Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
400 A, 1200 V SiC power module with 1nH commutation inductance

Power module packaging has been challenged by recent SiC chip developments. Today SiC Schottky diodes as well as SiC MOSFET chips with current ratings up to 50 A are commercially available. Several applications like solar, medical, power supply as well as induction heating are asking for high current fast switching SiC MOSFET power modules above 400 A rated current. Heavy paralleling of SiC chips is necessary to achieve these power levels. Two main challenges arise from the design of such a high current power module: First, due to the high switching speed of SiC devices the commutation loop inductance has to be significantly improved to levels below 5 nH. Second, due to SiC chip size limitations many chips have to work in parallel which requires a very symmetrical layout of the power and gate circuit inside the power module. The two layer flex of the SKiN Technology die attachment enables new possibilities of power track routing and chip arrangements in power module design, leading to a significant reduction in commutation inductance. The remaining problem is still the interface to the DC-link. Industry standards require certain clearance and creepage distances which lead to a stray inductance of more than 10 nH only in the busbar interface of traditional power modules. A new SiC MOSFET power module based on SKiN technology is presented, which overcomes the limitations of conventional power modules. The two layer flex which is sintered to the SiC MOSFET is also used to carry the main current to the power interface. With the new construction principle an ultra low inductance path from the DC link capacitor through the module interface down to the SiC chips is possible. Additional snubber capacitors are not required. The half bridge power module with 8 x 50 A SiC MOSFET chips in parallel has a total commutation stray inductance of less than 1.4 nH.
Suppressing Axial-Torsional Coupled Vibrations in Drillstrings

In drilling operation, a wide variety of oscillations causing failures often arise. Torsional vibrations (stick-slip) are originated by the cutting device (bit) motion, these vibrations in turn excite axial oscillations causing a phenomenon known as bit-bouncing. This paper addresses two important challenges: the modeling of the coupled axial and torsional dynamics in a vertical oilwell drilling system and the design of an effective controller to reduce undesirable behaviors. Through the D'Alembert transformation, the distributed parameter model of the drillstring is reduced to a neutral-type time-delay equation which effectively describes the oscillatory behavior of the system. The Lyapunov theory allows to develop an efficient strategy for the control synthesis guaranteeing the elimination of the stick-slip and bit-bounce. This approach leads the "practical" stabilization of the closed loop system. All results can be easily generalized to any time-delay system subject to bounded disturbances. The effectiveness of the strategy is validated through simulations.
Spatiotemporal dynamics of odor representations in the human brain revealed by EEG decoding

Significance To elucidate when and where in the brain different aspects of odor perception emerge, we decoded odors from an electroencephalogram and associated the results with perception and source activities. The odor information was decoded 100 ms after odor onset at the earliest, with its signal sources estimated in and around the olfactory areas. The neural representation of odor unpleasantness emerged 300 ms after odor onset, followed by pleasantness and perceived quality at 500 ms. During this time, brain regions representing odor information spread rapidly from the olfactory areas to regions associated with emotional, semantic, and memory processing. The results suggested that odor perception emerges through computations in these areas, with different perceptual aspects having different spatiotemporal dynamics.
5G user satisfaction enabled by FASP : Evaluating the performance of Aspera's FASP

With Ericsson’s goal to have optimal user experience at 5G’s 2020 release, it is very important to optimize transport protocols and techniques to manage the increasing amount of data traffic. Additionally, it will be important to manage handovers between very high speed 5G networks and older networks. Today most of the traffic is video on demand and the amount of this kind of traffic is expected to increase. Moreover, the current amount of data traffic will increase by an order of magnitude over the next few years. This thesis focuses on radio access networks and the difficulties they face in delivering high speed data traffic. This thesis analyzes one of the most used TCP protocols, CUBIC, as well as a new transport protocol developed by Aspera, called the Fast and Secure Protocol. Aspera’s FASP is a new transport protocol that promises full link utilization. FASP is built upon UDP and uses advanced round trip time measurements and queuing delay to detect the available bandwidth between two communicating hosts. This thesis project also provides methods to realize experiments to assess the limitations of transport protocols. These experiments are conducted in an environment that resembles the upcoming 5G radio access network. Results have shown that both delay and packet loss affect TCP more than we expected and that high packet loss is devastating. In contrast, Aspera’s FASP is very resistant to both delay and packet loss. These results and analysis provide a foundation upon which others can build. %%%% Med Ericssons mal att ha optimal anvandarupplevelse vid slappet av 5G ar 2020 ar det oerhort viktigt att optimera transportprotokoll och tekniker for att hantera den okande mangden datatrafik. En annan viktig aspekt kan vara att hantera overlamningar mellan 5G natverk och aldre radionatverk. Idag ar den storsta trafiken streamad video och prognoser visar att den sortens trafik bara kommer att oka. Prognoserna visar ocksa att all trafik kommer att oka mangfaldigt de narmaste aren. Denna thesis kommer att fokusera pa svarigheterna just inom radionatverk. Denna thesis kommer att analysera ett av vart mest anvanda transportprotokoll CUBIC TCP, den kommer ocksa att analysera ett helt nytt transportprotokoll utvecklat av Aspera, Fast and Secure Protocol. Aspera lovar fullt utnyttjande av den mellanliggande lanken. FASP ar byggt ovanpa UDP och anvander avancerade tur- och returtidsmatningar for att anvanda all outnyttjad bandbredd. Denna thesis visar aven hur man kan gora experiment for att hitta begransningar i transportprotokoll. Alla dessa experiment kommer utfors i en miljo som efterliknar det nya 5G-natverket. Resultatet visar att bade forlora paket tillsammans med en hog fordrojning paverkar mycket mer an vantat och att frekvent forlora paket ar forodande for TCP. Asperas FASP ar i motsats mycket talig mot bade paketforlust och hog fordrojning. Detta resultat och denna analys lagger en grund var andra kan arbeta vidare.
Impaired Mineral Ion Metabolism in a Mouse Model of Targeted Calcium-Sensing Receptor (CaSR) Deletion from Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

