Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Line commutated converter for grid interfacing of solar photovoltaic array

The line commutated converter (LCC) is matured technology which is used for power conversion. The LCC is tied to a grid in which commutation of power devices (SCR) is achieved by grid voltage. In this paper, three phase LCC in an inverter mode is proposed for interfacing of solar photovoltaic (PV) array and ac grid. This topology does not require to make and maintain the synchronism between converter and ac grid. In addition, it follows maximum power point tracking (MPPT) of solar PV array by changing the firing angle of LCC. The simulation and experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed solution.
Sub‐clinical orthostatic hypotension is associated with greater subjective memory impairment in older adults

Orthostatic blood pressure (BP) is a measure of cardiovascular autonomic function. Orthostatic BP dysregulation may lie on the causal pathway to dementia. Subjective memory impairment (SMI) is commonly reported by older people some of whom may progress to dementia. We hypothesised that sub‐clinical orthostatic hypotension would be associated with SMI and explored these associations according to sex.
Microscopy and Quantitative Imaging : Novel Applications in Health Research

This chapter discusses several microscopy-based applications that were designed to study specific aspects of cell physiology. To this end, we focus on advanced image acquisition and quantification techniques. They were applied to measure the cellular response to stress and develop new therapeutic modalities. We illustrate the use of conventional confocal microscopy and Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy (STORM) to examine the organization and function of mitochondria and the production of reactive oxygen species in 2D cultures. We expand these methods to novel imaging approaches that interrogate the properties of cancer cell spheroids, which provide multicellular 3D tumor models. Taken together, we discuss recent methods that use state-of-the-art microscopy to advance biomedical research.
Nursing Case Management, Peer Coaching, and Hepatitis A and B Vaccine Completion Among Homeless Men Recently Released on Parole: Randomized Clinical Trial

BackgroundAlthough hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections are vaccine-preventable diseases, few homeless parolees coming out of prisons and jails have received the hepatitis A and B vaccination series. ObjectivesThe study focused on completion of the HAV and HBV vaccine series among homeless men on parole. The efficacy of three levels of peer coaching (PC) and nurse-delivered interventions was compared at 12-month follow-up: (a) intensive peer coaching and nurse case management (PC-NCM); (b) intensive PC intervention condition, with minimal nurse involvement; and (c) usual care (UC) intervention condition, which included minimal PC and nurse involvement. Furthermore, we assessed predictors of vaccine completion among this targeted sample. MethodsA randomized control trial was conducted with 600 recently paroled men to assess the impact of the three intervention conditions (PC-NCM vs. PC vs. UC) on reducing drug use and recidivism; of these, 345 seronegative, vaccine-eligible subjects were included in this analysis of completion of the Twinrix HAV/HBV vaccine. Logistic regression was added to assess predictors of completion of the HAV/HBV vaccine series and chi-square analysis to compare completion rates across the three levels of intervention. ResultsVaccine completion rate for the intervention conditions were 75.4% (PC-NCM), 71.8% (PC), and 71.9% (UC; p = .78). Predictors of vaccine noncompletion included being Asian and Pacific Islander, experiencing high levels of hostility, positive social support, reporting a history of injection drug use, being released early from California prisons, and being admitted for psychiatric illness. Predictors of vaccine series completion included reporting having six or more friends, recent cocaine use, and staying in drug treatment for at least 90 days. DiscussionFindings allow greater understanding of factors affecting vaccination completion in order to design more effective programs among the high-risk population of men recently released from prison and on parole.
Mural repair following obliteration of aneurysms: Production of experimental aneurysms

One hundred thirty‐two experimental rat carotid artery aneurysms were produced using a variety of methods, in order to determine which of these approaches should be employed in the development of a satisfactory laboratory model. The gross appearance and pathomorphology of aneurysms created by vein pouch and partial arteriotomy methods most closely resembled those features reported in clinical intracranial aneurysms.
A Text Mining Approach for Anomaly Detection in Application Layer DDoS Attacks

