Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Refractometric Uric Acid Biosensor Based on Immobilized Uricase and PVA+PEG Composite Hydrogels

A mechanically stable, high-sensitivity, high-selectivity, optical uric acid sensitive membrane (UASM) was prepared by immobilizing uricase in a mixture of SiO2 mesocellular foams (SiMCFs) and nanoparticles (SiNPs), then embedding it in a composite gel of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polyethylene glycol (PEG). The UASM was spin-coated onto a gold-glass sheet to create a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor without electromagnetic and light-intensity disturbances. A series of prism-based SPR sensing experiments showed that, for a UASM consisting of SiMCFs and SiNPs at a mass ratio of 6:4, PVA and PEG at a mass ratio of 4:1, the resonance angle of the sensor decreased by about 2.610° and the average sensitivity was 2.175°/mM within a UA concentration range of 0 – 1.2 mM. Young’s moduli of four dry UASM strips (670 – 1050 MPa) were obtained, demonstrating that UASMs have good biomechanical stability. Langmuir adsorption isotherm could explain the adsorption law of the UASMs for UA molecules in the concentration range of 0.2 – 1.2 mM.
Infection Levels of the Microsporidium Larssoniella duplicati in Populations of the Invasive Bark Beetle Ips duplicatus: From Native to New Outbreak Areas

The microsporidium Larssoniella duplicati (Weiser, Holuša, Žižka, 2006) is a specific pathogen of the bark beetle Ips duplicatus (C.R. Sahlberg, 1836), which is a serious pest of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst) in Europe. From 2011 to 2016, infection levels of L. duplicati and other pathogens in I. duplicatus populations were assessed along a gradient, ranging from areas in the north, where the beetle is native, to areas in the south, where the beetle has only recently invaded. The 21 study sites ranged in altitude from 229 to 1009 m a.s. l. We found that pathogen infection levels in I. duplicatus populations decreased from the native areas in the north to the new areas of beetle expansion in the south. We also found that pathogen level increased with altitude. The L. duplicati infection levels were not associated with the infection levels of other beetle natural enemies. The infection level decreased with the length of time of beetle establishment in an area. The infection level increased with the number of beetles trapped and dissected at a site.
Dynamic relocalization of replication origins by Fkh1 requires execution of DDK function and Cdc45 loading at origins

Chromosomal DNA elements are organized into spatial domains within the eukaryotic nucleus. Sites undergoing DNA replication, high-level transcription, and repair of double-strand breaks coalesce into foci, although the significance and mechanisms giving rise to these dynamic structures are poorly understood. In S. cerevisiae, replication origins occupy characteristic subnuclear localizations that anticipate their initiation timing during S phase. Here, we link localization of replication origins in G1 phase with Fkh1 activity, which is required for their early replication timing. Using a Fkh1-dependent origin relocalization assay, we determine that execution of Dbf4-dependent kinase function, including Cdc45 loading, results in dynamic relocalization of a replication origin from the nuclear periphery to the interior in G1 phase. Origin mobility increases substantially with Fkh1-driven relocalization. These findings provide novel molecular insight into the mechanisms that govern dynamics and spatial organization of DNA replication origins and possibly other functional DNA elements.
Characteristics of TCDA With Polarization Converting Ground Plane

In this study, we propose a tightly coupled dipole array (TCDA) with a polarization convertor (PC) to overcome the bandwidth limitation at <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$h = 0.5\,\,\lambda $ </tex-math></inline-formula> and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$1~\lambda $ </tex-math></inline-formula> of a conventional TCDA. Ultrawideband and low-profile array antennas are gaining considerable attention with widespread of wireless electronic systems. Although TCDA has such characteristics and several advantages compared with others, their bandwidth is still limited by the ground plane (GP) reflection. The use of resistive frequency selective surface (FSS) to overcome this limitation entails ohmic losses which deteriorate the radiation efficiency of the array antenna. In the present study, we propose a 20.9:1 TCDA antenna without resistive FSS. The proposed array antenna employs a PC to overcome the limitation of bandwidth due to GP reflection when the height of the array antenna is <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$0.5~\lambda $ </tex-math></inline-formula> and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$1~\lambda $ </tex-math></inline-formula>. The concept neither involves any dielectric superstrates nor does it introduce any resistive loss. Thus, beam steering is possible without surface wave generation. As a result, the proposed array antenna is expected to be successfully applied to wideband and beam-scannable array with improved performance of wireless electronic devices.
Implementation and Evaluation of 79GHz MRR Sensor for Automotive Environments