Significance Statement Vascular calcification is a major complication in CKD–metabolic bone disorder and an independent predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. In CKD, impaired calcium and phosphate homeostasis are associated with altered expression of the calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) in the parathyroid glands and the kidney. The CaSR is also present in the vasculature, but its contribution to total body mineral ion homeostasis is unknown. We demonstrated that ablation of CaSR from vascular smooth muscle cells in knockout mice led to profound mineral ion imbalance. These results demonstrate a previously unknown mode of mineral ion regulation besides the parathyroid glands and the kidneys. Alterations in expression and activity of CaSR in vascular smooth muscle cells would be expected to contribute to mineral ion imbalance in CKD. Visual Abstract Background Impaired mineral ion metabolism is a hallmark of CKD–metabolic bone disorder. It can lead to pathologic vascular calcification and is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality. Loss of calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) expression in vascular smooth muscle cells exacerbates vascular calcification in vitro. Conversely, vascular calcification can be reduced by calcimimetics, which function as allosteric activators of CaSR. Methods To determine the role of the CaSR in vascular calcification, we characterized mice with targeted Casr gene knockout in vascular smooth muscle cells (SM22αCaSRΔflox/Δflox). Results Vascular smooth muscle cells cultured from the knockout (KO) mice calcified more readily than those from control (wild-type) mice in vitro. However, mice did not show ectopic calcifications in vivo but they did display a profound mineral ion imbalance. Specifically, KO mice exhibited hypercalcemia, hypercalciuria, hyperphosphaturia, and osteopenia, with elevated circulating fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23), calcitriol (1,25-D3), and parathyroid hormone levels. Renal tubular α-Klotho protein expression was increased in KO mice but vascular α-Klotho protein expression was not. Altered CaSR expression in the kidney or the parathyroid glands could not account for the observed phenotype of the KO mice. Conclusions These results suggest that, in addition to CaSR’s established role in the parathyroid-kidney-bone axis, expression of CaSR in vascular smooth muscle cells directly contributes to total body mineral ion homeostasis.
Experiences with Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Among African American Patients and their Bed Partners

ABSTRACT Rationale Despite having a higher prevalence and severity of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), African Americans have lower adherence to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) compared to other groups. Information regarding challenges faced by African Americans prescribed CPAP are lacking. Objectives To determine the barriers and facilitators to optimal management of OSA with CPAP among African Americans and to understand the role bed partners may play. Methods We conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews via video conferencing with African American patients of an urban safety-net health care system with OSA prescribed CPAP and their bed partners. Recruitment continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. Verbatim transcripts were analyzed using the principles of thematic analysis. Results 15 patients (12 women) diagnosed with OSA and prescribed CPAP a mean 2.6 years prior along with 15 bed partners (3 women) were individually interviewed. Four themes emerged regarding impediments to CPAP use: 1) inadequate education and support, 2) CPAP maintenance and hygiene, 3) inconvenient design of CPAP interfaces, and 4) impediment to intimacy. Four themes emerged as facilitators to CPAP use: 1) provider and technical support, 2) properly fitted CPAP masks, 3) active support from partner and family, and 4) experiencing positive results from CPAP. Conclusions African American patients with OSA and their bed partners identified several unique barriers and facilitators to CPAP use. Active involvement by bed partners was considered by both patients and partners as helpful in improving CPAP adherence. Interventions to improve OSA outcomes in this population should focus on patients and their bed partners.
Complete Genome Sequence of Limosilactobacillus reuteri Strain VHProbi E18, Isolated from Feces of an Old Man