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks are a major threat to Internet security, with their use continuing to grow. Attackers are finding more sophisticated methods to attack servers. A lot of defense mechanisms have been proposed for DDoS attacks at IP and TCP layers. Those methods will not work well for application layer DDoS attacks that utilize legitimate application layer requests to overwhelm a web server. These attacks look legitimate in both packets and protocol characteristics, which makes them harder to detect. In this paper, we propose an anomaly detection method to detect application layer DDoS attacks. We take a text mining approach to extract features which represent a user’s HTTP request sequence using bigrams. We apply the one class Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithm on the extracted features from normal users’ HTTP request sequences. The one class SVM labels any newly seen instance that deviates from the normal, trained model as an application layer DDoS instance. We apply our experimental analysis on real web server logs collected from a student resource website. Three different variants of HTTP GET flood attacks are implemented on our server, generated via penetration testing. Our results show that the proposed method is able to detect application layer DDoS attacks with very good performance results.
Detection of Heart Beat Positions in ECG Recordings: A Lead-Dependent Algorithm

This paper proposes a computerized heartbeat detection method in single-channel electrocardiograms (ECGs). First, the well-known Pan-Tompkins technique was implemented, and next, a channel-dependent version was developed, by adjusting threshold values and reducing false QRS detections. The algorithms were tested with the MIT-BIH Arrhythmia Database (original algorithm), and with the St. Petersburg Database (modified version). When validating the performances of the original Pan-Tompkins algorithm, we have achieved a sensitivity of Se = 99.81, at a positive predictivity (P+) = 99.85%. The F-Score was 0.9587, and the RMS RR Interval Error (RMSRRIE) resulted to be 4,480.46 ms. When analysing the performance of the modified algorithm, results provided an average value of Se = 99.92%, P+ = 99.98%, F-Score = 0.9718, and a mean value of 111.05 ms. for the RMSRRIE. In conclusion, the improved Pan-Tompkins algorithm provides higher values for sensitivity and positive predictivity, increased F-Score, and it significantly reduces the temporal error when estimating the positions of QRS complexes. Thus, it could be used as a starting point to detect heartbeat positions in more sophisticated computerized detection systems.
Free radical‐dependent nuclear localization of Bcl‐2 in the central nervous system of aged rats is not associated with Bcl‐2‐mediated protection from apoptosis

We have previously reported that Bcl‐2 is up‐regulated in the CNS of aged F344 rats as a consequence of oxidative stress. In addition to increased levels of expression, we now report that there is a subcellular redistribution of Bcl‐2 in the CNS of aged F344 rats. Using western blotting, we found Bcl‐2 predominantly located in the cytosol of young rats. However, in aged rats Bcl‐2 was found primarily in the nucleus. This distribution, in the hippocampus and cerebellum, was reversed by treatment with the nitrone spin trap N‐tert‐butyl‐α‐phenylnitrone (PBN). Paradoxically, PBN treatment in young rats had the opposite effect, changing Bcl‐2 from predominantly cytosolic to nuclear. We also detected an increase in Bax in aged hippocampal samples (both nuclear and cytosolic), which was reversed by treatment with PBN. The distribution of Bcl‐2 and Bax in the cytosol of aged rats dramatically decreased the Bcl‐2/Bax ratio, a probable indicator of neuronal vulnerability, which was restored upon treatment with PBN. In order to assess the effect of nuclear association of Bcl‐2 we used PC12 cells stably transfected with a Bcl‐2 construct to which we added the nuclear localization sequence of the SV40 large T antigen to the N‐terminus which resulted in nuclear targeting of Bcl‐2. Measurement of cell death using lactate dehydrogenase assays showed that, contrary to wild‐type Bcl‐2, Bcl‐2 localized to the nucleus was not effective in protecting cells from treatment with 250 µm H2O2. These results suggest that nuclear localization of Bcl‐2 observed in the aged CNS may not reflect a protective mechanism against oxidative stress, a major component of age‐associated CNS impairments.
Nanoparticle Electromagnetic Properties for Sensing Applications

