Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Implementation of Bee Colony Optimization Algorithm to Sheppard–Taylor PFC Converter

In this paper, a bee colony optimization (BCO) algorithm is adapted to the current control strategy of power factor (PF) correction for a Sheppard–Taylor converter. The control approach is developed to eliminate the input current harmonics in the converter. The BCO algorithm is a new population-based search algorithm which is one of the metaheuristic techniques based on swarm intelligence. This algorithm depends on modeling the natural behavior of real honey bees. In this approach, duty cycles are generated by the BCO algorithm for the Sheppard–Taylor converter switch to obtain unity PF (UPF) and lower total harmonic distortion of the input current. The duty cycles for half a line period are calculated and stored in a lookup table. By synchronizing the memory with the line, near-unity PFs can be achieved in an operating point. The feedforward is also used into the control algorithm with the maximum value of the input voltage. The implementation of feedforward improves the converter performance. The input current of the converter is operated in continuous conduction mode. The simulation and experimental results show that the proposed control strategy works well and the UPF can be achieved with wide input voltage, load, and parameter variation. The results are compatible with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 61000-3-2 current harmonic standard.
Stability Analysis of Four PMSG-Based Offshore Wind Farms Fed to an SG-Based Power System Through an LCC-HVDC Link

This paper presents the stability analyzed results of four permanent-magnet synchronous generator (PMSG)-based offshore wind farms fed to an synchronous generator (SG)-based power system through a line-commutated converter (LCC)-based HVDC link. The damping controller of the inverter station of the HVDC link is designed by using modal control theory to contribute adequate damping to the studied SG-based power system under different operating conditions. A frequency-domain scheme based on eigenvalue analysis and a time-domain method based on nonlinear model simulations are both performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme. It can be concluded from the simulation results that the proposed LCC-HVDC link combined with the designed damping controller at the inverter station cannot only render adequate damping to the studied SG under various operating conditions but also effectively mitigate inherent SG oscillations under severe disturbance conditions.
Predictors of outcome in a large retrospective cohort of patients with transverse myelitis

Background: Transverse myelitis (TM) is an inflammatory disorder that can be idiopathic or associated with central nervous system autoimmune/dysimmune inflammatory diseases, connective tissue autoimmune diseases, or post-infectious neurological syndromes. Prognosis of initial TM presentations is uncertain. Objective: To identify outcome predictors in TM. Methods: Retrospective study on isolated TM at onset. Scores ⩾3 on the modified Rankin scale (mRS) marked high disability. Results: A total of 159 patients were identified. TM was classified as follows: idiopathic (I-TM, n = 53), post-infectious (PI-TM, n = 48), associated with multiple sclerosis (MS-TM, n = 51), or neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders/connective tissue autoimmune diseases/neurosarcoidosis (n = 7). At follow-up (median, 55 months; interquartile range, 32–80), 42 patients were severely disabled, and patients with I-TM or PI-TM showed the worst outcomes. Predictors of disability were infectious antecedents, sphincter and pyramidal symptoms, high mRS scores, blood–cerebrospinal fluid barrier damage, lumbar magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) lesions on univariate analysis, and older age (odds ratio (OR), 1.1; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.0–1.1), overt/subclinical involvement of the peripheral nervous system (PNS) (OR, 9.4; 95% CI, 2.2–41.0), complete TM (OR, 10.8; 95% CI, 3.4–34.5) on multivariate analysis. Conclusion: Our findings help define prognosis and therapies in TM at onset. Infectious antecedents and PNS involvement associate with severe prognosis. Nerve conduction studies and lumbar MRI could improve the prognostic assessment of this condition.
Equivalence of SVM and Carrier-Based PWM in Three-Phase/Wire/Level Vienna Rectifier and Capability of Unbalanced-Load Control

In this paper, the analysis of space vector modulation of a three-phase/wire/level Vienna rectifier is conducted, according to which the implementation of the equivalent carrier-based pulsewidth modulation is deduced theoretically within each separated sector in the diagram of vectors. The voltage balancing ability of dc-link neutral point, which depends on the uneven distribution of short vectors, is analyzed as well. An adaptive and robust controller to balance the output voltage under the unbalanced load limit for different modulation indices is proposed. The proposed controller can work at wide range of unbalanced load condition as well. Furthermore, the maximum unbalanced load is deduced versus the modulation index m when the converter works in unity power factor. An experimental prototype of 2.5 kW was built to verify the effectiveness of the theoretical analysis. Finally, the tested unbalanced limit of outputs for the experimental platform was given under different modulation indices. The output voltages for dual bus are balanced, and the theoretical analysis is verified.
Repurposing Thiram and Disulfiram as Antibacterial Agents for Multidrug-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infections