In this paper, we implement and evaluate 79GHz middle range radar for automotive environments. For the purpose, we design and implement antennas, signal processing software and a sensor module. We also evaluate the sensor and analyze the performance in the view of detection range and field of view. From the evaluation, we show that our implemented sensor has detected a corner reflector of 20dBsm at 165m with field of view of 33 degrees.
Ordinal Logistic Regression With Partial Proportional Odds for Depression Prediction

Like many psychological scales, depression scales are ordinal in nature. Depression prediction from behavioral signals has so far been posed either as classification or regression problems. However, these naive approaches have fundamental issues because they are not focused on ranking, unlike ordinal regression, which is the most appropriate approach. Ordinal regression to date has comparatively few methods when compared with other branches in machine learning, and its usage is limited to specific research domains. Ordinal logistic regression (OLR) is one such method, which is an extension for ordinal data of the well-known logistic regression, but is not familiar in speech processing, affective computing or depression prediction. The primary aim of this article is to investigate proportionality structures and model selection for the design of ordinal regression systems within the logistic regression framework. A new greedy-based algorithm for partial proportional odds model selection (GREP) is proposed that allows the parsimonious design of effective ordinal logistic regression models, which avoids an exhaustive search and outperforms model selection using the Brant test. Evaluations on the DAIC-WOZ and AViD depression corpora show that OLR models exploiting GREP can outperform two competitive baseline systems (GSR and CNN), in terms of both RMSE and Spearman correlation.
Autologous matrix-induced chondrogenesis and bone marrow aspirate concentrate compared with microfracture for arthroscopic treatment of femoroacetabular impingement and chondral lesions of the hip: bridging the osteoarthritis gap and facilitating enhanced recovery

Abstract In an attempt to bridge the osteoarthritis (OA) gap, this study compared biological reconstruction with traditional microfracture (MF) techniques in patients with femoroacetabular impingement and focal cartilage defects. Cohorts of two groups were investigated; age, gender and Tonnis grade matched comparison for outcomes between MF and newer biological reconstruction techniques hip arthroscopy surgery using autologous matrix-induced chondrogenesis and bone marrow aspirate combination. Outcomes investigated were pre-op and post-op mean iHOT-12 scores up to 18 months after surgery with a Kaplan–Meier survivorship analysis. Of 111 patients, 46 patients underwent MF and 65 biological reconstruction hip arthroscopy including cam/pincer osteoplasty and labral repair surgery. Age range was 20–69, mean age 45 years for both groups, Tonnis grading was as follows: Grade 0: 26% versus 30%, Grade 1: 52% versus 47% and Grade 2: 22% versus 23% in MF and biological reconstruction groups, respectively. The mean post-operative iHOT-12 score differences between MF and biological reconstruction were significant at 1-year minimum follow-up (P = 0.01, SD 2.8). Biological reconstruction allowed for an enhanced recovery protocol. The MF group had a 67.4% survivorship for conversion to hip replacement at 18 months (32.6% failure rate for any reason) and biological reconstruction had 100% survivorship at 18 months post-operatively with no failures for any reason. This study provides further support to the evidence base for biological reconstructive techniques as superior to MF in combination with joint preservation arthroscopic surgery, even in the face of focal cartilage defects and offers both surgeons and patients a potential bridging of the OA gap.
CEO inside debt compensation determinants and bank performance: Empirical evidence from Europe

