Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mission profile analysis and calorimetric loss measurement of a SiC hybrid module for main inverter application of electric vehicles

This paper evaluates the benefits of replacing the Si diodes of a commercial IGBT module for the main inverter application of an electric vehicle with SiC diodes, leaving the other components of the package and the system unchanged. This will give a direct comparison of Si vs SiC diodes, without giving scope for discrepancies arising out of differences in the packaging, gate-driver circuit etc. The IGBT-module chosen for comparison is a low inductance (8nH) HybridPACK Drive module from Infineon, suitable for high speed switching. A loss model is developed for the modules, and the resulting model is used to investigate the performance for various drive cycles (Artemis, WLTP, NEDC). A calorimetric loss measurement setup is developed for experimental verification of the results.
Common neighbour similarity-based approach to support intimacy measurement in social networks

A large amount of social data is being generated every day, as the Internet becomes more pervasive and mobile devices more ubiquitous. Accordingly, Internet users often experience difficulty finding the content they want, resulting in the popularity of personalized services that provide user-customized content. Intimacy between users of social network services can be utilized as a foundational technology for personalized services. In this paper, an intimacy measurement method for social networking services based on common neighbour similarity is proposed. The proposed method uses the link relationship between users for intimacy measurements and can be applied to general users. Further, it promotes easy data collection using publicly available data. To evaluate the proposed intimacy measurement method experimentally, a significant amount of user data was collected from Twitter. In addition, various statistical datasets were presented, and regression analyses conducted on graphs extracted from user data were collected to interpret the meaning of the intimacy index measured using the proposed method with existing social networking services.
A rule-based approach to the semantic lifting of model differences in the context of model versioning

In model-based software engineering, models are primary artifacts which iteratively evolve and which are often developed in teams. Therefore, comparison and merge tools for models are indispensable. These tools must compare models in a technology-dependent runtime representation and will initially derive low-level changes, which can differ considerably from user-level editing commands. Low-level differences are often incomprehensible and should be semantically lifted to the level of editing operations. This transformation of differences depends on the model type, supported editing operations, and user preferences; thus specific transformers are needed, and building them is a challenge. We present a rule-based approach to this problem: low-level differences are represented based on the Eclipse Modeling Framework. They are transformed into representations of editing operations using a rule-based model transformation engine. The necessary transformation rules are automatically derived from basic transformation rules for the editing operations.
Special section: Landmarks in spatial cognition and spatial development

The papers in this section are the result of a conference on Landmarks in Spatial Cognition and Spatial Development, held at Arizona State University in February, 1988 and supported by the Graduate College. The conference participants prepared short position papers, which were intended to stimulate discussion about any interesting, unanswered questions, and to help define future directions for research concerning landmarks.
Experiences of learning through collaborative evaluation from a masters programme in professional education

This paper presents findings from a collaborative evaluation project within a masters programme in professional education. The project aimed to increase knowledge of research methodologies and methods through authentic learning where participants worked in partnership with the tutor to evaluate the module which they were studying. The project processes, areas of the course evaluated and the data collection methods are outlined. The findings focus on key themes from evaluating the effectiveness of using a collaborative evaluation approach, including: enhanced student engagement; creativity of the collaborative evaluation approach; equality between the tutor and students; and enhanced research skills. Discussion focuses on the outcomes and effectiveness of the project and tutor reflections on adopting a collaborative approach. This paper highlights lessons from the project relevant to those interested in staff–student partnership approaches and those facilitating postgraduate learning and teaching programmes and educational research courses. Cet article présente les résultats d’un projet collaboratif d’évaluation ayant eu lieu dans le cadre d’un programme de master en formation professionnelle. Le projet visait à accroître les connaissances des méthodes et méthodologies de recherche par l’entremise d’un apprentissage authentique dans le cadre duquel les participantes œuvraient en partenariat avec le tuteur à l’évaluation du module auquel elles prenaient part. Les processus du projet, les parties du cours ayant été évaluées et les méthodes de collecte des données sont présentées. Les résultats se concentrent sur les thèmes principaux provenant de l’évaluation de l’efficacité d’une approche collaborative d’évaluation. Ceux‐ci comprennent : l’engagement accru des étudiantes ; la créativité de l’approche collaborative d’évaluation ; l’égalité entre le tuteur et les étudiantes ; et les compétences de recherche développées. La discussion porte sur : les résultats et l’efficacité du projet de même que des réflexions du tuteur au sujet de l’adoption d’une approche collaborative. L’article met en lumière les leçons tirées de ce projet pouvant être pertinentes pour ceux qui seraient intéressés par les approches de partenariat enseignant‐étudiant et pour ceux qui ont la charge de programmes de 2e ou 3e cycle en pédagogie universitaire ou de cours de recherche en éducation.
Tunable dispersion compensators utilizing higher order mode fibers