ABSTRACT Thiram and disulfiram were evaluated as antibacterial agents against multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Against a 30-member panel comprised of vancomycin-susceptible, vancomycin-intermediate, and vancomycin-resistant S. aureus strains, the MIC90 values of the respective test agents were 4 and 16 μg/ml. Additional analyses revealed that thiram and disulfiram are rapid-acting bacteriostatic agents with narrow, Gram-positive-bacterium spectrum activity. Synergy studies further determined that disulfiram increases the vancomycin susceptibility of three clinical vancomycin-resistant S. aureus strains in vitro, thus establishing a potential use in combination therapy.
Multicenter Study of Clinical Features of Breakthrough Acinetobacter Bacteremia during Carbapenem Therapy

ABSTRACT Breakthrough Acinetobacter bacteremia during carbapenem therapy is not uncommon, and it creates therapeutic dilemmas for clinicians. This study was conducted to evaluate the clinical and microbiological characteristics of breakthrough Acinetobacter bacteremia during carbapenem therapy and to assess the efficacy of various antimicrobial therapies. We analyzed 100 adults who developed breakthrough Acinetobacter bacteremia during carbapenem therapy at 4 medical centers over a 6-year period. Their 30-day mortality rate was 57.0%, and the carbapenem resistance rate of their isolates was 87.0%. Among patients with carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter bacteremia, breakthrough bacteremia during carbapenem therapy was associated with a significantly higher 14-day mortality (51.7% versus 37.4%, respectively; P = 0.025 by bivariate analysis) and a higher 30-day mortality (P = 0.037 by log rank test of survival analysis) than in the nonbreakthrough group. For the treatment of breakthrough Acinetobacter bacteremia during carbapenem therapy, tigecycline-based therapy was associated with a significantly higher 30-day mortality (80.0%) than those with continued carbapenem therapy (52.5%) and colistin-based therapy (57.9%) by survival analysis (P = 0.047 and 0.045 by log rank test, respectively). Cox regression controlling for confounders, including severity of illness indices, demonstrated that treatment with tigecycline-based therapy for breakthrough Acinetobacter bacteremia was an independent predictor of 30-day mortality (hazard ratio, 3.659; 95% confidence interval, 1.794 to 7.465; P < 0.001). Patients with breakthrough Acinetobacter bacteremia during carbapenem therapy posed a high mortality rate. Tigecycline should be used cautiously for the treatment of breakthrough Acinetobacter bacteremia that develops during carbapenem therapy.
The link between depression and performance on the Symbol Digit Modalities Test: Mechanisms and clinical significance

Objective: To determine the mechanism and clinical significance of depression-related differences in performance on the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT). Methods: The influence of depression on two versions of a computerized SDMT (i.e. fixed versus variable code) was assessed. Both versions involve processing speed, but the fixed c-SDMT also encompasses incidental visual memory. Results: Depression was associated with a 19.06% slowing on the variable (p = 0.002) and an 8.10% slowing on the fixed (p = 0.219) c-SDMT. Conclusion: Depression-associated differences in performance on the SDMT appear linked more to a reduction in processing speed than a decline in incidental visual memory and exceed the 10% threshold considered clinically significant.
A Comparison of Statistical Approaches for Genetic Anticipation with Application to Pancreatic Cancer

Genetic anticipation for a particular disease can involve an earlier age at onset (or, diagnosis), greater severity, and/or a higher number of affected individuals in successive generations within a family. The variable of interest in our study of genetic anticipation was age at diagnosis of pancreatic cancer for different generations, with and without adjustment for time under observation. We compared nonparametric and semiparametric statistical tests for paired data. This comparison was illustrated on an example of familial pancreatic cancer where study subjects were taken from the Pancreatic Cancer Collaborative Registry (PCCR). The nonparametric test performed on our example better than the two semiparametric tests, and was more efficient in detecting risk differences at earlier ages. After adjusting for follow up time, all methods detected genetic anticipation
On/Off Control of Boost PFC Converters to Improve Light-Load Efficiency in Paralleled Power Supply Units for Servers

This paper proposes an on/off control of boost power factor correction (PFC) converters to improve the light-load efficiency in paralleled power supply units (PSUs) for servers. The proposed scheme operates the PFC stages of two paralleled PSUs alternately during one cycle of a 60-Hz ac input only at light loads. This improves the light-load efficiency without deteriorating the heavy-load efficiency by reducing load-independent losses such as capacitive turn-on and core losses. In addition, the proposed scheme alleviates the harmonic distortion by reducing the discontinuous conduction mode region. Experimental results from 1.6-kW PFC boost converters are shown to verify the proposed work.
Modes of Governance in Business Process Outsourcing: Executive versus Market's Perspective

