Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A.C. Recombination Velocity as Applied to Determine n+/p/p+ Silicon Solar Cell Base Optimum Thickness

This work deals with determining the optimum thickness of the base of an n+/p/p+ silicon solar cell under monochromatic illumination in frequency modulation. The continuity equation for the density of minority carriers generated in the base, by a monochromatic wavelength illumination (λ), with boundary conditions that impose recombination velocities (Sf) and (Sb) respectively at the junction and back surface, is resolved. The ac photocurrent is deduced and studied according to the recombination velocity at the junction, to extract the mathematical expressions of recombination velocity (Sb). By the graphic technique of comparing the two expressions obtained, depending on the thickness (H) of the base, for each frequency, the optimum thickness (Hopt) is obtained. It is then modeled according to the frequency, at the long wavelengths of the incident light. Thus, Hopt decreases due to the low relaxation time of minority carriers, when the frequency of modulation of incident light increases.
Surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy after response to induction chemotherapy in patients with peritoneal metastasis of gastric cancer.

Background Gastric cancer (GC) with peritoneal metastases (PM) has a dismal prognosis and to date only a few management options have been reported. Of those, cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) after induction bidirectional intraperitoneal and systemic chemotherapy (BIPSC) appear as a promising treatment option for these patients. Outcome data including safety and efficacy of CRS with radical Gastrectomy and HIPEC after response to combination of laparoscopic HIPEC (LHIPEC) with BIPSC as an induction therapy in patients with PM of GC was evaluated in this retrospective observational study. Methods Diagnostic Laparoscopy was performed in 53 patients with PM of GC who admitted to the Center for Treatment of Peritoneal Surface Malignancies, Istanbul, between 2013 and 2016. Peritoneal cancer index (PCI), ascites status and cytology were determined. The patients underwent LHIPEC and then, BIPSC induction chemotherapy using intraperitoneal docetaxel (30 mg/m2) and cisplatin (30 mg/m2) and intravenous Docetaxel/Cisplatin/5-Fluorouracil (DCF) for 3 cycles. In selected patients, CRS with radical gastrectomy and HIPEC were performed after the response to induction therapy. BIPSC was continued for 3 more cycles with a dose reduction in an adjuvant setting. Results All LHIPEC procedures were uneventful with Grade 1-2 side effects (11/53, 20,8%). As a response to induction chemotherapy PCI was reduced from 19.6±8 (range, 6-39) to 13.6±9.8 (range, 1-39) (P<0.001). Ascites was detected in 55% (29 out of 53) and cytology was positive in 51% (27 out of 53) of the patients before induction chemotherapy. Ascites was completely abolished and all cytology became negative. Then, 34 of 53 (64.15%) patients underwent CRS with radical gastrectomy and HIPEC. CC0/1 resection was achieved in 22 (64.70%) of patients (P<0.05). The median survival time was 18.9±13.4 (95% CI: 15.2-22.6 months. Combined surgery and HIPEC related mortality occurred in 1 out of 34 patients (2.9%) due to developed diffuse intravascular coagulation at postoperative day 2. Grade 2 operative complications included biliary fistula in one, and duodenal stump leakage in two patients (8.7%). All of the fistula closed with conservative management. The median survival time was 18.9±13.4 months and the median progression-free survival time was 15.6±12.9 with 1-, 2-, and 5-year survival rates of 82.4%, 59% and 17.6% in patients with PM of GC. Multivariate analysis identified high peritoneal cancer index (P=0.000) and complete resection (P<0.05) as independent predictors for better progression-free and overall survival. Conclusions The best outcomes can be expected with optimal cytoreduction and limited peritoneal dissemination in response to induction chemotherapy. Knowledgeable selection of patients with PM of GC is essential to perform surgery with HIPEC safely with acceptable mortality and morbidity.
Comparative Study on Exponentially Weighted Moving Average Approaches for the Self-Starting Forecasting

Recently, a number of data analysists have suffered from an insufficiency of historical observations in many real situations. To address the insufficiency of historical observations, self-starting forecasting process can be used. A self-starting forecasting process continuously updates the base models as new observations are newly recorded, and it helps to cope with inaccurate prediction caused by the insufficiency of historical observations. This study compared the properties of several exponentially weighted moving average methods as base models for the self-starting forecasting process. Exponentially weighted moving average methods are the most widely used forecasting techniques because of their superior performance as well as computational efficiency. In this study, we compared the performance of a self-starting forecasting process using different existing exponentially weighted moving average methods under various simulation scenarios and real case datasets. Through this study, we can provide the guideline for determining which exponentially weighted moving average method works best for the self-starting forecasting process.
STATE PRESENCE AND DEMOCRATIC CULTURE: A SPATIAL INVESTIGATION

