Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multi-Functional Distributed Secondary Control for Autonomous Microgrids

Microgrids (MGs)(cid:21)the building blocks of the smart grid(cid:21) are local grids com-prise di(cid:27)erent technologies such as power electronics converters, distributed renewable and non-renewable energy sources, energy storage systems, and telecommunications which can operate either in islanded mode or connected to the main grid. Apart from the obvious bene(cid:28)ts of MGs, their introduction into the traditional distribution network raises many new challenges, thus, a hierarchical control concept has been introduced for these systems. While the decentralized primary control of this hierarchy ensures the system stability and adjusts the frequency and voltage according to the active and reactive powers, the secondary control level is often used to regulate the system frequency and voltage to the rated values, eliminating deviations produced by primary level. The tertiary control is in charge of regulating power exchange with external grid or/and with other MGs and includes functions related to e(cid:30)ciency and economic enhancement. This thesis is focused on development of distributed control strategies for secondary control of autonomous ac and dc MGs to avoid a central controller and complex communication network, thus o(cid:27)ering improved reliability and expandability. consensus-based where studied each MG exchange only ac control level which determines droop coe(cid:30)cients according to the state-of-charge (SOC) of batteries automatically. Then a small signal model is developed to investigate e(cid:27)ects of the proposed method parameters and the system parameters on the stability of these systems, as well as to tune the control parameters. Finally, a consensus-based distributed control framework is proposed which provides all features of distributed control methods. It eliminates the average voltage deviation over the MGs while regulating the power (cid:29)ow control between the MGs according to their local SOCs at the same time. The proposed approach only needs neighbor-to-neighbor communication through a spars communication infrastructure. Experimental and simulation studies are presented to demonstrate the application and e(cid:27)ectiveness of the proposed strategies in di(cid:27)erent scenarios. reactive regulation. Real-time simulation and experimental studies both order to evaluate feasibility and robustness endowed by
Factors Influencing Research Data Reuse in the Social Sciences: An Exploratory Study

T he development of e-Research infrastructure has enabled data to be shared and accessed more openly. Policy mandates for data sharing have contributed to the increasing availability of research data through data repositories, which create favourable conditions for the re-use of data for purposes not always anticipated by original collectors. Despite the current efforts to promote transparency and reproducibility in science, data re-use cannot be assumed, nor merely considered a ‘thrifting’ activity where scientists shop around in data repositories considering only the ease of access to data. The lack of an integrated view of individual, social and technological influential factors to intentional and actual data re-use behaviour was the key motivator for this study. Interviews with 13 social scientists produced 25 factors that were found to influence their perceptions and experiences, including both their unsuccessful and successful attempts to re-use data. These factors were grouped into six theoretical variables: perceived benefits, perceived risks, perceived effort, social influence, facilitating conditions, and perceived re-usability. These research findings provide an in-depth understanding about the re-use of research data in the context of open science, which can be valuable in terms of theory and practice to help leverage data re-use and make publicly available data more actionable .
Synthesis and characterization of thermosensitive chitosan copolymer as a novel biomaterial

