Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Direct Form Digital Robust RST Control Based on Chebyshev Sphere Optimization Applied in a DC-DC Power Converter

This paper presents a novel direct form to design a digital robust control using RST structure (i.e., name given because of the R, S and T polynomials computed) based on convex optimization such as Chebyshev sphere; this approach was applied to a DC-DC Buck converter. This methodology takes into account parametric uncertainties and a Chebyshev sphere constraint in order to ensure robust performance and stability of the system in the discrete domain. For this purpose, a mathematical model for the DC-DC Buck converter is presented when considering uncertainties in electrical variables, such as load resistance, inductance, capacitance, and source voltage variation, also to obtain the discrete model of the system by using the bilinear transformation. The proposed methodology is compared with two other approaches designed in a discrete domain: the classical pole placement and the robust methodology based on the Kharitonov theorem. Wide-ranging experiments are performed in order to evaluate the behavior of the control methodologies when the system is subject to parametric variations of the load resistance and voltage setpoint variation. The results show that the proposed methodology outperforms the other approaches in 90% of the tests and ensures robust stability and robust performance when the system is subjected to a parametric uncertainties family.
Glass fibre modified asphalts and the use as a tension belt – pavement service lifetime calculations and economic efficiency

Fibres are added to asphalt surface mixes mainly due to technological reasons. The impact of loose glass fibre reinforcement on the performance characteristics of different asphalt mixes was investigated. On the one hand, the glass fibres were used at Stone Mastic Asphalts as a replacement for cellulose fibres. On the other hand, glass fibres were used as additives for asphalt concrete mixes. A constant glass fibre content of 0.5 mass-% was chosen for the laboratory tests. This paper presents the impact of glass fibres on the fatigue and stiffness performance of asphalt mixes, both determined using cyclic indirect tensile tests. The glass fibre modified asphalts investigated have high-performance characteristics, so that an application of these asphalt mixes as a tension band was examined. In order to assess the use of the glass fibre modified asphalt mixes as tension belts pavement service lifetime calculations and the economic efficiency were considered.
Winter cover crop legacy effects on litter decomposition act through litter quality and microbial community changes

1.In agriculture, winter cover crop (WCC) residues are incorporated into the soil to improve soil quality, as gradual litter decomposition can improve fertility. Decomposition rate is determined by litter quality, local soil abiotic and biotic properties. How these factors are interlinked and influenced by cropping history is, however, unclear. 2.We grew WCC monocultures and mixtures in rotation with main crops Avena sativa (oat) and Cichorium endivia (endive) and tested how crop rotation influences WCC litter quality, abiotic and biotic soil conditions, and litter decomposition rates. To disentangle WCC litter quality effects from WCC soil legacy effects on decomposition, we tested how rotation history influences decomposition of standard substrates and explored the underlying mechanisms. 3.In a common environment (e.g. winter fallow plots), WCC decomposition rate constants (k) correlated negatively with litter C, lignin and, surprisingly, N content, due to strong positive correlations among these traits. Plots with a history of fast‐decomposing WCCs exhibited faster decomposition of their own litters as well as of the standard substrates filter paper and rooibos tea, as compared to winter fallow plots. 4.WCC treatments differentially affected soil microbial biomass, as well as soil organic matter and mineral nitrogen content. WCC‐induced soil changes affected decomposition rates. Depending on the main crop rotation treatment, legacy effects were attributed to biomass input of WCCs and their litter quality or changes in microbial biomass. 5.Synthesis and applications. These results demonstrate that decomposition in cropping systems is influenced directly through crop residues, as well as through crop‐induced changes in soil biotic properties. Rotation history influences decomposition, wherein productive winter cover crops with low lignin content decompose fast and stimulate the turnover of both own and newly added residues via their knock‐on effect on the soil microbial community. Thus, winter cover crops have promise for sustainable carbon‐ and nutrient‐cycling management through litter feedbacks.
Adsorption Mechanisms and Characteristics of Hg2+ Removal by Different Fractions of Biochar