Article history: Received May 15 2020 Received in revised format May 16 2020 Accepted July 6 2020 Available online July 6 2020 The main purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of inside debt compensation on bank performance, and identify the determinants of inside debt compensation. Using a sample of thirty European Banks during the period of 2006-2011, this paper presents evidence to support the existing literature that states that debt-based compensations plans have a significant impact on banks’ performance. The results imply that banks rely more on a debt-based compensation as leverage increases. A positive association has also been documented between debt-based compensation usage and both CEO age and bank size. The human capital of CEOs has been found to be negatively related to debt-based compensation. The empirical findings show that there is a significant negative relationship between inside debt compensation and banks' performance. Specifically, CEOs paid with a higher level of inside debt compensation were more likely to engage in lower risk-seeking behavior, such as adopting more conservative policies and investment choices. Thus, inside debt compensation plans can influence the risk-taking of managers, which may have the potential to significantly affect bank performance. Generally, inside debt compensation can reduce risk-shifting problems and lead to behavior which positively impacts debt-holders, as less risk-taking can directly contribute to a lower probability of default. The findings of this paper present important implications for many interested parties throughout the European Union, such as regulators, investors, and standards setters, whose aim is to enhance the soundness of the banking sector. © 2020 by the authors; licensee Growing Science, Canada
Optical Phase Detection Method for Measurements and Calibration of Pockels Cell-Based Sensors

Nowadays, the most successful optical technique developed for measuring high voltages in 50-/60-Hz electric power lines utilizes the bulk lithium niobate Pockels cell, constituting the so-called optical voltage sensor (OVS). However, unlike the area of vibrometry, where there are ISO standards based on reliable and simple interferometric methods for calibrating the sensors, there is still no standardized procedure for measuring <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$V_{\pi }$ </tex-math></inline-formula> (half-wave voltage) of Pockels cells or for calibrating OVSs. As the Pockels cell-based OVSs can be considered as a polarimetric interferometer, and inspired by the ISO 16063–41 standard (for the calibration of vibration and shock transducers), specifically the technique called signal coincidence method (SCM), this work presents a new digital and real-time method for optical phase detection tailored for the measurement of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$V_{\pi }$ </tex-math></inline-formula> in OVSs. Measurements were made in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the new technique by applying a voltage signal to the OVS, composed by the superposition of a 60-Hz sinusoidal voltage, with amplitude equal to the reference value of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$V_{\pi }$ </tex-math></inline-formula> (4.068 kV in this case) and a dc voltage high enough to provide a 90° bias static phase shift, as specified by SCM, proving that the method can recover the value of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$V_{\pi }$ </tex-math></inline-formula> in accordance with the estimated value. However, it is well known that the adjustment of the bias phase in a polarimetric interferometer can undergo undesired variations from time to time, due to drifts in ambient temperature and other external disturbances, taking the OVS out of its optimal operating point and thus not attending the ISO standard. As an advantage, experiments have shown that the new method is tolerant to variations in the 90° bias static phase (ranging from 60° to 120°), as well as to variations in the amplitude of the voltage applied to the OVS, varying ±25% in relation to the 4.068-kV reference voltage. The <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$V_{\pi }$ </tex-math></inline-formula> values were accurately detected, with a maximum percentage error of 0.2% and, therefore, satisfying the specification of the ISO 16063 standard.
A 15.1-mW 6-GS/s 6-bit Single-Channel Flash ADC With Selectively Activated 8× Time-Domain Latch Interpolation

A selectively activated 8<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\times $ </tex-math></inline-formula> time-domain (T-domain) latch interpolation is proposed for low-power high-speed flash analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). Flash ADCs with T-domain latch interpolation perform voltage-to-time (V-to-T) and time-to-digital (T-to-D) conversions along with conventional voltage-to-digital (V-to-D) conversion. This reduces the number of dynamic comparators (CMPs) of the V-to-D conversion for low power consumption. A conventional 4<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\times $ </tex-math></inline-formula> T-domain latch interpolation that obtains 2 bits in T-to-D conversion reduces the number of dynamic CMPs to 17 from the conventional 63 in a 6-bit flash ADC. To further reduce the number of dynamic CMPs, the nonlinearity of the V-to-T conversion is resolved in this work. A large input is used to define a wide linear range in the V-to-T conversion, and only the linear range is used for an 8<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\times $ </tex-math></inline-formula> interpolation. This enables a 3-bit T-to-D conversion, and thus, the number of dynamic CMPs is reduced to ten in a 6-bit flash ADC. The large input also enables high-speed operation by mitigating the <italic>RC</italic> time constant requirement of dynamic CMPs. For low-power T-to-D conversion, only two of eight converters in the T-to-D conversion are selectively activated for a conversion cycle. The fabricated 6-bit ADC chip in 1-V 65-nm CMOS achieves a 6-GS/s sampling frequency, a 15.1-mW power consumption, a 31.18-dB SNDR, and an 85-fJ/conversion-step figure of merit.
Growth and dry matter partitioning of potato influenced by paclobutrazol applied to seed tuber