Novel water-soluble thermosensitive chitosan copolymers were prepared by graft polymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) onto chitosan using cerium ammonium nitrate (CAN) as an initiator. The physicochemical properties of the resulting chitosan-g-NIPAAm copolymers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance, X-ray diffraction measurement, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and solubility test. Sol–gel transition behavior was investigated by the cloud point measurement of the chitosan-g-NIPAAm aqueous solution. The gelling temperature was examined using the vial inversion method. The percentage of grafting (%) and efficiency of grafting (%) were investigated according to concentrations of monomer and initiator. The maximum grafted chitosan copolymer was obtained with 0.4 M NIPAAm and 6×10-3 M CAN. Water-soluble chitosan-g-NIPAAm copolymers were prepared successfully and they formed thermally reversible hydrogel, which exhibits a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) around 32°C in aqueous solutions. A preliminary in vitro cell study showed nontoxic and bio- compatible properties. These results suggest that chitosan-g-NIPAAm copolymer could be very useful in biomedical and pharmaceutical applications as an injectable material for cell and drug delivery.
Contrast-enhanced myocardial inversion time at the null point for detection of left ventricular myocardial fibrosis in patients with dilated and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this article is to investigate a noninvasive method for quantifying diffuse myocardial fibrosis with cardiac MRI in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. MATERIALS AND METHODS We performed cardiac MRI on 35 patients (24 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and 11 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy) and 10 control subjects, on a clinical 1.5-T cardiac MRI scanner. Delayed hyperenhancement images were obtained 15 minutes after injection of a bolus of gadopentetate dimeglumine (0.2 mmol/kg), to identify fibrosis using an inversion recovery gradient-echo technique (inversion time scout sequence: TR, 20.8 milliseconds; TE, 1.3 milliseconds; inversion time, individually determined to null the myocardial signal [range, 85-800 milliseconds]). An inversion time mapping sequence was used to calculate the contrast-enhanced myocardial inversion time at the null point of a single midventricular slice as an index of diffuse fibrosis. RESULTS The mean contrast-enhanced myocardial inversion time at the null point was significantly shorter in the patient group than the control group (343. 7 +/- 27.9 vs 390.4 +/- 19.3 milliseconds; p < 0.0001). In the patient group, the mean contrast-enhanced myocardial inversion time at the null point was shorter in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy than in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (337.0 +/- 29.6 vs 358.6 +/- 17.1 milliseconds, p = 0.02). In the dilated cardiomyopathy group, contrast-enhanced myocardial inversion time at the null point was significantly related to the left ventricular ejection fraction (r = 0.52; p = 0.01). However, in the hypertrophic cardiomyopathy group, contrast-enhanced myocardial inversion time at the null point had only a small positive correlation with the left ventricular ejection fraction (r = 0.27; p = 0.41). CONCLUSION Contrast-enhanced myocardial inversion time at the null point is shorter with myocardial fibrosis in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. In dilated cardiomyopathy, contrast-enhanced myocardial inversion time at the null point is inversely related to the severity of dilated cardiomyopathy.
Effect of elevated boron concentrations on the growth and yield of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and alleviation of its toxicity using different plant growth modulators

This study was carried out to assess the role of elevated concentrations of boron in barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Giza 123) growth and yield as well as to test the involvement of some plant growth modulators in counteracting the boron-mediated retardations to improve its tolerance. Barley grains were treated with B concentrations of 0, 0.5, 1.5, 3.0 and 6.0 mg L -1 (as boric acid). The alleviation of the growth inhibition in the presence of 3.0 mg L -1 B was investigated by adding the following growth modulators: glutamic acid (1 or 3 mM ), glycine (1 or 3 mM), ascorbic acid (2 or 5 mM), salicylic acid (1 or 5 mM) and calcium chloride (1 or 5 mM). Barley grains were cultivated and samples were collected at vegetative (22-day-old), flowering (45-day-old) and harvesting stages (92-day-old). At vegetative stage, the application of 0.5 mg L -1 boron significantly increased (P ≤ 0.05) shoot fresh weight by 1%. The addition of 0.5 and 1.5 mg L -1 boron significantly increased (P ≤ 0.05 and 0.01) growth parameters (shoot and root fresh and dry weights) by 5%, leaf area by 4.5% and 7%, Chl a and Chl b contents by 3% and 7% at vegetative and flowering stages, respectively, and yield by 5.5%, compared to non-boron treated barley. The inhibitory effects of boron on barley growth started at concentrations above 3.0 mg L -1 , causing decrease in all the measured parameters. The five tested growth modulators alleviated boron toxicity at 3.0 mg L -1 at the following sequence: salicylic acid (1 mM), calcium chloride 5 mM ≥, ascorbic acid (2 mM) ≥, glycine (1 mM) and glutamic acid (3 mM). The boron-alleviating efficiency of either 1 mM salicylic acid or 5 mM calcium chloride recommended their application when cultivating barley in boron contaminated soils.
Structural, microstructural, and electrical properties of gold films and Schottky contacts on remote plasma-cleaned, n-type ZnO{0001} surfaces