Limosilactobacillus reuteri strain VHProbi E18 is a Chinese commercial lactic acid bacterium with several probiotic functions. Here, we report the whole-genome sequence of this bacterium. The whole-genome sequencing yielded a 2,040,678-bp genome and 2,015 protein-coding genes. ABSTRACT Limosilactobacillus reuteri strain VHProbi E18 is a Chinese commercial lactic acid bacterium with several probiotic functions. Here, we report the whole-genome sequence of this bacterium. The whole-genome sequencing yielded a 2,040,678-bp genome and 2,015 protein-coding genes.
Markerless Position Measurement for Ship to Ship Transfer Operations

During rough sea conditions, vessel motions prevent people to be transferred safely from one ship to another. To increase accessibility, the Ampelmann system has developed a Ship to Ship (S2S) transfer system . The Ampelmann system is a ship-based, self stabilizing platform that actively compensates all vessel motions using a Stewart platform. In this way, a motionless transfer deck is created. A gangway attached to this transfer deck can then be used to compensate the motion of the other vessel, called the target-vessel, so transfers can be made safe, easy and fast. Currently the motions of the target-vessel are measured by an Motion Reference Unit (MRU) which needs to be mounted on the target-vessel. This MRU is expensive, must be powered and needs to be installed on the target vessel before any controlled S2S transfers are possible. During operation the motion data measured by the MRU is relayed to the Ampelmann system via WiFi. This connection often fails or has an interruption, during this time the Ampelmann system is not able to compensate for the motion of the target vessel. This means that the operator has to manually control the gangway in order to make S2S transfers. Although the current setup for S2S is functional, their is a lot of room for improvement. The usage of the MRU on the target-vessel is not desirable because it means that before any transfer the MRU needs to be installed on the vessel. The regulations for installing external systems on vessel that can carry gas and oil are very stringent to insure safety. The wireless connection between the two vessel is an inherent weakness in the complete system. In this research, a new measuring system for S2S transfers has been developed which can mounted on the transfer deck of the Ampelmann system thus eliminating any sort of wireless data transfer. This system will use a Laser Rangefinder (LRF) to create a spatial 2D representation of the target-vessel. These 2D spatial images are than compared to a reference in a matching algorithm to extract the motion of the target-vessel. To test this novel way of measuring ship motions, a prototype of a LRF is build and tested. The algorithms for extracting the motion of the target-vessel where tested with a scale-model test setup. The results from this test showed that the motions of a target vessel can be measured within the given specifications.
“Like Recycles Like”: Selective Ring‐Closing Depolymerization of Poly(L‐Lactic Acid) to L‐Lactide

Abstract Chemical recycling of poly(L‐lactic acid) to the cyclic monomer L‐lactide is hampered by low selectivity and by epimerization and elimination reactions, impeding its use on a large scale. The high number of side reactions originates from the high ceiling temperature (T c) of L‐lactide, which necessitates high temperatures or multistep reactions to achieve recycling to L‐lactide. To circumvent this issue, we utilized the impact of solvent interactions on the monomer–polymer equilibrium to decrease the T c of L‐lactide. Analyzing the observed T c in different solvents in relation to their Hildebrand solubility parameter revealed a “like recycles like” relationship. The decreased T c, obtained by selecting solvents that interact strongly with the monomer (dimethyl formamide or the green solvent γ‐valerolactone), allowed chemical recycling of high‐molecular‐weight poly(L‐lactic acid) directly to L‐lactide, within 1–4 h at 140 °C, with >95 % conversion and 98–99 % selectivity. Recycled L‐lactide was isolated and repolymerized with high control over molecular weight and dispersity, closing the polymer loop.
Estimating curvilinear self-motion from optic flow with a biologically inspired neural system

Optic flow provides rich information about world-relative self-motion and is used by many animals to guide movement. For example, self-motion along linear, straight paths without eye movements, generates optic flow that radiates from a singularity that specifies the direction of travel (heading). Many neural models of optic flow processing contain heading detectors that are tuned to the position of the singularity, the design of which is informed by brain area MSTd of primate visual cortex that has been linked to heading perception. Such biologically inspired models could be useful for efficient self-motion estimation in robots, but existing systems are tailored to the limited scenario of linear self-motion and neglect sensitivity to self-motion along more natural curvilinear paths. The observer in this case experiences more complex motion patterns, the appearance of which depends on the radius of the curved path (path curvature) and the direction of gaze. Indeed, MSTd neurons have been shown to exhibit tuning to optic flow patterns other than radial expansion, a property that is rarely captured in neural models. We investigated in a computational model whether a population of MSTd-like sensors tuned to radial, spiral, ground, and other optic flow patterns could support the accurate estimation of parameters describing both linear and curvilinear self-motion. We used deep learning to decode self-motion parameters from the signals produced by the diverse population of MSTd-like units. We demonstrate that this system is capable of accurately estimating curvilinear path curvature, clockwise/counterclockwise sign, and gaze direction relative to the path tangent in both synthetic and naturalistic videos of simulated self-motion. Estimates remained stable over time while rapidly adapting to dynamic changes in the observer’s curvilinear self-motion. Our results show that coupled biologically inspired and artificial neural network systems hold promise as a solution for robust vision-based self-motion estimation in robots.
Association Between High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Levels and Adverse Cardiovascular Outcomes in High-risk Populations.