Nanoparticles play a crucial role in biomedical and sensing applications. In this paper the design of non-spherical gold nanoparticles, operating in the near infrared and visible regime, is proposed. The structures consist of metallic resonating inclusions of different shapes embedded in a dielectric environment. Different geometries, such as cube, elliptical cylinder and rod are considered. The main purpose of this study is to develop new analytical formulas useful in the nanoparticle design for specific biomedical and sensing applications. These analytical models are developed in order to describe the electromagnetic behavior of the nanoparticles in terms of resonant wavelength position, magnitude and amplitude width for absorption and scattering cross section. The obtained results are compared to the numerical ones, performed by full-wave simulations, and to the experimental values existing in literature. A good agreement among analytical, experimental and numerical results was obtained. Then, the structure is analyzed in terms of sensitivity properties. Exploiting the proposed analytical models, it is possible to design the nanostructures with the desired electromagnetic properties. The results show that these structures can be successfully applied for sensing applications.
Neurotrophic Factor Receptor Expression and in vitro Nerve Growth of Geniculate Ganglion Neurons That Supply Divergent Nerves

We investigated which neurotrophic factors may contribute to the divergence of two peripheral nerves emanating from the geniculate ganglion. We compared receptor mRNA profiles of the neurons that supply the nerves, and also the growth of their neurites in response to neurotrophic factors in culture. Three mRNAs, Gfra2, TrkA, and TrkC, were differentially expressed. Only one ligand, Neurturin, promoted substantially different nerve regrowth from the nerves, and therefore may contribute to nerve divergence. Three receptor mRNAs were expressed in 100% of the neurons: TrkB, TrkB.T2 (kinase-lacking isoform), and NCAM-140. Ligands for these Trks and FRα-1 promoted more outgrowth than ligands for the other receptors. NT-3 and BDNF synergistically promoted outgrowth. Finally, receptors are coexpressed at random rates, arguing against the existence of neuronal subtypes defined by a combinatorial code of these receptors.
Specific detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus species by multiplex PCR

In Staphylococcus aureus, mecA and femA are the genetic determinants of methicillin resistance. By using a multiplex PCR strategy, 310- and 686-bp regions of the mecA and femA genes, respectively, were coamplified to identify susceptible (lacking mecA) and resistant (mecA+) staphylococci and to differentiate S. aureus (femA+) from coagulase-negative staphylococci (lacking femA). A third staphylococcal genomic sequence, corresponding to IS431 and spanning 444 bp, was used as a PCR control. One hundred sixty-five staphylococcal strains were tested. All 72 methicillin-resistant strains were found to be mecA+, and 92 of the 93 susceptible isolates lacked mecA. Only one coagulase-negative Staphylococcus isolate carrying the mecA gene was highly susceptible to oxacillin. The femA determinant was a unique feature of S. aureus; it was found in 100% of the S. aureus strains tested but was undetectable in all of the coagulase-negative staphylococci tested. The possibility of directly detecting the mecA and femA genes in blood samples was also investigated. After two amplification steps, a sensitivity of 50 microorganisms per ml of freshly collected spiked blood was achieved. In conclusion, coamplification of mecA and femA determinants proved to be very reliable both for rapid detection of methicillin resistance and differential diagnosis between S. aureus and other staphylococci. This technique, which can be successfully performed with blood samples, could be a useful tool in the diagnosis and treatment monitoring of staphylococcal infections.
The Alcaligenes eutrophus H16 hoxX gene participates in hydrogenase regulation

Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed a 1,791-bp open reading frame in the hox gene cluster of the gram-negative chemolithotroph Alcaligenes eutrophus H16. In order to investigate the biological role of this open reading frame, we generated an in-frame deletion allele via a gene replacement strategy. The resulting mutant grew significantly more slowly than the wild type under lithoautotrophic conditions (6.1 versus 4.2 h doubling time). A reduction in the level of the soluble NAD-reducing hydrogenase (60% of the wild-type activity) was shown to be the cause of the slow lithoautotrophic growth. We used plasmid-borne gene fusions to monitor the expression of the operons encoding the soluble and membrane-bound hydrogenases. The expression of both operons was lower in the mutant than in the wild-type strain. These results suggest that the newly identified gene, designated hoxX, encodes a regulatory component which, in conjunction with the transcriptional activator HoxA, controls hydrogenase synthesis.
Theoretical studies on sex ratio evolution.