The adsorption mechanisms of mercury ion (Hg2+) by different fractions of biochar were studied, providing a theoretical basis and practical value for the use of biochar to remediate mercury contamination in water. Biochar (RC) was prepared using corn straw as the raw material. It was then fractionated, resulting in inorganic carbon (IC), organic carbon (OC), hydroxyl-blocked carbon (BHC), and carboxyl-blocked carbon (BCC). Before and after Hg2+ adsorption, the biochar fractions were characterized by several techniques, such as energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Obtained results indicate that the reaction mechanisms of RC for Hg2+ removal mainly include electrostatic adsorption, ion exchange, reduction, precipitation, and complexation. The equilibrium adsorption capacity of RC for Hg2+ is 75.56 mg/g, and the adsorption contribution rates of IC and OC are approximately 22.4% and 77.6%, respectively. Despite the lower rate, IC shows the largest adsorption capacity, of 92.63 mg/g. This is attributed to all the mechanisms involved in Hg2+ adsorption by IC, with ion exchange being the main reaction mechanism (accounting for 39.8%). The main adsorption mechanism of OC is the complexation of carboxyl and hydroxyl groups with Hg2+, accounting for 71.6% of the total OC contribution. BHC and BCC adsorb mercury mainly via the reduction–adsorption mechanism, accounting for 54.6% and 54.5%, respectively. Among all the adsorption mechanisms, the complexation reaction of carboxyl and hydroxyl groups with Hg2+ is the dominant effect.
Bilateral, Solitary, Extramacular Vitelliform Retinal Lesions in a Patient With Best Disease

Purpose: This work describes the first published case of Best vitelliform macular dystrophy (BVMD) with bilateral, solitary, extramacular retinal lesions. Methods: A case report is presented. Results: An 8-year-old girl with a family history of BVMD was referred for suspicious peripheral retinal lesions. Multimodal imaging disclosed bilateral, solitary, extramacular lesions consistent with the vitelliform lesions found in BVMD. There were no abnormalities in the macula. Conclusions: This is the first documented case of solitary, bilateral, extramacular vitelliform lesions in BVMD.
Publication rate in preclinical research: a plea for preregistration

Objectives The ultimate goal of biomedical research is the development of new treatment options for patients. Animal models are used if questions cannot be addressed otherwise. Currently, it is widely believed that a large fraction of performed studies are never published, but there are no data that directly address this question. Methods We have tracked a selection of animal study protocols approved in the University Medical Center Utrecht in the Netherlands, to assess whether these have led to a publication with a follow-up period of 7 years. Results We found that 60% of all animal study protocols led to at least one publication (full text or abstract). A total of 5590 animals were used in these studies, of which 26% was reported in the resulting publications. Conclusions The data presented here underline the need for preclinical preregistration, in view of the risk of reporting and publication bias in preclinical research. We plea that all animal study protocols should be prospectively registered on an online, accessible platform to increase transparency and data sharing. To facilitate this, we have developed a platform dedicated to animal study protocol registration: www.preclinicaltrials. eu.
Combustion Characteristics of Fluoropolymer Coated Boron Powders

ABSTRACT The problem of sluggish combustion reactivity of Boron (B) can be overcome by inclusion of fluoropolymers. In this paper, three commercial fluoropolymers; PVDF (59 wt% F), Viton (66 wt% F) and THV (72 wt% F) coated (Ca. 4 wt%) B powders (Ca. 1-µm in size) were prepared and their combustion characteristics have been investigated. Among the fluoropolymer-coated powders, THV coated B provided the highest average improvement in heat of oxidation, reactivity in terms of pressure generation and combustion temperature followed by Viton and PVDF coated B. The sequence of reactivity enhancement has been explained by the variances in gasification efficiencies of the boric oxide shell, induced by the thermal decomposition of the respective fluoropolymer coatings. THV with higher fluorine and lower hydrogen content, supposedly promotes better gasification of the boric oxide shell by releasing more fluorine rich alkanes/alkenes during thermal decomposition. However, PVDF predominantly produces HF, which apparently less effective in gasification of the boric oxide shell, resulting in limited improvement of the measured properties.
MicroRNAs Play an Essential Role in the Development of Cardiac Hypertrophy