Importance Previous studies have shown lower cardiovascular risk with higher high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels. However, recent data in the general population have shown increased risk of adverse outcomes at very high HDL-C concentrations. Objective To study the association between very high HDL-C levels (>80 mg/dL) and mortality in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and to investigate the association of known HDL-C genotypes with high HDL-C level outcomes. Design, Setting, and Participants This prospective, multicenter, cohort study, conducted from 2006 to present in the UK and from 2003 to present in Atlanta, Georgia, recruited patients with CAD from the UK Biobank (UKB) and the Emory Cardiovascular Biobank (EmCAB), respectively. Patients without confirmed CAD were excluded from the study. Data analyses were conducted from May 10, 2020, to April 28, 2021. Exposure High HDL-C levels (>80 mg/dL). Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was all-cause death. The secondary outcome was cardiovascular death. Results A total of 14 478 participants (mean [SD] age, 62.1 [5.8] years; 11 034 men [76.2%]) from the UKB and 5467 participants (mean [SD] age, 63.8 [12.3] years; 3632 men [66.4%]) from the EmCAB were included in the study. Over a median follow-up of 8.9 (IQR, 8.0-9.7) years in the UKB and 6.7 (IQR, 4.0-10.8) years in the EmCAB, a U-shaped association with outcomes was observed with higher risk in those with both low and very high HDL-C levels compared with those with midrange values. Very high HDL-C levels (>80 mg/dL) were associated with increased risk of all-cause death (hazard ratio [HR], 1.96; 95% CI, 1.42-2.71; P < .001) and cardiovascular death (HR, 1.71; 95% CI, 1.09-2.68; P = .02) compared with those with HDL-C levels in the range of 40 to 60 mg/dL in the UKB after adjustment for confounding factors. These results were replicated in the EmCAB. These associations persisted after adjustment for the HDL-C genetic risk score within the UKB. Sensitivity analyses demonstrated that the risk of all-cause mortality in the very high HDL-C group was higher among men than women in the UKB (HR, 2.63; 95% CI, 1.75-3.95; P < .001 vs HR, 1.39; 95% CI, 0.82-2.35; P = .23). Conclusions and Relevance Results of this cohort study suggest that very high HDL-C levels are paradoxically associated with higher mortality risk in individuals with CAD. This association was independent of the common polymorphisms associated with high HDL-C levels.
Growth and Mortality as Causes of Variation in Metabolic Scaling Among Taxa and Taxonomic Levels.

Metabolic rate (MR) usually changes (scales) out of proportion to body mass (BM) as MR = aBMb, where a is a normalisation constant and b is the scaling exponent that reflects how steep this change is. This scaling relationship is fundamental to biology, but over a century of research has provided little consensus on the value of b, and why it appears to vary among taxa and taxonomic levels. By analysing published data on fish and taking an individual-based approach to metabolic scaling, I show that variation in growth of fish under naturally restricted food availability can explain variation in within-individual (ontogenetic) b for standard (maintenance) metabolic rate (SMR) of brown trout (Salmo trutta), with the fastest growers having the steepest metabolic scaling (b ≈ 1). Moreover, I show that within-individual b can vary much more widely than previously assumed from work on different individuals or different species, from -1 to 1 for SMR among individual brown trout. The negative scaling of SMR for some individuals was caused by reductions in metabolic rate in a food limited environment, likely to maintain positive growth. This resulted in a mean within-individual b for SMR that was significantly lower than the across-individual ("static") b, a difference that also existed for another species, cunner (Tautogolabrus adspersus). Interestingly, the wide variation in ontogenetic b for SMR among individual brown trout did not exist for maximum (active) metabolic rate (MMR) of the same fish, showing that these two key metabolic traits (SMR and MMR) can scale independently of one another. I also show that across-species ("evolutionary") b for SMR of 134 fishes is significantly steeper (b approaching 1) than the mean ontogenetic b for the brown trout and cunner. Based on these interesting findings, I hypothesise that evolutionary and static metabolic scaling can be systematically different from ontogenetic scaling, and that the steeper evolutionary than ontogenetic scaling for fishes arises as a by-product of natural selection for fast-growing individuals with steep metabolic scaling (b ≈ 1) early in life, where size-selective mortality is high for fishes. I support this by showing that b for SMR tends to increase with natural mortality rates of fish larvae within taxa.