This book deals with a key area of population genetics: the ratio of the sexes in a population, or the allocation of resources to male versus female reproductive function. Samuel Karlin and Sabin Lessard establish the formal theoretical aspects of the evolution of sex ratio within the constraints of genetic mechanisms of sex determination. Their results generalize and unify existing work on the topic, strengthening previous conceptions in some cases and, in other instances, offering new directions of research. There are two main approaches to understanding the causes and effects of sex ratio. One approach focuses on the optimization and adaptive functions of sex allocation, while the other emphasizes the consequences of genetic sex determination mechanisms. In discussing the utility of these two approaches, Professors Karlin and Lessard examine the principal sex-determining mechanisms and facts involved in sex ratio representations, the various genetic and environmental factors that contribute to adaptive sex expression, and the evolution of sex determining systems and controls. From a population genetic perspective, the authors derive evolutionary properties in support of the high incidence of 1:1 sex ratio in natural populations and investigate the conditions that can explain the occurrence of biased sex ratio.
The Genetically Remote Pathogenic Strain NVH391-98 of the Bacillus cereus Group Is Representative of a Cluster of Thermophilic Strains

ABSTRACT Bacteria of the Bacillus cereus group are known to cause food poisoning. A rare phylogenetically remote strain, NVH391-98, was recently characterized to encode a particularly efficient cytotoxin K presumably responsible for food poisoning. This pathogenic strain and its close relatives can be phenotypically distinguished from other strains of the B. cereus group by the inability to grow at temperatures below 17°C and by the ability to grow at temperatures from 48 to 53°C. A temperate phage, phBC391A2, residing in the genome of NVH391-98 allows us to distinguish the three known members of this thermophilic strain cluster.
Glycoprotein 110, the Epstein-Barr virus homolog of herpes simplex virus glycoprotein B, is essential for Epstein-Barr virus replication in vivo

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) glycoprotein gp110 has substantial amino acid homology to gB of herpes simplex virus but localizes differently within infected cells and is essentially undetectable in virions. To investigate whether gp110, like gB, is essential for EBV infection, a selectable marker was inserted within the gp110 reading frame, BALF4, and the resulting null mutant EBV stain, B95-110HYG, was recovered in lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs). While LCLs infected with the parental virus B95-8 expressed the gp110 protein product following productive cycle induction, neither full-length gp110 nor the predicted gp110 truncation product was detectable in B95-110HYG LCLs. Infectious virus could not be recovered from B95-110HYG LCLs unless gp110 was provided in trans. Rescued B95-110HYG virus latently infected and growth transformed primary B lymphocytes. Thus, gp110 is required for the production of transforming virus but not for the maintenance of transformation of primary B lymphocytes by EBV.
Product Market Competition, Managerial Compensation, and Firm Size in Market Equilibrium

We develop a tractable equilibrium model of competing firms in an industry to show how the distribution of firm qualities, moral hazard, and product market characteristics interact to affect firm size, managerial compensation, and market structure. Different determinants of product market competition have contrasting effects on firm size and managerial compensation. Although both firm size and managerial compensation increase with the entry cost, they increase with the elasticity of substitution if and only if firm size exceeds a high threshold but decrease if it is below a low threshold. Aggregate shocks to the firm productivity distribution affect incentives in our equilibrium framework. We show statistically and economically significant empirical support for several hypotheses derived from the theory that relates product market characteristics to managerial compensation, firm size, and the number of firms in the industry. Different determinants of competition indeed have contrasting effects, as predict.
Structural determinants of trypsin affinity and specificity for cationic inhibitors

