Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Active Power Filter: Review of Converter Topologies and Control Strategies

Decrease in the cost of power electronic devices and improvement in the efficiency of both power converters and energy storage components have increased the applicability of new technological solutions such as Custom Power (CP) and Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS) Devices. Active Power Filter (APF) is one of the CP devices and can mitigate harmonics, reactive power and unbalanced load currents originating from load side. In this study, a comprehensive review of APF studies, the advantages and disadvantages of each presented techniques are presented. The study also helps the researchers to select the optimum control strategies and power circuit configuration for APF applications. Keywords: Active Power Filter, Power Quality, Literature Review, Custom Power.
Turkish Adaptation Study of the Perceived Devaluation Discrimination Scale.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to adapt Perceived Devaluation- Discrimination (PDD) scale for Turkish language and culture. METHOD Participants from clinical and community populations were included in the study. The community sample consisted of 145 healthy individuals from the general community and the clinical sample consisted of 85 individuals with chronic psychiatric disorders. Psychometric properties of the Turkish version of PDD were assessed in the general community and clinical samples. Exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, internal consistency analysis, convergent and discriminant validity analyses were conducted. RESULTS As a result of exploratory factor analysis, a two-factor structure for PDD emerged in both the general community and clinical samples. Confirmatory factor analysis also supported the two-factor structure in both samples. These factors were named as Perceived Discrimination and Negative Evaluation and Perceived Acceptance and Non-negative Evaluation subscales. Cronbach's alpha values for PDD were 0.76 in the general community sample and 0.79 in the clinical sample. Alpha values of PDD subscales ranged between 0.72 and 0.77 in both samples. While convergent and discriminant validity tests provided partial support for construct validity of PDD in the general community sample, the convergent validity tests conducted with the clinical sample provided evidence for validity of PDD. CONCLUSION Based on the results of the present study, it has been demonstrated that the Turkish version of PDD is reliable and valid and can be used with community and clinical samples to measure perceived devaluation and discrimination.
Writing Motivation of College Students in Basic Writing and First-Year Composition Classes: Confirmatory Factor Analysis of Scales on Goals, Self-Efficacy, Beliefs, and Affect

The purpose of the study was to validate a writing motivation questionnaire that consists of four scales for first-year college writers—students with low writing skills in basic writing classes and students in typical first-year composition (FYC)—to investigate differences between these two groups and to examine the relationship of motivational constructs with writing quality. Participants were 371 college students (142 in basic writing classes and 229 in FYC). Students completed a 49-item motivation questionnaire with scales for goal-orientation, self-efficacy, beliefs, and affect about writing and wrote an argumentative essay. Confirmatory factor analysis provided evidence for the structural construct validity of all scales for both groups. Statistically significant differences between basic writers and FYC students were found on self-efficacy for grammar and strategies and on beliefs about the importance of substance and mechanics. Structural equation modeling found statistically significant positive relationships of essay quality with all three self-efficacy scales and belief about the importance of substance to good writing, as well as negative relationships with avoidance goal orientation and belief in the importance of mechanics. Limitations and implications for motivation and instruction of basic writing students and of adults with learning disabilities are discussed.
Quantification of deformation and sliding of orbital fat during rotation of the eye

The anatomy of the eye is well known, however the mechanical properties and behaviour of the eye are not well known. Knowing these properties could potentially be an improvement for preoperative planning in orbital surgery. To get a better understanding of the mechanical properties of the eye while it is in movement a Finite Element Model (FEM) has been developed at the TU Delft by Schutte et al. [1]. For the FEM it is important to quantify what part of movement is sliding and what part is deformation because both are modelled in a different manner. We present a complete pipeline to quantify sliding from MRI image volumes. The registration methods previously applied to the orbit are unable to deal with sliding. Therefore, two methods developed for registration problems where sliding occurs are tested for applicability to the orbit using phantoms. The method developed by Berendsen et al. [2], or sliding splines method, performs best on the phantoms, and is applied to the orbit. The results of the sliding splines method are compared to results from regular B-splines registration which has been the registration method used in the orbit up until this project. Amelon et al. [3] have developed a method to characterize sliding from displacement fields, which has never been applied to the orbit. We applied this method to the displacement field generated by the regular B-splines registration and the sliding splines method. Comparison of both registration methods, using the characterization method, shows that methods previously applied to the orbit are unable to preserve sliding in their displacement field. The sliding splines method is able to preserve sliding, but also introduces sliding in regions where it does not occur. We conclude that further study into registration methods that allow for sliding is necessary. Especially, into the sliding splines method since it is able to preserve sliding and shows promising results.
Comparison of metabolic states using genome-scale metabolic models