Current–voltage measurements of Au contacts deposited on ex situ cleaned, n-type ZnO(0001) [(0001¯)] surfaces showed reverse bias leakage current densities of ∼0.01(∼0.1)A∕cm2 at 4.6 (3.75) V reverse bias and ideality factors >2 (both surfaces) before sharp, permanent breakdown (soft breakdown). This behavior was due primarily to the presence of (1.6–2.0)±0.1[(0.7–2.6)±0.1] monolayers (ML) of hydroxide, which forms an electron accumulation layer and increases the surface conductivity. In situ remote plasma cleaning of the (0001) [(0001¯)] surfaces using a 20vol%O2∕80vol%He mixture for the optimized temperatures, times, and pressure of 550±20°C(525±20°C), 60 (30) min, and 0.050 Torr reduced the thickness of the hydroxide layer to ∼0.4±0.1ML and completely eliminated all detectable hydrocarbon contamination. Subsequent cooling of both surfaces in the plasma ambient resulted in the chemisorption of oxygen and a change from 0.2 eV of downward band bending for samples cooled in vacuum to 0.3 eV of upward band .
Frequency shifted active target for use in FMCW radar systems

Active target based FMCW radar location systems have niche short range applications which include maritime navigation with the berthing of ships and other vessels and avoiding obstacles such as oil rigs. For these types of systems the target return decays at a greater rate than the background clutter, thus making target detection difficult. In this paper, a technique is explored, based on frequency shifting the radar echo within the target, which serves to translate the position of the of the received target return to a higher frequency where the clutter is greatly reduced. It is shown, by means of a suitable design and simulation, that this approach may readily be used to achieve a much greater operating range in these types of location systems.
A Mechatronic Device for the Rehabilitation of Ankle Motion

The paper presents the main results from a research aiming at the design of an electro-mechanical actuator to assist walking movements of the ankle articulation, for use in the rehabilitation of lower limb motion in patients suffering neurological disease. Motivations for the research project are discussed within the framework of the application of mechatronic concepts within rehabilitation practice. The entire design process is then described, from the definition of project target through the mechanical concept and control design steps until design validation by means of numerical simulations and tests on a prototype.
INFLUENCE OF AFLOTOXIN B 1 ON PROTEIN AND DNA CONTENT OF LYMPHOID ORGANS OF ONE WEEK OLD BROILERS DURING INDUCED

In India the availability of animal proteins in human diet is extremely low; hence, there is an indispensable need to produce meat that yields at low costs. The most imperative of human diet is the poultry meat with high quality protein and essential amino acids. The poultry venture has been grossly defeated by the out-break of fungal diseases, and aflotoxicosis pose a perpetual threat to turkeys, ducklings, goslings and chickens (Bakshi et al., 1997). Aflotoxins are natural poultry dietary contaminant, which are a major risk factor of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (Partanen et al., 2010) and enhances a threat to public health scenario (Phillips et al., 1998). Aflotoxicosis is primarily characterized by mortality, listlessness, anorexia, opisthotonous condition, decreased growth rates, negative feed conversions, decreased and delayed egg production, poor pigmentation and increased susceptibility to other diseases (Quareshi, 1988; Toro et al., 2000). Aflotoxins after entering into the alimentary canal of birds exert systemic effects and cause specific damage to certain vital organs like liver (principal target organ and centre for detoxification), thymus and bursa of fabricus (primary lymphoid organs), kidney (principal organ of excretion) likewise. AFB1 causes induced DNA adduction and mutagenesis(Besaratinia et al., 2009) Thymus and bursa of fabricus play a vital role for the production of cellular and humoral antibodies (Copper et al., 1965; Glick, 1970) and AFB1 brings the alteration in cellular integrity in these tissues. With regard to the biochemical changes caused by aflotoxins the most important initial event appears to be the interaction of AFB1 with DNA and protein metabolism resulting in the inhibition of cell mitosis. The suppression of DNA synthesis may result in the production of cells in a non dividing stage and this may lead to the abnormal production of cells (Panda and Johri, 1983; Ranchal et al., 2009). High levels of AFB1 exposure clearly manifested altered physiological responses associated with altered gene expression in liver and thymus (Yarru et al., 2009). Therefore, a new vista has been opened to study the level of protein and DNA in thymus and bursa fabricus of one week old broilers infected with two varied doses of AFB1.
A continuous hyperchromicity assay to characterize the kinetics and thermodynamics of DNA lesion recognition and base excision