MicroRNAs are naturally existing, small, noncoding RNA molecules that downregulate posttranscriptional gene expression. Their expression pattern and function in the heart remain unknown. Here we report an array of microRNAs that are differentially and temporally regulated during cardiac hypertrophy. Significantly, the muscle-specific microRNA-1 (miR-1) was singularly downregulated as early as day 1 (0.56±0.036), persisting through day 7 (0.29±0.14), after aortic constriction–induced hypertrophy in a mouse model. Overexpression experiments showed that miR-1 inhibited its in silico–predicted, growth-related targets, including Ras GTPase–activating protein (RasGAP), cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (Cdk9), fibronectin, and Ras homolog enriched in brain (Rheb), in addition to protein synthesis and cell size. Thus, we propose that microRNAs play an essential regulatory role in the development of cardiac hypertrophy, wherein downregulation of miR-1 is necessary for the relief of growth-related target genes from its re.
Nexus between perfluoroalkyl compounds (PFCs) and human thyroid dysfunction: A systematic review evidenced from laboratory investigations and epidemiological studies

Abstract Perfluoroalkyl compounds (PFCs) have attracted massive attention in recent years for their endocrine-disrupting potential. This review summarizes the underlying evidence on the primary fate and in vitro/vivo toxic effects of PFCs and their interactions and relationships with thyroid dysfunction and cancer induction in exposed groups, including the general population, occupationally exposed groups, highly exposed individuals, and prone subjects (pregnant women and neonates). The potential endocrine-disrupting mechanism of PFCs may include multiple processes of thyroid malfunction or hormonal imbalance. The increased level of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) was observed as the most consistent outcome of PFC exposure among generally exposed populations. Specifically, the levels of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and TSH were significantly correlated among pregnant women. In some instances, the maternal PFC level was negatively correlated with the neonatal thyroxine (T4) level in serum. The PFCs and thyroid malfunction or thyroid hormone (TH) levels also revealed a potential association among the population under high-level environmental exposure, albeit not always following a strict exposure-response relationship. Moreover, occupational exposure to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) showed a probable link with TH (excluding TSH) alterations in serum. Importantly, no concrete and statistically significant evidence highlighted the risk of thyroid cancer in humans exposed to PFCs. Highlights The first robust review describing the effects of PFCs on thyroid dysfunctions. PFC exposure induces sex- and age-specific responses in the human thyroid system. Serum PFOS exposure is positively correlated with TSH in pregnant women. Maternal serum PFC levels are negatively correlated with the neonate’s T4 levels. No statistical evidence supported a concrete association between PFCs and thyroid cancer.
Identification of a novel inhibitor for the Bromodomain (BRD4) through a receptor-based drug discovery approach

Recently, the demands on the drug discovery process have increased drastically because of the need to apprehend a novel target which might be both pertinent to cause disease and chemically tractable. The emergence of bioinformatics and computer strategies have given room to analyse conditions at the molecular level. The present work was to perform a molecular docking analysis and ADMET study of different δ-carboline derivatives with bromodomain (BRD4) receptor using receptor-based drug discovery approach. Based on the literature, 60 compounds were designed and subjected to molecular docking for the inhibition of brd4 receptor. The results showed that Compound 34 received the highest binding affinity with BRD4 receptor. Hence eight compounds were selected based on docked pose determined using AutoDock/Vina with the minimal energy of above -5.1. Then ADMET study was carried, in that, all the eight compounds had middle to high BBB permeability. During metabolism, all compounds except compounds 37, 42 and 47 showed no inhibition of CYP2C99 in the liver. Analysis of drug-likeness profile showed almost all compounds eligible in CMC rule, violation rule of CMC, MDDR rule with the value of 1 and violations of WDI showed 0 value. Such findings strongly implied that derivatives of δ-carboline could serve as lead molecules to inhibit BRD4, and this could lead to the future development of the right candidate for cancer research.
Morphological Study on the Incidence of Intumescence Injury in Tomato Plant Leaves