Under cultivation conditions that favor the growth of plant shoot, the adoption of management practices that reduce the size of potato plants can be an alternative to increase the yield of tubers. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of paclobutrazol on vegetative growth and dry matter partitioning of the potato plant cv. Markies cultivated under summer conditions in the state of Minas Gerais. Treatments were 0.1, 1.0, 10 and 100 mg L-1 of paclobutrazol (PBZ) applied to the sprouted seeds before planting and control with water. PBZ was efficient in reducing plant height. PBZ treatments at doses 10 and 100 mg L-1 delayed the emergence of shoots and the beginning of plant tuberization. PBZ at 0.1 mg L-1 reduced the lengh of the stem by 18%, but did not differ from the control in relation to fresh and dry mass content, total production, specific gravity and starch content of tubers. Treatment of seed potatoes with PBZ a 0.1 mg L-1 resulted in smaller, more compact plants, which could be suitable for more densely planted in order to maximize plant population and increase economic return per unit of area.
Determination of Factors Effective on the Organization of Dairy Cattle Farms: A Case Study of Van Province of Tuşba District

The study aims at estimating the effect of producers’ socio-economic characteristics and the farm structure on the probability of becoming a member of an agricultural organization. For this aim Ordered Probit Model was applied. The data of 2010 production period was collected from 66 dairy cattle farms through questionnaires based on stratified random sampling method. While 74.2% of producers were not a member to any organization, the remaining 18.2 and 7.6% were members of one and more than one organizations, respectively. The result of study showed that the variables of experience, education level, milk yields, milking machine existence, and record keeping rate increased the probability of becoming a member to any agricultural organization. Government financial, technical and educational supports towards increasing the number of cattle farms, with high educated and experienced labor and high productivity levels, which are associated in an agricultural organization, could promote the willingness of producers in the region in participating of agricultural organizations as a member.
Worker Heterogeneity, Selection, and Employment Dynamics in the Face of Aggregate Demand and Pandemic Shocks

In a new Keynesian model with random search in the labor market, endogenous selection among heterogeneous workers amplifies fluctuations in unemployment and results in excess unemployment volatility relative to the efficient allocation. Recessions disproportionately affect low-productivity workers, whose unemployment spells are inefficiently frequent and long. We consider a COVID-recession resulting from a negative demand shock and a surge in exogenous separations. High-productivity workers benefit if separations in a pandemic take the form of temporary layoffs, but this is not true for low-productivity workers. The unemployment consequences are especially severe when nominal interest rates are close to the effective lower bound.
A Comparative Study of Eight Crossover Operators for the Maximum Scatter Travelling Salesman Problem

The maximum scatter traveling salesman problem (MSTSP), a variation of the famous travelling salesman problem (TSP), is considered here for our study. The aim of problem is to maximize the minimum edge in a salesman’s tour that visits each city exactly once in a network. It is proved be NP-hard problem and considered to be very difficult problem. To solve this kind of problems efficiently, one must use heuristic/metaheuristic algorithms, and genetic algorithm (GA) is one of them. Out of three operators in GAs, crossover is the most important operator. So, we consider eight crossover operators in GAs for solving the MSTSP. These operators have originally been designed for the TSP which can also be applied on the MSTSP after some modifications. The crossover operators are first illustrated manually through an example and then executed on some well-known TSPLIB instances of different types and sizes. The obtained comparative study clearly demonstrates the usefulness of the sequential constructive crossover operator for the MSTSP. Finally, a relative ranking of the crossover operators is reported.
FORMİK ASİDİN ALAMINE-336 VE ÇEŞİTLİ ÇÖZÜCÜLERLE TEPKİMELİ ÖZÜTLENMESİ