The relationship between state presence and individual-level democratic attitudes remains an open line of inquiry long after the third-wave of democratization. While greater access to state resources implies stronger integration into the state’s legality, increased exposure to ineffective or violent state agents can have a toxic effect on notions of citizenship. This article seeks to measure the relationship between perceived access to agents of the state and individual support for democracy as the best form of government. To develop a measure of daily access to street level state organizations such as the police, firefighters, and public healthcare workers, this article uses the geocoded locations of each survey respondent in the Local Democracy Index (Indice de Democracia Local - IDL) of the city of Sao Paulo. Several different multilevel model specifications suggest that this measure of distance negatively correlates with support for democracy, implying that respondents living closer to state offices are more likely to express pro-democratic views while controlling for important socio-economic characteristics. These results suggest that a higher level of access to state agents and the services they provide could promote certain dimensions of democratic citizenship, though the relationship can be negated when those interactions are mostly violent in nature
Impact of External Debt on Economic Growth in Brazil: An ARDL Bound Testing Approach

Gelismekte olan ulkeler icin surdurulebilir ekonomik buyume kilit makroekonomik hedeflerden biridir. Ancak her ulkenin GSYH buyumesini destekleyecek kadar sermayesi yoktur. Ulkenin yeterli ulusal sermayesi olmasa bile, hukumet GSYH buyumesini desteklemek icin bir miktar dis borc olarak borc alabilir. Bu calismanin amaci Brezilya ekonomisindeki ekonomik buyume ve dis borc arasindaki iliskiyi incelemektir. Bu calismada, uzun ve kisa vadede dis borcun GSYH'ye orani, borc hizmet stokunun GSYH'ye orani, milli harcamalarin GSYH'ye orani, reel doviz kuru ve disa aciklik degiskenlerin ekonomik buyumeye etkisi arastirilmistir. Buna gore, dis borcun ekonomik buyume uzerindeki etkisi ARDL Sinir Testi yardimiyla belirlenmistir. Arastirmada kullanilan veriler 1970-2015 donemini kapsamaktadir. Bulgulara gore, Brezilya'da dis borc ile buyume orani arasinda uzun vadeli bir iliski bulunmustur. Dis borcun ekonomik buyume uzerinde negatif etkisi oldugu sonucuna varilmistir. Bu sonuca gore, gelismekte olan ulkelerin dis borclanmasinin, surdurulebilir borc saglanmasinin ve borclarin yatirimlara donusturulmesinin GSYH'yi artiracagi dusunulmektedir.
Experimental and mathematical insights on the competition between poliovirus and a defective interfering genome

During replication, RNA virus populations accumulate genome alterations, such as mutations and deletions. The interactions between individual variants within the population can determine the fitness of the virus and, thus, the outcome of infection. We developed an ordinary differential equation model to infer the effect of the interaction between defective interfering (DI) replicons and wild-type (WT) poliovirus. We measure production of RNA and viral particles during a single infection cycle, and use these data to infer model parameters. We find that DI replicates faster than WT, but an equilibrium is established when both WT and DI compete for resources needed for RNA replication and genome encapsidation. In the presence of DI, the concentration of WT virions at cell lysis is suppressed by the factor of 5. Multiple generations within a single cell infection provide opportunities for significant inhibition of WT replication by competition with the faster replicating DI genomes.
Computational Social Science and the Study of Political Communication

ABSTRACT The challenge of disentangling political communication processes and their effects has grown with the complexity of the new political information environment. But so have scientists’ toolsets and capacities to better study and understand them. We map the challenges and opportunities of developing, synthesizing, and applying data collection and analysis techniques relying primarily on computational methods and tools to answer substantive theory-driven questions in the field of political communication. We foreground the theoretical, empirical, and institutional opportunities and challenges of Computational Communication Science (CCS) that are relevant to the political communication community. We also assess understandings of CCS and highlight challenges associated with data and resource requirements, as well as those connected with the theory and semantics of digital signals. With an eye to existing practices, we elaborate on the key role of infrastructures, academic institutions, ethics, and training in computational methods. Finally, we present the six full articles and two forum contributions of this special issue illustrating methodological innovation, as well as the theoretical, practical, and institutional relevance and challenges for realizing the potential of computational methods in political communication.
Delay‐aware privacy‐preserving location‐based services under spatiotemporal constraints