Genome-scale metabolic models (GEMs) are comprehensive knowledge bases of cellular metabolism and serve as mathematical tools for studying biological phenotypes and metabolic states or conditions in various organisms and cell types. Given the sheer size and complexity of human metabolism, selecting parameters for existing analysis methods such as metabolic objective functions and model constraints is not straightforward in human GEMs. In particular, comparing several conditions in large GEMs to identify condition- or disease-specific metabolic features is challenging. In this study, we showcase a scalable, model-driven approach for an in-depth investigation and comparison of metabolic states in large GEMs which enables identifying the underlying functional differences. Using a combination of flux space sampling and network analysis, our approach enables extraction and visualisation of metabolically distinct network modules. Importantly, it does not rely on known or assumed objective functions. We apply this novel approach to extract the biochemical differences in adipocytes arising due to unlimited vs blocked uptake of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs, considered as biomarkers in obesity) using a human adipocyte GEM (iAdipocytes1809). The biological significance of our approach is corroborated by literature reports confirming our identified metabolic processes (TCA cycle and Fatty acid metabolism) to be functionally related to BCAA metabolism. Additionally, our analysis predicts a specific altered uptake and secretion profile indicating a compensation for the unavailability of BCAAs. Taken together, our approach facilitates determining functional differences between any metabolic conditions of interest by offering a versatile platform for analysing and comparing flux spaces of large metabolic networks.
An Advanced Usage of Meanline Loss Systems for Axial Turbine Design Optimisation

A comprehensive axial turbine framework model has been developed at the Institute of Aircraft Propulsion Systems, University of Stuttgart. It discovers the principles of a meanline optimisation and shows its advantages for quick prediction of optimal meanline parameters considering manufacturing, mechanical and aerodynamic requirements. The framework model can incorporate different loss correlations and compare their results for one and the same multi-dimensional design parameter space. A special attention is paid to the influence of loss correlations on optimal values of meanline parameters. It is shown that, although all loss correlation has their own global optimum of turbine performance in the multi-dimensional design parameter space, they are going to coincide if the requirements addressed to a turbine are considered and the turbine design constraints, e.g. a specified rotational speed, inlet diameter and etc., are applied. Thus, the more constraints in the design parameter space exist, the lower the impact of a loss correlation on optimal values of meanline parameters.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Opportunities for Social Media in the Comprehensive Approach

Meeting today’s scope of military operations often encompass areas of consideration outside of the military such as the economic and political impacts. This calls for high levels of coordination, consultation and interaction among all actors involved. We are of opinion that this comprehensive approach to operations may benefit from social media. We define social media as internet-based applications that allow groups of users to create, share, and gather information with the intention to facilitate overall command communications strategy. Examples of social media are Facebook, Twitter and Weblogs. Social media is at the top of the agenda for many civilian companies. There seems to be limited understanding, however, on how to effectively employ social media for military operations. This paper intends to provide a brief overview of opportunities and risks of social media for military operations. More importantly, this paper will provide insights on how social media may aid the collaboration between NATO and non-NATO actors in the NATO comprehensive approach. Hence, we foresee that this paper will allow decision makers to consider the opportunities and risks and plan for the necessary organizational and infrastructural changes required to make social media a force multiplier in future military operations. Most of the results discussed in this paper were collected during a one-day workshop. The workshop was convened with an audience consisting of military and civilian social media experts and future military leaders representing the different military departments. During the workshop participants envisioned opportunities and promising applications of social media in military operations. On the base of this workshop we conclude that future efforts should focus on minimizing the risks involved in the application of social media as a means to improve cooperative multi-organizational efforts. Examples are human-in-the-loop experimentation as a means to collect evidence of the utility and find potential areas of application and training and education to make military personnel more aware of the risks of social media.
Roll‐to‐Roll Dry Transfer of Large‐Scale Graphene

