae, Ichneumonidae, and Braconidae, which can be used as potential bioindicators.
Spatial Distribution Model of a Hantavirus Reservoir, the Long-tailed Ccolilargo (Oligoryzomys longicaudatus), in Argentina

Abstract A 1st step in understanding the ecology of rodents as reservoirs and their relation with the disease they transmit is to determine their geographical distribution. This distribution can be modeled as a function of environmental variables. We georeferenced an extensive database of records of the hantavirus reservoir Oligoryzomys longicaudatus (Cricetidae: Sigmodontinae) in Argentina and used generalized linear models to model the probability of the presence of this reservoir as a function of environmental variables. The variables used in the multiple logistic regression were temperature, precipitation, evapotranspiration, altitude, tree cover, grass cover, bare soil cover, and distance to rivers, to water bodies, and to roads; 2 phytogeographic classifications also were included. Spatial autocorrelation was considered in the model by including a spatial dependence covariate. The best model included temperature and precipitation as explanatory variables. External validation showed that the model without the space covariate correctly classified 95% of the sites with the rodent and 70% of the sites without it; the model including the spatial term correctly classified 100% of the sites with the rodent and 70% of the sites without it. A secondary model included days with frost and percent cover by bare soil as explanatory variables. O. longicaudatus was recorded in 97% of sites in the High Andean–Subantarctic regions, 65% of sites in the Monte–Espinal–Patagonian regions, and 0% of sites in the Pampean region.
The habitat and diet of koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) in Queensland

Descriptions of koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) habitat and diet from 11 sites across Queensland are presented. Koala activity was recorded from 49 regional ecosystems across nine land zones and five bioregions. Thirty-four tree species were identified from an examination of leaf cuticle fragments in faecal pellets. Although the species were from three families and seven genera, 44% of browse species (15) belonged to the myrtaceous subgenus Symphomyrtus. Eleven of these contributed most of the koala diet across all sites. However, most species were present in minor or trace dietary elements. There was also a large number of unidentified species or dietary elements, all of which were usually present in trace amounts. The importance of these minor and trace components is not known. Diet at some sites was founded on a single eucalypt species. Here the likelihood of those sites’ browse resources being lost or degraded by stochastic events, as climate variability increases, raises questions about the persistence of the resident koala populations.
Dynamic Performance of Three-Level Back-to-Back VSC-HVDC System Using Space Vector Modulation under Faults Conditions

This paper presents a comprehensive model of the Back-to-Back HVDC system based on the three-level Neu tralPoint Diode Clamped (NPC) converter. The ac-side contr ollers are achieved in a synchronous rotating reference fr ame (d-q) controls direct and quadrature currents to obtain i ndependent control of real and reactive powers. This is achieve d by means of PI controllers. The voltage-balancing control of two split DC capacitors of the three-level Back-to-Back HVDC syst em is achieved using three-level space vector modulation (SVM) with balancing strategy based on the effective use of th e redundant switching states of the inverter voltage vectors. The reported study results demonstrate a satisfacto ry response of the VSC-HVDC station operating based on the proposed SVM strategy, under various conditions of studied diffe rent normal and fault cases.
A SIMULATION-BASED ANALYSIS OF SUBSYNCHRONOUS RESONANCE WITH TCSC

In this paper a time-domain simulation-based SSR analysis has been carried out in PSCAD/EMTDC employing the IEEE first-benchmark system with thyristorcontrolled series capacitor (TCSC). Though torsionalmode detuning behavior of a TCSC is well known its tuning performance for certain firing angles is demonstrated employing modal-speed evaluations. An attempt has been made to understand this nature of TCSC by obtaining its frequency response characteristics using frequency scanning technique. From the results it is inferred that the equivalent impedance of TCSC offers fictitious resistive component leading to mode-detuning. However, it is observed that at higher values of firing angle the resistive behavior diminishes thus resulting in
Principals’ Supervision and Academic Performance of Secondary School Students in Rivers State

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of principals‟ supervision and academic performance of secondary school students in Rivers State. The study sought to determine the influence of teachers‟ appraisal by principals, the extent to which principal‟s observation of teachers in classroom and teachers‟ adherence to scheme of work influence students‟ performance in senior secondary certificate examination. The study adopted correlation study design. The study was carried out in three Local Government Areas namely; Port Harcourt, Ahoada West and Eleme Local Government Areas. The population comprised 1,229 teachers and 32 principals. The study used simple random sampling. The study sampled 204 teachers and 16 principals. The data was collected by use of questionnaire. Three experts validated the instrument and Cronbach alpha method was used to compute the reliability coefficient. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the three research questions posed for the study while Pearson product moment correlation coefficient (Pearson r) was used to test the three null hypotheses formulated to guide the study at 0.05 level of significance. The study revealed that, teachers‟ appraisal by principals, principals‟ observation of teachers in classroom and teachers‟ adherence to scheme of work influence students‟ performance in senior secondary certificate examination to a large extent. The result for the first hypothesis accepted the null hypothesis that, there is no significant relationship between teachers‟ appraisal by principals and students‟ performance in S.S. C.E. The hypotheses which state that; there is no significant relationship between principals‟ observation of teachers in classroom, teachers‟ adherence to scheme of work and students‟ performance in S.S. C.E. were all rejected. The researcher recommended that principals should be more proactive in their day to day supervision exercise on teachers and students, government should provide all necessary teaching materials that will promote the teaching standard among teachers, checking of professional documents of teachers by principals should be taken serious at all times among others.
Learning Behavior Trees for Robotic Task Planning by Monte Carlo Search over a Formal Grammar