Intumescence injury of tomato leaves is a physiological disorder in which white surface spots rise on the abaxial side of the leaf and then turn brown; when it worsens, the leaf dies. Scanning electron microscope observations showed individual cells were enlarged and raised due to intumescence injury. Vein epidermal cells and stomatal guard cells were also enlarged. Hypertrophy was observed by light microscopy in epidermal cells, spongy tissue cells, and palisade tissue cells. In thin leaf sections prepared with Technovit 7100 resin, the resin peeled from the epidermal surface on the adaxial and abaxial sides of normal leaf areas. However, resin did not peel off from the enlarged epidermis in areas of intumescence. Transmission electron microscopy imaging of the cuticular layer in the epidermal cells affected by intumescence injury showed disappearance of the outermost wax layer, abnormalities in intermediate layer, and decrease in cuticular layer. Toluidine blue O staining was used to identify abnormalities in the cuticular layer and the area of intumescence, which was stained purple. The percentage of staining area relative to total area of the leaf was used to quantify the degree of intumescence. In experiments using incubators under low-UV conditions, intumescence injury was less likely to occur in young leaves or fully expanded leaves and more likely to occur in expanding leaves. In addition, the water content of the leaves in which intumescence injury occurred was lower than that in normal leaves. Intumescence injury occurred less frequently under conditions of 70% relative humidity than under conditions of 90% relative humidity. UV and relative humidity are known to affect the development of the cuticular layer, and intumescence injury was severe under conditions in which the cuticular layer had difficulty developing. Our findings showed that intumescence injury of leaves was accompanied by abnormal cuticular layer, and suggest that occurrence of intumescence injury may be reduced under conditions in which the cuticular layer is well developed, such as with UV irradiation after sowing. The degree of intumescence was higher in the upper leaves (the 5th leaf and above) of plants 21 days after sowing than in plants placed in the incubator 14 days after sowing. The above findings show that, in‐ tumescence injury occurred markedly in developing leaves that had expanded leaf areas; it also occurred over a period of 2 days under conditions of reduced UV and 85% relative humidity. It was found that the inci‐ dence of intumescence on tomato leaves increased with the duration of low UV, and sensitivity differed depend‐ ing on stage.
Architecture of human complex trait variation

A complex trait is a trait or disease that is controlled by both genetic and environmental factors, along with their interactions. Trait architecture encompasses the genetic variants and environmental causes of variation in the trait or disease, their effects on the trait or disease and the mechanism by which these factors interact at molecular and organism levels. It is important to understand trait architecture both from a biological viewpoint and a health perspective. In this thesis, I laid emphasis on exploring the influence of familial environmental factors on complex trait architecture alongside the genetic components. I performed a variety of studies to explore the architecture of anthropometric and cardio-metabolic traits, such as height, body mass index, high density lipoprotein content of blood and blood pressure, using a cohort of 20,000 individuals of recent Scottish descent and their phenotype measurements, Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) data and genealogical information. I extended a method of variance component analysis that could simultaneously estimate SNP-associated heritability and total heritability whilst considering familial environmental effects shared among siblings, couples and nuclear family members. I found that most missing heritability could be explained by including closely related individuals in the analysis and accounting for these close relationships; and that, on top of genetics, couple and sibling environmental effects are additional significant contributors to the complex trait variation investigated. Subsequently, I accounted for couple and sibling environmental effects in GenomeWide Association Study (GWAS) and prediction models. Results demonstrated that by adding additional couple and sibling information, both GWAS performance and prediction accuracy were boosted for most traits investigated, especially for traits related to obesity. Since couple environmental effects as modelled in my study might, in fact, reflect the combined effect of assortative mating and shared couple environment, I explored further the dissection of couple effects according to their origin. I extended assortative mating theory by deriving the expected resemblance between an individual and inlaws of his first-degree relatives. Using the expected resemblance derived, I developed
Influence of low water activity on the thermal resistance of Salmonella Enteritidis PT30 and Enterococcus faecium as its surrogate in egg powders