A major challenge for graphene applications is the lack of mass production technology for large‐scale and high‐quality graphene growth and transfer. Here, a roll‐to‐roll (R2R) dry transfer process for large‐scale graphene grown by chemical vapor deposition is reported. The process is fast, controllable, and environmentally benign. It avoids chemical contamination and allows the reuse of graphene growth substrates. By controlling tension and speed of the R2R dry transfer process, the electrical sheet resistance is achieved as 9.5 kΩ sq−1, the lowest ever reported among R2R dry transferred graphene samples. The R2R dry transferred samples are used to fabricate graphene‐based field‐effect transistors (GFETs) on polymer. It is demonstrated that these flexible GFETs feature a near‐zero doping level and a gate leakage current one to two orders of magnitude lower than those fabricated using wet‐chemical etched graphene samples. The scalability and uniformity of the R2R dry transferred graphene is further demonstrated by successfully transferring a 3 × 3 in2 sample and measuring its field‐effect mobility with 36 millimeter‐scaled GFETs evenly spaced on the sample. The field‐effect mobility of the R2R dry transferred graphene is determined to be 205 ± 36 cm2 V−1.
Impact of symptomatic vitreous degeneration on photopic and mesopic contrast thresholds

ABSTRACT Clinical relevance Contrast thresholds under photopic and mesopic luminance conditions are compromised in subjects with vitreous degeneration. A plausible explanation is needed for the visual discomfort expressed by patients suffering from symptomatic vitreous degeneration. Background The current study investigates the effect of symptomatic vitreous degeneration on photopic and mesopic contrast at high spatial frequencies. Methods An age-matched sample of 115 subjects, comprising 30 subjects with symptomatic vitreous floaters (cases) and 85 healthy subjects (controls), was included in this study. Visual acuity and flicker thresholds were measured for all participants. Photopic and mesopic functional contrast thresholds at 10 cycles per degree were measured for all participants to assess the effect of floaters on contrast. Further, to determine the effect of posterior vitreous detachment on contrast, the sample was divided into three groups: cases with posterior vitreous detachment (n = 12); cases without posterior vitreous detachment (n = 18); and controls (n = 85), and their contrast thresholds were compared. Results Photopic and mesopic contrast thresholds were lower by 37.4% and 27.5%, respectively, when the cases were compared with the controls (p = 0.028 and p < 0.001 for photopic and mesopic contrast thresholds, respectively). Photopic contrast was lower by 64.0% in cases with posterior vitreous detachment compared with controls (p = 0.001). Compared with controls, mesopic contrast was lower in cases with posterior vitreous detachment and in cases without posterior vitreous detachment by 30.3% and 25.6%, respectively (p = 0.014 and p = 0.017 for cases with and without posterior vitreous detachment, respectively). Conclusion : Subjects with vitreous degeneration have diminished photopic and mesopic contrast thresholds compared with controls. This finding highlights the negative impact of vitreous degeneration on the quality of vision.
Exploring chronic disease prevalence in people with intellectual disabilities in primary care settings: A scoping review

Abstract Background Primary care providers require accurate evidence on chronic disease prevalence in people with intellectual disabilities in order to apply this information into practice. This study aimed to map the broadness of literature on chronic disease prevalence in people with and without intellectual disabilities, and to explore main characteristics of these studies. Method A scoping review of peer‐reviewed literature was conducted, covering 2000 to February 2020, including literature that discussed chronic disease prevalence in people with and without intellectual disabilities, with similar data collection method for both groups. Results Nineteen studies were included. Chronic disease prevalence varied considerably between people with and without intellectual disabilities. Studies differed in their methodologies, country and age groups that were enrolled. Conclusions Primary care providers should interpret results on disease prevalence among people with intellectual disabilities in light of the study characteristics. Researchers should always interpret prevalence rates in the context of methodology.
Whole genome sequencing in a Knobloch syndrome family confirms the molecular diagnosis

ABSTRACT Background To establish the molecular diagnosis in two brothers presenting with the ocular features of Knobloch Syndrome using whole genome sequencing (WGS). Methods Clinical examination and ophthalmological phenotyping were completed under general anaesthesia. DNA samples were tested on a targeted retinal dystrophy next-generation sequencing panel. Subsequently, WGS was performed to identify additional variants. Results Clinical examination confirmed the diagnosis of Knobloch Syndrome. Targeted sequencing identified a novel heterozygous frameshift pathogenic variant in COL18A1, c.2864dupC; p.(Gly956ArgfsX20), inherited from their mother. A second paternally inherited heterozygous missense variant was identified in both brothers, c.5014 G > A; p.(Asp1672Asn), which was initially considered to have too high frequency to be pathogenic (MAF 8.8%). This led to an in-depth analysis of the COL18A1 locus using WGS data, which confirmed that Asp1672Asn is a likely pathogenic hypomorphic allele. Conclusion To date, all confirmed genetic diagnoses of Knobloch syndrome are attributable to variants in COL18A1. The family described here has a heterozygous novel loss of function variant. Detailed analysis of WGS data combined with family segregation studies concluded that although Asp1672Asn has a high population frequency, it is the most likely second pathogenic variant in our family. This supports the hypothesis that this is a hypomorphic allele, which, in combination with a loss of function pathogenic variant, leads to Knobloch syndrome. To our knowledge, this is the first time that WGS has been used to confirm a molecular diagnosis of Knobloch syndrome in this way and has provided further insight into the molecular mechanisms in this rare disorder.
Simulation model to assess the performance of a forward capacity market for hydro-based systems