Karboksilik asitlerin uretim ortamlarindan veya atik sulardan geri kazanimi icin dusuk maliyetli ayristirma yontemlerine ihtiyac duyulmaktadir. Formik asit, en basit karboksilik asit olup siklikla anti-bakteriyel ve koruyucu madde olarak endustride yer bulmaktadir. Bu calismada endustride genis kullanim alani olan formik asidin sulu cozeltilerinden tepkimeli ozutleme ile yuksek verimde geri kazanilmasi amaclanmistir. 1- oktanol, hekzan ve ksilen seyreltici olarak secilirken; bir uzun zincirli ucuncul amin karisimi olan Alamine 336, ozutleyen olarak kullanilmistir. Geri kazanim yuzdesini artirmak amaciyla inert seyrelticiler (ksilen ve hekzan), nispeten daha polar bir cozucuyle modifiye edilmislerdir. Cozucu turu, modifiye edici orani ve ozutleyen derisiminin formik asidin tepkimeli ozutlenmesine etkileri incelenmistir. Denge verileri kullanilarak dagilim katsayisi (D) ve yukleme orani degerleri (z) hesaplanmistir. Calisilan seyrelticilerden en yuksek D degerleri 1-oktanol ile elde edilmislerdir. Inert seyrelticilerin modifiye edilmesi daha yuksek ozutleme verimi ile sonuclanmistir. Egilim, Alamine 336 iceren organik fazlarla da surmustur. Dagilim katsayilari, organik fazdaki modifiye edici yuzdesi ve amin derisiminin artisi ile birlikte yukselmistir. Yukleme orani degerlerinin ozellikle cozucu turunden etkilendigi gozlemlenmistir.
An Improved Direct Instantaneous Torque Control of Doubly Salient Electromagnetic Machine for Torque Ripple Reduction

The doubly salient electromagnetic machine (DSEM) is a suitable candidate in many industrial applications due to its simple construction and low manufacture cost. However, the doubly salient structure and the conventional square-wave control method lead to the large torque ripple in the DSEM. In this article, an improved direct instantaneous torque control (DITC) method is proposed to suppress the inherent torque ripple and enhance the torque capability of the DSEM. The maximum torque characteristics of the DSEM are obtained and analyzed with the finite-element method. Besides, the ideal phase current waveform to realize the low torque ripple is constructed according to the maximum torque characteristics. Then, the operation principle of the proposed DITC method is derived from the maximum torque characteristics. The proposed DITC method is implemented on a prototype of 12/8-pole DSEM drive system. The influence of the commutation angle parameters on the proposed DITC method is analyzed through simulation and experimental results. The simulation and experimental results indicate that the proposed DITC method can realize the smooth torque operation and high torque–ampere ratio simultaneously. Finally, the simulation and experiment under the step reference torque condition are performed to test the dynamic performance of the proposed DITC method.
Discovering Traditional Chinese Medicinal Herbs for Neurodegenerative Disorders

In this investigation, candidate traditional Chinese medicinal herbs for 3 neurodegenerative disorders, late-onset Alzheimer’s disease, late-onset Parkinson’s disease and Huntington disease were evaluated. The susceptibility genes were integrated to reconstruct traditional Chinese medicine-modern medicine network to discover the candidate herbs. For the 3 neurodegenerative disorders, the number of diseaserelated genes were increased from 2 to 16, which are directly associated with ingredients. Many traditional Chinese medicinal herbs associated with the 3 neurodegenerative disorders were identified (false discovery rate Benjamini-Hochberg<0.05). Four herbs for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease are related to β-amyloid 1-42 measurement-associated genes BCAM and APOE by ingredients resveratrol and kainic acid. There are 3 herbs correlated to late-onset Parkinson’s disease by both ingredient support and modern medicine symptom association evidence. Four traditional Chinese medicinal herbs are related to Huntington disease by ingredients. Available animal experiments in rats indicated that resveratrol could help to clean β-amyloid in brain to treat Alzheimer’s disease, probably through targeting LRP1 protein. This study provided a novel way to utilize genetic data to explore traditional Chinese medicinal herbs and a new insight into drug discovery of neurodegenerative disorders.