The binding free energies of four inhibitors to bovine β‐trypsin are calculated. The inhibitors use either ornithine, lysine, or arginine to bind to the S1 specificity site. The electrostatic contribution to binding free energy is calculated by solving the finite difference Poisson‐Boltzmann equation, the contribution of nonpolar interactions is calculated using a free energy‐surface area relationship and the loss of conformational entropy is estimated both for trypsin and ligand side chains. Binding free energy values are of a reasonable magnitude and the relative affinity of the four inhibitors for trypsin is correctly predicted. Electrostatic interactions are found to oppose binding in all cases. However, in the case of ornithine‐ and lysine‐based inhibitors, the salt bridge formed between their charged group and the partially buried carboxylate of Asp189 is found to stabilize the complex. Our analysis reveals how the molecular architecture of the trypsin binding site results in highly specific recognition of substrates and inhibitors. Specifically, partially burying Asp 189 in the inhibitor‐free enzyme decreases the penalty for desolvation of this group upon complexation. Water molecules trapped in the binding interface further stabilize the buried ion pair, resulting in a favorable electrostatic contribution of the ion pair formed with ornithine and lysine side chains. Moreover, all side chains that form the trypsin specificity site are partially buried, and hence, relatively immobile in the inhibitor‐free state, thus reducing the entropie cost of complexation. The implications of the results for the general problem of recognition and binding are considered. A novel finding in this regard is that like charged molecules can have electrostatic contributions to binding that are more favorable than oppositely charged molecules due to enhanced interactions with the solvent in the highly charged complex that is formed.
Pain and effusion and quadriceps activation and strength.

CONTEXT Quadriceps dysfunction is a common consequence of knee joint injury and disease, yet its causes remain elusive. OBJECTIVE To determine the effects of pain on quadriceps strength and activation and to learn if simultaneous pain and knee joint effusion affect the magnitude of quadriceps dysfunction. DESIGN Crossover study. SETTING University research laboratory. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS Fourteen (8 men, 6 women; age = 23.6 ± 4.8 years, height = 170.3 ± 9.16 cm, mass = 72.9 ± 11.84 kg) healthy volunteers. INTERVENTION(S) All participants were tested under 4 randomized conditions: normal knee, effused knee, painful knee, and effused and painful knee. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Quadriceps strength (Nm/kg) and activation (central activation ratio) were assessed after each condition was induced. RESULTS Quadriceps strength and activation were highest under the normal knee condition and differed from the 3 experimental knee conditions (P < .05). No differences were noted among the 3 experimental knee conditions for either variable (P > .05). CONCLUSIONS Both pain and effusion led to quadriceps dysfunction, but the interaction of the 2 stimuli did not increase the magnitude of the strength or activation deficits. Therefore, pain and effusion can be considered equally potent in eliciting quadriceps inhibition. Given that pain and effusion accompany numerous knee conditions, the prevalence of quadriceps dysfunction is likely high.
Antimicrobial susceptibility of Fusobacterium necrophorum isolated from bovine hepatic abscesses.

OBJECTIVE To determine the resistance and susceptibility to antimicrobial compounds of Fusobacterium necrophorum isolates from bovine hepatic abscesses. PROCEDURE 37 isolates of F necrophorum (21 subsp necrophorum and 16 subsp funduliforme) isolated from bovine hepatic abscesses were obtained from cultures grown and maintained in anaerobic brain heart infusion broth. A broth dilution method was used as an initial screening to determine general susceptibility to 31 antimicrobial compounds. The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of 19 of the antimicrobial compounds that inhibited growth in the initial test were determined by use of the broth microdilution method. RESULTS Fusobacterium necrophorum isolates were generally susceptible to penicillins, tetracyclines (chlortetracycline and oxytetracycline), lincosamides (clindamycin and lincomycin), and macrolides (tylosin and erythromycin), and were resistant to aminoglycosides (kanamycin, neomycin, gentamicin, and streptomycin), ionophores (except narasin), and peptides (avoparcin, polymyxin, and thiopeptin). The 5 antimicrobials (bacitracin, chlortetracycline, oxytetracycline, tylosin, and virginiamycin) that have FDA approval for prevention of liver abscesses in feedlot cattle were inhibitory to F necrophorum. Differences in antimicrobial susceptibility patterns were observed between the 2 subspecies only for clindamycin and lincomycin. The MIC of F necrophorum isolates from antibiotic-fed cattle were similar to those for isolates from nonantibiotic-fed cattle. CONCLUSIONS The MIC of FDA-approved antibiotics were not reflective of the efficacy of antibiotics in preventing liver abscesses in feedlot cattle. Also, continuous feeding of tylosin did not appear to select resistant F necrophorum.