Faced with the need for additional generation resources to meet growing demand, many market designers point out the need for a mechanism to coordinate and incentive capacity investment. Several variations of capacity mechanisms have been proposed for this purpose. This study presents the theoretical basis of how concepts of a forward capacity market (FCM) can be applied for hydrothermal systems with significant portion of hydro generation, and a dynamic simulation model to assess the performance of an FCM under different levels of competitive conditions, ranging from monopoly to perfect competition. At each annual step of the simulation, the proposed model uses game theory to describe the strategic interdependence among the generators, which results in an optimisation problem that allows finding the total amount of new capacity to be added to the system. The solution of the game also takes into account the behaviour of entrant generators when faced with the uncertainties regarding demand growth and future water inflows. The main contribution of this study is to model the strategic behaviour of investors in generation. The proposed model is capable of reproducing classical economic results for complex cases such as asymmetric oligopoly, which considers uncertainty in the demand growth rate and risk averse players.
The FASTK family proteins fine-tune mitochondrial RNA processing

Transcription of the human mitochondrial genome and correct processing of the two long polycistronic transcripts are crucial for oxidative phosphorylation. According to the tRNA punctuation model, nucleolytic processing of these large precursor transcripts occurs mainly through the excision of the tRNAs that flank most rRNAs and mRNAs. However, some mRNAs are not punctuated by tRNAs, and it remains largely unknown how these non-canonical junctions are resolved. The FASTK family proteins are emerging as key players in non-canonical RNA processing. Here, we have generated human cell lines carrying single or combined knockouts of several FASTK family members to investigate their roles in non-canonical RNA processing. The most striking phenotypes were obtained with loss of FASTKD4 and FASTKD5 and with their combined double knockout. Comprehensive mitochondrial transcriptome analyses of these cell lines revealed a defect in processing at several canonical and non-canonical RNA junctions, accompanied by an increase in specific antisense transcripts. Loss of FASTKD5 led to the most severe phenotype with marked defects in mitochondrial translation of key components of the electron transport chain complexes and in oxidative phosphorylation. We reveal that the FASTK protein family members are crucial regulators of non-canonical junction and non-coding mitochondrial RNA processing.
Global Proteomic Analysis of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Derived from Human Embryonic Stem Cells via Connective Tissue Growth Factor Treatment under Chemically Defined Feeder-Free Culture Conditions

Stem cells can be applied usefully in basic research and clinical field due to their differentiation and self-renewal capacity. The aim of this study was to establish an effective novel therapeutic cellular source and create its molecular expression profile map to elucidate the possible therapeutic mechanism and signaling pathway. We successfully obtained a mesenchymal stem cell population from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) cultured on chemically defined feeder-free conditions and treated with connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and performed the expressive proteomic approach to elucidate the molecular basis. We further selected 12 differentially expressed proteins in CTGF-induced hESC-derived mesenchymal stem cells (C-hESC-MSCs), which were found to be involved in the metabolic process, immune response, cell signaling, and cell proliferation, as compared to bone marrow derived-MSCs(BM-MSCs). Moreover, these up-regulated proteins were potentially related to the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. These results suggest that C-hESC-MSCs are a highly proliferative cell population, which can interact with the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway; thus, due to the upregulated cell survival ability or downregulated apoptosis effects of C-hESC-MSCs, these can be used as an unlimited cellular source in the cell therapy field for a higher therapeutic potential. Overall, the study provided valuable insights into the molecular functioning of hESC derivatives as a valuable cellular source.
Universal calibration for microwave moisture sensors for granular materials

A universal calibration method for microwave moisture sensors for granular materials is presented. The method is based on measurement of the dielectric properties and the use of a complex-plane representation of the normalized complex permittivity. Effectiveness of this method in moisture content prediction is tested for granular materials presenting significant structural and compositional differences. A single moisture calibration equation is given at 9.46 GHz and 24/spl deg/C for wheat, oats and soybeans.