We report a continuous hyperchromicity assay (CHA) for monitoring and characterizing enzyme activities associated with DNA processing. We use this assay to determine kinetic and thermodynamic parameters for a repair enzyme that targets nucleic acid substrates containing a specific base lesion. This optically based kinetics assay exploits the free-energy differences between a lesion-containing DNA duplex substrate and the enzyme-catalyzed, lesion-excised product, which contains at least one hydrolyzed phosphodiester bond. We apply the assay to the bifunctional formamidopyrimidine glycosylase (Fpg) repair enzyme (E) that recognizes an 8-oxodG lesion within a 13-mer duplex substrate (S). Base excision/elimination yields a gapped duplex product (P) that dissociates to produce the diagnostic hyperchromicity signal. Analysis of the kinetic data at 25°C yields a Km of 46.6 nM for the E·S interaction, and a kcat of 1.65 min−1 for conversion of the ES complex into P. The temperature dependence reveals a free energy (ΔGb) of −10.0 kcal·mol−1 for the binding step (E + S ↔ ES) that is enthalpy-driven (ΔHb = −16.4 kcal·mol−1). The activation barrier (ΔG‡) of 19.6 kcal·mol−1 for the chemical step (ES ↔ P) also is enthalpic in nature (ΔH‡ = 19.2 kcal·mol−1). Formation of the transition state complex from the reactants (E + S ↔ ES‡), a pathway that reflects Fpg catalytic specificity (kcat/Km) toward excision of the 8-oxodG lesion, exhibits an overall activation free energy (ΔGT‡) of 9.6 kcal·mol−1. These parameters characterize the driving forces that dictate Fpg enzyme efficiency and specificity and elucidate the energy landscape for lesion recognition and repair.
Different Expression of Renin-Angiotensin System Components in Hearts of Normotensive and Hypertensive Rats

Tissue renin-angiotensin systems are known to behave differently from the circulating renin-angiotensin system (RAS). It has already been proposed that not only the circulating RAS, but also RAS localized in the cardiac tissue plays an important role in the heart failure. The objective of this study was to compare the gene expression of individual components of the renin-angiotensin system in hearts of normotensive and hypertensive rats. Two genetically hypertensive rat strains  spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and hereditary hypertriglyceridemic rats (HTG)  were compared with Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) and Lewis (LEW) normotensive controls. In addition, developmental changes in gene expression of individual components of cardiac RAS were studied in 20-day-old fetuses, 2-day-old newborns and 3-month-old HTG and LEW rats. In our study, the angiotensinogen gene expression did not differ either among adult normotensive and hypertensive strains, or during development. In contrast, the renin gene expression was significantly increased in hearts of hypertensive compared to normotensive rats. Moreover, a 5-fold increase of renin mRNA was observed in hearts of HTG rats between day 2 and the third month of age. There was also an age-dependent increase of ACE gene expression in both HTG and LEW rats which was substantially delayed in HTG hearts. In conclusion, the results of our study suggest that overexpression of the cardiac renin gene in hypertensive strains could participate in the structural and functional changes of the heart during the development of hypertension.
Cultural Issues in the Development of Cancer Control Programs for American Indian Populations

Cancer is the third-leading cause of death among American Indians. The persistent disadvantage in cancer survival rates among American Indian populations emphasizes the importance of developing effective cancer control programs for prevention and early detection. However, substantial cultural differences between American Indians and whites can affect the success of these programs. This paper examines the concept of cultural sensitivity in the con text of developing cancer control programs for American Indian populations. It explores fundamental differences in beliefs, behaviors, and values between American Indian and white majority cultures, and presents examples of culturally sensitive health education programs. The paper highlights insights and experiences gained in developing the North Carolina Native American Cervical Cancer Prevention Project, and gives recommendations for the development of future programs.
A new class of gradient adaptive step-size LMS algorithms