Egg powders are increasingly popular ingredients, due to their functionality and compactness, in industrial food production and preparation at homes. However, there is a lack of studies that evaluate the thermal resistance of Salmonella Enteritidis PT30 and its potential surrogate Enterococcus faecium NRRL B-2354 in egg powders. This study examined the log-linear relationship between the thermal resistance of Salmonella Enteritidis (D-value) and the water activity (aw) of egg powders. The changes of aw in the egg powders with temperature were measured using a Vapor Sorption Analyzer and a high-temperature cell. The D80 ℃-value of S. Enteritidis PT30 and E. faecium inoculated in the egg powders preconditioned to three aw levels (0.3, 0.45, and 0.6) at 20 ℃ were determined using aluminum thermal death test cells. The aw values increased (P < 0.05) in all three egg powders when the temperature of the samples was raised from room temperature to 80 ℃. The D80 ℃-values ranged from 5.3 ± 0.1 to 25.9 ± 0.2 min for S. Enteritidis while 10.4 ± 0.4 to 43.8 ± 0.4 for E. faecium in samples of the three different aw levels. S. Enteritidis PT30 showed a log-linear relationship between D80 ℃-values and aw80 ℃ for the egg powders. This study contributes to our understanding of the impact of aw on the development of thermal treatments for low-moisture foods.
A Case Study in Credit Fraud Detection With SMOTE and XGBoost

Credit fraud observations are minority in the sample set, variables tend to be seriously unbalanced, and the prediction results tend to be biased towards more observed classes. Common resolution usually constructs 1:1 data, either cutting off part of more classes (undersampling) or reducing classes for bootstrap sampling (oversampling). XGBoost is an efficient system implementation of Gradient Boosting, and also GB algorithm based on CART. Based on the real online transaction data of an Internet financial institution, this paper studies the performance of XGBoost algorithm on the original data set, the undersampling and SMOTE data sets respectively.
Principles of extinction learning of nonaversive experience

Abstract This review outlines behavioral and neurobiological aspects of extinction learning, with a focus on nonaversive experience. The extinction of acquired behavior is crucial for readaptation to our environment and plays a central role in therapeutic interventions. However, behavior that has been extinguished can reappear owing to context changes. In the first part of the article, we examine experimental strategies aimed at reducing behavioral recovery after extinction of nonaversive experience, focusing on extinction learning in multiple contexts, reminder cues, and the informational value of contexts. In the second part, we report findings from human imaging studies and studies with rodents on the neural correlates of extinction and response recovery in nonaversive learning, with a focus on ventromedial prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and neurotransmitter systems.
Exploring the topic structure and evolution of associations in information behavior research through co-word analysis

This study aims to reveal the distribution of topics, and the associations among them, in information behavior research from 2009 to 2018. Working with a collection of 6744 publications from the Web of Science database, co-word analysis is used to investigate the overall topic structure, the associations among the topics, and their evolution in different years, which is supplemented by visualization with science maps. The results uncovered an unbalanced distribution of topics, and that the topics cluster into six communities representing subdivisions of this field: information behavior in patient-centered studies; information interaction in the digital environment; information literacy in health and academic contexts; health literacy on the Internet; information behavior in child-centered studies; and information behavior in medical informatics. The findings supplement and provide refinements to work on the state of this field, and help researchers obtain an overview of the past decade to guide their future work.