Outsourcing success - its all in governance reported Lauren Bielski in the ABA banking journal 2006 and consequently, governance represents the key concept when discussing outsourcing in practice. However, when analyzing the business process outsourcing practice of Swiss retail banks, governance aspects seem so far only to play a minor role in the evaluation of outsourcing decisions. This article deals with outsourcing in Swiss retail banking and raises the question whether the mode of governance does matter from the capital markets' point of view, and what modes of governance might be valued most. Our findings provide evidence that governance concepts applied in practice might divert when viewed from the executive's versus the market's perspective or in other words, outsourcing governance in the banking industry is much more a matter of coping with uncertainty than a process of truly aligning contracts in an optimal way.
Foetus into Man: Physical Growth from Conception to Maturity

Thank you for downloading foetus into man physical growth from conception to maturity. As you may know, people have look numerous times for their chosen novels like this foetus into man physical growth from conception to maturity, but end up in infectious downloads. Rather than enjoying a good book with a cup of coffee in the afternoon, instead they are facing with some malicious virus inside their desktop computer.
Basis for Early and Preferential Selection of the E138K Mutation in HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase

ABSTRACT E138K, a G→A mutation in HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT), is preferentially selected by etravirine (ETR) and rilpivirine over other substitutions at position E138 that offer greater drug resistance. We hypothesized that there was a mutational bias for the E138K substitution and designed an allele-specific PCR to monitor the emergence of E138A/G/K/Q/R/V during ETR selection experiments. We also performed competition experiments using mutated viruses and quantified the prevalence of E138 minority species in drug-naive patients. E138K, as well as E138G, consistently emerged first during ETR selection experiments, followed by E138A and E138Q; E138R was never selected. Surprisingly, E138K was identified as a tiny minority in 23% of drug-naive subtype B patients, a result confirmed by ultradeep sequencing (UDS). This result could reflect a low fitness cost of E138K; however, E138K was one of the least fit substitutions at codon E138, even after taking into account the deoxynucleoside triphosphate pools of the cells used in competition experiments. Further UDS analysis revealed other minority species in a pattern consistent with the mutational bias of HIV RT. There was no evidence of APOBEC3-hypermutation in these selection experiments or in patients. Our results confirm the mutational bias of HIV-1 in patients and highlight the importance of G→A mutations in HIV-1 drug resistance evolution.
Salivary nitro-oxidative stress and matrix metalloproteinase-9 in chronic kidney disease with periodontitis.

Between chronic kidney disease and chronic periodontitis there is bilateral relationship. The aim of the study was to assess the salivary nitro-oxidative stress and matrix metallopeoteinase-9 in chronic periodontitis and chronic kidney disease with chronic periodontitis. Eligible participants were categorized into three categories: healthy controls, chronic periodontitis and chronic kidney disease with chronic periodontitis. Periodontal status was assessed using probing depths, bleeding on probing, and clinical attachment level loss. Â The chronic kidney disease was diagnosed using the level of estimated glomerular filtration rate. From the saliva were assessed nitro-oxidative stress biomarkers (total nitrites and nitrates, total oxidative status, total antioxidant reactivity, and oxidative stress index) and matrix metallopeoteinase-9. In both disease groups there was a significant increase in saliva nitro-oxidative stress due to an increased nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species formation (p 0.05) and a concomitant increase of matrix metallopeoteinase-9 (p 0.05) when the intergroup comparison were made among the chronic periodontitis and chronic kidney disease with chronic periodontitis. Conclusions: Saliva nitro-oxidative stress markers and matrix metallopeoteinase-9 may be useful tests for pathogenetic and prognostic diagnosis in chronic periodontitis and chronic kidney disease with chronic periodontitis.
Setting Up and Managing Business Process Standardization: Insights from a Case Study with a Multinational E-Commerce Firm

Business process standardization (BPS) is an important aspect of BPM that receives increasing academic and practitioner attention. But what makes BPS projects successful and how can a firm establish a sustainable BPS capability for continuous process improvements? This paper draws on a case study with a leading E-commerce company about key business and IT-actions that contribute to BPS success. Further - while so far most BPS projects were designed as "only-once" activities the paper shows how companies can enhance their BPS activities towards a "BPS competency" allowing for continuous BPS process improvements.
Benzo[b]quinolizinium Derivatives Have a Strong Antimalarial Activity and Inhibit Indoleamine Dioxygenase