—This extended abstract presents a method of learning behavior trees for robotic task and motion planning, which alleviates the need for time-intensive manual design. Our method involves representing a set of behavior trees as a formal grammar and searching over this grammar by means of a generalization of Monte Carlo tree search for directed acyclic graphs. We present promising preliminary results for a marine target search and response scenario, and the learned behavior tree compares well with a manually designed tree. It is notable that the learned tree contains several, but not all, sub-trees that are crucial and present in the manually designed tree. Our results motivate future investigation of ways to learn for our sparse reward functions and to better combine promising sub-trees.
Consumo e digestibilidade aparente das frações fibrosas por ovelhas gestantes submetidas ou não à restrição nutricional

The fibrous fractions intake and digestibility in pregnant ewes submitted or not to nutritional restriction. 73 ewes were used at different pregnancy stages, with different fetuses numbers and 10 non-pregnant ewes, all of Santa Ines breed. Animals were submitted or not to nutritional restriction in accordance with the treatments. Animal nutritional requirements were calculated according to recommendations for predicted dry matter intake, energy (total digestible nutrients, TDN) and crude protein (CP). From the animals which received nutritional restriction were removed 15% of energy (TDN) and crude protein requirements. Ewes diet was composed by maize meal (Zea mays), soybean meal (Glycine max), Tifton chopped hay (Cynodon spp.) and limestone. Experiment was conducted in completely randomized design with 2 x 2 x 4 factorial arrangement. Fetuses number influenced on intake and apparent digestibility of dry matter, organic matter and acid detergent fiber. Nutritional restriction, as expected, reduced dry matter intake and, consequently, apparent digestibility of nutrients studied. Cellulose intake was influenced significantly during pregnancy by the number of fetuses and nutritional management. It was observed that body size, age and fetuses number influenced in the capacity of neutral detergent fiber intake. This fact shows that ewes which did not reach the full growth should receive special attention with quantity and especially with forage quality.
Selective Weed Control in Syrian Marjoram (Origanum syriacum) with Oxadiazon and Oxyfluorfen Herbicides1

Field experiments were conducted to study the effects of oxadiazon and oxyfluorfen on weeds and Syrian marjoram (Origanum syriacum L.) in the central Jordan Valley during the period from 1998 to 2001. Results showed that weed competition with marjoram for the whole growing period resulted in almost complete crop failure. Oxyfluorfen and oxadiazon applied preplanting or postplanting to marjoram controlled weeds effectively, resulted in significant increase in marjoram shoot fresh and dry weight yields and in more branches per plant compared with the weed-infested control. High marjoram yield was obtained with oxyfluorfen applied at 0.72 kg ai/ha in preplanting treatment and with oxadiazon at 1.25 and 0.75 kg ai/ha in pre- and postplanting treatments, respectively. In preplanting treatment, 0.36 kg ai/ha of oxyfluorfen was highly selective, but 1.44 kg ai/ha reduced marjoram yield. Conflicting results were obtained with oxadiazon under the same treatments. In postplanting, oxyfluorfen at 0.24 and 0.96 kg ai/ha significantly increased marjoram yield over the weed-infested control. However, the highest shoot dry weight of marjoram was obtained at 0.96 kg ai/ha of this herbicide. In contrast, the low rate (0.38 kg ai/ha) of oxadiazon was highly selective and increased marjoram yield, but the herbicide failed to increase yield beyond the weed-infested control when the higher rate (1.5 kg ai/ha) was used. Results showed that both oxyfluorfen and oxadiazon herbicides were highly selective and effective for weed control in Syrian marjoram, providing normal rates of both are used, although high rates of the two herbicides were also selective and increased marjoram yield over the weed-infested control. Nomenclature: Oxadiazon; oxyfluorfen; Syrian marjoram; Origanum syriacum L. ; weeds. Additional index words: Crop injury, medicinal crop, weed competition.
Species, Age and Sex Identification of Ducks Using Wing Plumage

"Procedures have been developed over the past 30 years for managing the take of waterfowl by hunters. Wings of ducks contributed voluntarily to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service by hunters are examined each year by experts. This procedure involves the determination of species, sex, and age of ducks through an examination of these detached wings. Many persons skilled at examining wings of ducks have retired in recent years. We became concerned that these skills might be lost to future generations if not properly documented. Documenting such skills is difficult. Subtle differences in feather color and feather texture are used to distinguish young ducks from adult ducks and males from females. Printed words and pictures have their limitations, but we hope this publication captures the technique and preserves it. "
Genetic control of blood potassium concentration in Welsh Mountain sheep

The distribution of whole blood potassium concentration in 1783 Welsh Mountain sheep shows marked bimodality, varying about two modes, of 44 and 14 m-equiv. /l. The difference between high (HK) and low (LK) potassium types was not clear-cut. About 5 % of animals lay in the area where the tails of the two distributions merge. Haematocrit values and plasma potassium concentrations were used to estimate erythrocyte potassium levels. They confirmed that the bimodality is due to variation within erythrocytes but did not offer a satisfactory method of allocating intermediate animals.
Stable Sparse Recovery with Three Unconstrained Analysis Based Approaches

Efﬁcient recovery of sparse signals from underdetermined linear systems has received lots of attentions in recent decade. This paper considers the stable recovery of a signal x , which is not k -sparse itself but is k -sparse in terms of a tight frame D , from the observations y = Ax + e . Three unconstrained minimization approaches will be studied. We show that if the sensing matrix A satisﬁes the restricted isometry property adapted to a tight frame D with δ tk < (cid:113) t − 1 t +8 for any t > 1 , then these three approaches can stably recover x . As a consequence, when t = 2 and 3, our result signiﬁcantly improves existing best sufﬁcient conditions in terms of δ 2 k and δ 3 k . Moreover, we theoretically characterize the recovery error of these methods.