The gradient adaptive step-size least-mean-square (LMS) algorithms [an important family of variable step-size LMS (VSLMS) algorithms] are revisited. We propose a simplification to a class of the studied algorithms and show that this leads to a new class of VSLMS algorithms with reduced complexity but with no observable loss in performance.
THE HISTOCHEMICAL LOCALIZATION OF ZINC IN THE DORSOLATERAL PROSTATE OF THE RAT

High concentrations of Zinc in the lateral portions of the dorsolateral prostate of the rat have been associated histochemically with a luminal border organelle characteristic of the epithelium. This border organelle is osmiophilic and argentophilic and contains a high concentration of basophilic material as well as zinc. The organelle is distinct from the Golgi bodies in the epithelial cells. Epithelium from the dorsal portions of the gland lacks this border organelle. High concentrations of zinc and basophilia are also associated with the sub-epithelial stroma in the lateral parts of the prostate and the nucleoli of both parts of the gland. In the dorsal part of the prostate, zinc was detected only in the nucleoli. The possible significance of these results is discussed.
Validity and reproducibility of a new diagnostic motor performance test in children with suspected myopathy

To spare more children from painful muscle biopsy, a new non‐invasive diagnostic motor performance test is undergoing development. Fifteen functional items were used to measure muscle strength and muscle endurance in 68 patients (47 males, 21 females; mean age 7y 8mo, SD 2y 2mo; range 4 to 11y), who had been referred to our specialist centre in the past 3 years on suspicion of myopathy. All the patients had undergone muscle biopsy. To correct the patients' outcomes for age, sex, and body size, regression prediction equations were obtained from a stratified random sample of 64 normally developing primary‐school children aged 4 to 11 years (32 males, 32 females; mean age 8y 1mo, SD 2y 4mo). Feasibility was evaluated on the basis of five criteria. Validity was assessed using logistic regression analysis, receiver operating characteristic analysis, and sensitivity and specificity at a specifically chosen cut‐off point. Reproducibility was evaluated by test‐retest reliability in a stratified random sample of 40 patients who returned for re‐measurements using the intraclass correlation coefficient. Seven items satisfied all five feasibility criteria, had high diagnostic power, and high test‐retest reliability. The motor performance test can improve diagnostic procedure in children suspected of having myopathy.
Obstetric outcome in women complaining of reduced fetal movements

Summary Reduction of fetal movements causes concern and anxiety and is a common indication for the assessment of fetal well-being. The aim of this study was to review the outcome of women who presented primarily with reduced fetal movements and to compare with women of similar age and gestation who did not present with reduced fetal movements (controls). Some 19% of intrauterine growth restricted babies were found in the study group, compared with none in the control group. In the study group, 32% of women needed intervention solely due to fetal compromise compared with 21% in the control group. There was no perinatal or neonatal death in either group. We suggest that these women should be carefully investigated and monitored to improve the obstetric outcome.
Evaluation of Canine Serum Thyrotropin (TSH) Concentration: Comparison of Three Analytical Procedures

A comparative study of 3 analytical methods (immunoradiometric assay, enzyme immunometric assay, and chemiluminescent immunometric assay) for canine serum thyrotropin (TSH) was performed. Ninety-six dogs were included in the study. The within- and between-run precision was evaluated for each method, and correlations for the results obtained with each method were examined. The best within- and between-run precision was obtained with the chemiluminescent immunometric assay. Satisfactory correlations for the 3 analytical procedures were obtained but varied in relation to serum TSH concentration.
High Step-Up Converter With Three-Winding Coupled Inductor for Fuel Cell Energy Source Applications

This paper presents a high step-up converter for fuel cell energy source applications. The proposed high step-up dc-dc converter is devised for boosting the voltage generated from fuel cell to be a 400-V dc-bus voltage. Through the three-winding coupled inductor and voltage doubler circuit, the proposed converter achieve high step-up voltage gain without large duty cycle. The passive lossless clamped technology not only recycles leakage energy to improve efficiency but also alleviates large voltage spike to limit the voltage stress. Finally, the fuel cell as input voltage source 60-90 V integrated into a 2-kW prototype converter was implemented for performance verification. Under output voltage 400-V operation, the highest efficiency is up to 96.81%, and the full-load efficiency is 91.32%.