ABSTRACT The heme-containing enzymes indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase-1 (IDO-1) and IDO-2 catalyze the conversion of the essential amino acid tryptophan into kynurenine. Metabolites of the kynurenine pathway and IDO itself are involved in immunity and the pathology of several diseases, having either immunoregulatory or antimicrobial effects. IDO-1 plays a central role in the pathogenesis of cerebral malaria, which is the most severe and often fatal neurological complication of infection with Plasmodium falciparum. Mouse models are usually used to study the underlying pathophysiology. In this study, we screened a natural compound library against mouse IDO-1 and identified 8-aminobenzo[b]quinolizinium (compound 2c) to be an inhibitor of IDO-1 with potency at nanomolar concentrations (50% inhibitory concentration, 164 nM). Twenty-one structurally modified derivatives of compound 2c were synthesized for structure-activity relationship analyses. The compounds were found to be selective for IDO-1 over IDO-2. We therefore compared the roles of prominent amino acids in the catalytic mechanisms of the two isoenzymes via homology modeling, site-directed mutagenesis, and kinetic analyses. Notably, methionine 385 of IDO-2 was identified to interfere with the entrance of l-tryptophan to the active site of the enzyme, which explains the selectivity of the inhibitors. Most interestingly, several benzo[b]quinolizinium derivatives (6 compounds with 50% effective concentration values between 2.1 and 6.7 nM) were found to be highly effective against P. falciparum 3D7 blood stages in cell culture with a mechanism independent of IDO-1 inhibition. We believe that the class of compounds presented here has unique characteristics; it combines the inhibition of mammalian IDO-1 with strong antiparasitic activity, two features that offer potential for drug development.
Identity and the Life Cycle.

This monograph is the first of a series published under the rubric ofPsychological Issuesthat deals with the analytic theory of behavior. The republication of this selected paper was deemed necessary because of its pregnant observations and because of repeated references to it in both the psychiatric literature and discussions. The title is self-explanatory and is the theme of all of Erik Eriksen's unique contributions. Eriksen believes each man completes a continuum of individual life cycles. With each life cycle there is an emergence of socially definable identity. Identity formation is dependent on the process by which society identifies the young individual. The social process moulds generations in order to be reinvigorated. This interdependence of the individual aspiration and societal striving is indispensable to human life. The author adumbrates a concept of epigenesis by which he synthesizes and "dovetails psychosexual and psychosocial" development. He believes in the innate development
Coopetition Based Interaction Design for Optimal Customer Attraction

Today with an emerging experience economy, customers increasingly desire neither goods products nor service products but sensation-filled experiences (i.e., experience in use) that engage them in a personal and memorable way. Service providers appropriately interact with customers during the service delivery, and the inner expectations or experiences will directly be influenced in every encounter. However, service providers are being confronted with difficulties. In this paper, we present an interactive design method based on coopetition theories to optimize customer attraction within a cooperative/competitive relationship and gain customer satisfaction/loyalty. This design takes on high competence service providers (HCSPs) (e.g. good branding, large resources) to demonstrate how the method can assist HCSPs to design personalized and flexible interactions in order to enrich their competitiveness. This method manages customer expectations and considers customer pleasuring mentality in an experienced service journey. The exhibition application domain is used to situate the method and evaluate the performance.
Demystifying the Possibilities of ICT4D in the Mountain Regions of Nepal

Despite the substantial investments in ICT4D projects in developing countries, the benefits are yet to be realised by the majority of remote communities. Inaccessibility to ICT has widened educational, healthcare, information, and communication gaps between urban and remote communities. This paper focuses on an interpretive case study in Nepal to widen our understanding of how locally-initiated ICT4D projects may help to narrow these gaps. The study utilises the Assets Pentagon Model to identify the strengths and challenges of the Nepal Wireless Networking Project in the mountain areas, and to identify implications for research and practice based on insights from the case.
In Vitro Interactions of Micafungin with Amphotericin B against Clinical Isolates of Candida spp

ABSTRACT The in vitro activity of amphotericin B in combination with micafungin was evaluated against 115 isolates representing seven species of Candida. Overall, the percentages of synergistic interactions were 50% and 20% when the MIC-2 (lowest drug concentration to cause a prominent reduction in growth) and MIC-0 (lowest drug concentration to cause 100% growth inhibition) end point criteria, respectively, were used. Antagonism was not observed. Some of the interactions were confirmed by time-kill assays.
Randomized controlled feasibility trial of two telemedicine medication reminder systems for older adults with heart failure

We conducted a feasibility study of a telehealth intervention (an electronic pill box) and an m-health intervention (an app on a smartphone) for improving medication adherence in older adults with heart failure. A secondary aim was to compare patient acceptance of the devices. The participants were 60 adults with HF (65% male). Their average age was 69 years and 83% were Caucasian. Patients were randomized using a 2 × 2 design to one of four groups: pillbox silent, pillbox reminding, smartphone silent, smartphone reminding. We examined adherence to 4 medications over 28 days. The overall adherence rate was 78% (SD 35). People with the telehealth device adhered 80% of the time and people with the smartphone adhered 76% of the time. Those who received reminders adhered 79% of the time, and those with passive medication reminder devices adhered 78% of the time, i.e. reminding did not improve adherence. Patients preferred the m-health approach. Future interventions may need to address other contributors to poor adherence such as motivation.