The ubiquitous use of location‐based services (LBS) through smart devices produces massive amounts of location data. An attacker, with an access to such data, can reveal sensitive information about users. In this paper, we study location inference attacks based on the probability distribution of historical location data, travel time information between locations using knowledge of a map, and short and long‐term observation of privacy‐preserving queries. We show that existing privacy‐preserving approaches are vulnerable to such attacks. In this context, we propose a novel location privacy‐preserving approach, called KLAP, based on the three fundamental obfuscation requirements: minimum k‐locations, l‐diversity, and privacy area preservation. KLAP adopts a personalized privacy preference for sporadic, frequent, and continuous LBS use cases. Specifically, it generates a secure concealing region (CR) to obfuscate the user's location and directs that CR to the service provider. The main contribution of this work is twofold. First, a CR pruning technique is devised to establish a balance between privacy and delay in LBS usage. Second, a new attack model called a long‐term obfuscated location tracking attack, and its countermeasure is proposed and evaluated both theoretically and empirically. We assess KLAP with two real‐world datasets. Experimental results show that it can achieve better privacy, reduced delay, and lower communication costs than existing state‐of‐the‐art methods.
CSR as a Driver of Corporate Reputation: Family Firms in the Italian Luxury Industry

The aim of the paper is to analyse the relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and brand reputation in the luxury sector. In particular, the paper from one hand analyzes the drivers that lead to a growing integration of social responsibility in the competitive strategies of luxury firms and, on the other hand focuses on the role of CSR as a driver of brand reputation. Starting from review of the literature, the factors that influence the reputation in the brand-based global luxury industry are discussed, highlighting a gradual shift from reputation based on product quality to one focused on firm’s sustainability. The methodology also includes three case studies of Italian family firms representing best practices in CRS reputation according to 2015 version of Standard Ethics Italian Index: Brunello Cucinelli, Damiani and Luxottica. The study highlights the increasing role CSR practices are assuming in the luxury industry along with the needs for luxury firms to adopt strategic innovations and innovative business models coherent with the principles of sustainability. Furthermore, the analysis illustrates how different socially responsible behaviors have influenced the economic results of the three companies analyzed. The empirical evidences contribute to the CSR and reputation literature by focusing on Italian family firms operating in the luxury sector.
Seasonal Variability of Trace Elements by Soil Depth in a Protected Area

Conservation units are legally protected areas containing natural fragments of Brazilian biomes. They may contain forest areas and can be found near to urban areas, which exposes them to pollutants. The Cicuta Forest Area of Relevant Ecological Interest (ARIE) is located in Volta Redonda and Barra Mansa-RJ, cities with industrial activity and near to the President Dutra Highway (BR 116), which connects the states of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. This study aimed to analyze the seasonal variability of the trace elements Pb, Cd, Cu, Mn, Zn and Ni in relation to soil depth in this ARIE, using the slice-wise algorithm to divide-up the soil data into 1 cm thick layers. The results show differences between sampling sites and seasonal variation by depth for trace elements. The highest Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn concentrations in the areas bordering the forest show that forest conservation minimized anthropic impact.
Progressive flexural–gravity waves with constant vorticity

Abstract This paper is concerned with the interaction of vertically sheared currents with two-dimensional flexural–gravity waves in finite depth. A third-order Stokes expansion is carried out and fully nonlinear computations are performed for symmetric, steadily travelling waves on a linear shear current. For upstream periodic waves, two global bifurcation mechanisms are discovered. Both branches bifurcate from infinitesimal periodic waves, with one stopping at another infinitesimal wave of different phase speed, and the other terminating at a stationary configuration. Generalised solitary waves are found for downstream waves. More surprisingly, the central pulse of the generalised solitary wave can become wide and flat as the computational domain is enlarged. This provides strong evidence for the existence of wave fronts in single-layer free-surface waves. Particle trajectories and streamline structures are studied numerically for the fully nonlinear equations. Two patterns, closed orbits and pure horizontal transport, are observed for both periodic and solitary waves in moving frames. The most striking phenomenon is the existence of net vertical transport of particles beneath some solitary waves due to wave–current interactions. The streamline patterns alternate between net vertical transport and a closed orbit, resulting in the formation of a series of nested cat's-eye structures.
Dielectrophoretic high-purity isolation of primary T-cells in samples contaminated with leukemia cells, for biomanufacturing of therapeutic CAR T-cells

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved treatment for specific cancers. CAR T-cells are manufactured ex vivo using T-cells derived from patients. Recent clinical trials reported a very high level of efficacy as well as complete remission rates (70%–93%) for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients. However, there have also been reports of significant adverse effects resulting from the contamination of T-cells derived from patients with existing cancer cells during manufacturing. The accidental transfection of cancer cells with CAR genes provides the cancer cells with immunity from CAR T-cells. As a result, genetically modified cancer cells that express the CAR molecules grow into secondary tumors. This significantly undermines the great benefits offered by CAR T-cell therapy. The removal of cancer cells before gene transfer using cell purification methods can address this issue. However, traditional cell purification methods such as fluorescence-activated cell separation and magnetic-activated cell separation have proven to be unsuitable for high-purity T-cell purification. To address this issue, we investigated the utility, in microfluidic channels, of dielectrophoretic cell purification, which is a label-free high-throughput cell purification method. When we conducted the experiments with primary T-cell (CD8+) samples contaminated with cultured acute lymphoblastic leukemia and chronic myelogenous leukemia cells, we found that dielectrophoresis could be used to purify cell samples and achieve 100% purity with high cell viability (greater than 90%).
Somatostatin receptor 2 expression in nasopharyngeal cancer is induced by Epstein Barr virus infection: impact on prognosis, imaging and therapy

Nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC), endemic in Southeast Asia, lacks effective diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Even in high-income countries the 5-year survival rate for stage IV NPC is less than 40%. Here we report high somatostatin receptor 2 (SSTR2) expression in multiple clinical cohorts comprising 402 primary, locally recurrent and metastatic NPCs. We show that SSTR2 expression is induced by the Epstein – Barr virus (EBV) latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) via the NF- κ B pathway. Using cell-based and preclinical rodent models, we demonstrate the therapeutic potential of SSTR2 targeting using a cytotoxic drug conjugate, PEN-221, which is found to be superior to FDA-approved SSTR2-binding cytostatic agents. Furthermore, we reveal signi ﬁ cant correlation of SSTR expression with increased rates of survival and report in vivo uptake of the SSTR2-binding 68 Ga-DOTA-peptide radioconjugate in PET-CT scanning in a clinical trial of NPC patients (NCT03670342). These ﬁ ndings reveal a key role in EBV-associated NPC for SSTR2 in infection, imaging, targeted therapy and survival.
Substrate Integrated Suspended Slot Line and Its Application to Differential Coupler

This article proposes a novel substrate integrated suspended slot line (SISSL) platform, which embeds the slot line inside a metallic shielding enclosure to minimize the radiation loss and solve packaging problems. The propagation characteristics of SISSL including characteristic impedance and guided wavelength are investigated. By using the transition from SISSL to shielded microstrip, a type of differential branch-line-type coupler is proposed, and good common-mode suppression is achieved over a wide frequency band. In the meantime, the SISSL coupler features filtering response in the differential mode when the impedance values of the slot line are selected properly. The proposed SISSL circuit is implemented by using printed circuit board (PCB) process, and it is self-packaged. Two design cases are fabricated and measured to demonstrate the feasibility.
Effect of Wing Corrugation on the Aerodynamic Efficiency of Two-Dimensional Flapping Wings

Many previous studies have shown that wing corrugation of an insect wing is only structurally beneficial in enhancing the wing’s bending stiffness and does not much help to improve the aerodynamic performance of flapping wings. This study uses two-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in aiming to identify a proper wing corrugation that can enhance the aerodynamic performance of the KUBeetle, an insect-like flapping-wing micro air vehicle (MAV), which operates at a Reynolds number of less than 13,000. For this purpose, various two-dimensional corrugated wings were numerically investigated. The two-dimensional flapping wing motion was extracted from the measured three-dimensional wing kinematics of the KUBeetle at spanwise locations of r = (0.375 and 0.75)R. The CFD analysis showed that at both spanwise locations, the corrugations placed over the entire wing were not beneficial for improving aerodynamic efficiency. However, for the two-dimensional flapping wing at the spanwise location of r = 0.375R, where the wing experiences relatively high angles of attack, three specially designed wings with leading-edge corrugation showed higher aerodynamic performance than that of the non-corrugated smooth wing. The improvement is closely related to the flow patterns formed around the wings. Therefore, the proposed leading-edge corrugation is suggested for the inboard wing of the KUBeetle to enhance aerodynamic performance. The corrugation in the inboard wing may also be structurally beneficial.
Population change in hyper-oceanic liverworts before and after hydroelectric power development: a preliminary study

ABSTRACT Introduction. The best sites for oceanic bryophytes are typically in ravines that offer good potential for hydroelectric power (HEP) development. This preliminary study is the first to investigate population change in oceanic bryophytes of conservation concern at a site subject to HEP development. Methods. Populations of five hyperoceanic liverworts were measured, Aphanolejeunea microscopica, Drepanolejeunea hamatifolia, Harpalejeunea molleri, Jubula hutchinsiae and Radula voluta, at two time periods, before and after HEP installation. Results. Spanning almost four years, results reveal a dynamic system, with significant change in fine-scale distribution patterns, including many colony extinctions and colonisations. About 23% of colony losses of A. microscopica, D. hamatifolia and H. molleri appeared to result from exclusion by larger bryophytes, involving at least 17 species, in particular Ctenidium molluscum. Conclusions. Inference with regards to effects of the HEP is not advised from this type of preliminary before and after study, based at a single site without controls. Given rapid recent growth of small HEP development and the enormous future potential, both in Britain and around the world, it is important to build upon this work and undertake comprehensive studies to detect possible impacts on bryophytes of conservation concern.