We demonstrate a novel tunable dispersion compensator that utilizes higher order mode fibers and switchable fiber gratings. The device is broad band and wavelength continuous, yielding a bit rate, bit format, and signal bandwidth as well as channel-spacing transparent adjustable dispersion compensator. The novel device design is free from tradeoffs between tuning range and bandwidth. The tuning range is 435 ps/nm, with a bandwidth of 30 nm. Its all-fiber configuration yields the lowest loss (average /spl sim/3.7 dB) tunable dispersion compensator reported to date. 40-Gb/s transmission tests reveal penalty-free operation.
Extra Molting and Selection on Nymphal Growth in the Desert Locust

In insects, extra-molting has been viewed as a compensatory mechanism for nymphal growth that contributes to optimize body weight for successful reproduction. However, little is known on the capacity of extra-molting to evolve in natural populations, which limits our understanding of how selection acts on nymphal growth. We used a multi-generational pedigree, individual monitoring and quantitative genetics models to investigate the evolution of extra-molting and its impact on nymphal growth in a solitarious population of the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria. Growth compensation via extra-molting was observed for 46% of the females, whose adult weight exceeded by 4% that of other females, at a cost of a 22% longer development time. We found a null heritability for body weight threshold only, and the highest and a strongly female-biased heritability for extra molting. Our genetic estimates show that (1) directional selection can act on growth rate, development time and extra-molting to optimize body weight threshold, the target of stabilizing selection, (2) extra-molting can evolve in natural populations, and (3) a genetic conflict, due to sexually antagonistic selection on extra-molting, might prevent its fixation. Finally, we discuss how antagonistic selection between solitarious and gregarious environments and/or genetic correlations between growth and phase traits might also impact the evolution of extra-molting in locusts.
A DISTURBANCE-REJECTION PROBLEM FOR A 2-D AIRFOIL

(ABSTRACT) Flutter suppression is a problem of considerable interest in modern avionics. Flutter is a vibration caused by energy in the airstream being absorbed by a non-rigid wing. Active control is one possible method of suppressing flutter. However, due to unmeasurable aerodynamic-lag states, developing an active control using full-state feedback is not viable. The use of a state-estimator is a more practical way of developing active controllers. In this paper we investigate two control methods using state-estimators. We also use simple models of disturbances to test attenuation and robustness of each control method. Finally, a method of quantitative robust analysis is reviewed and then applied to each of the controlled systems. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First, I would like to thank Dr. Burns. The support and enthusiasm he has always offered helped me through many trying times. Second, I wish to thank Dr. Rogers. Through Dr. Rogers I realized what I want to accomplish as a mathematician. Also, a thank you goes out to Dr. Herdman. I appreciate the time and effort he put forth sitting on my committee. I would like to thank my parents for having me. Whenever I have dreamed they have always allowed me to keep dreaming. All my dreaming is starting to pay off and for this I love them. A special thanks to Dave McKee. The time spent on the field and in the rehearsal room allowed me to release plenty of unwanted stress. Last but not least I thank Shana Olds. Without her I know I would have quit long before I started.
Disordered to ordered folding in the regulation of diphtheria toxin repressor activity

Understanding how metal binding regulates the activity of the diphtheria toxin repressor protein (DtxR) requires information about the structure in solution. We have prepared a DtxR mutant construct with three additional N-terminal residues, Gly-Ser-His-DtxR(Cys-102 → Asp), that retains metal-binding capabilities, but remains monomeric in solution and does not bind DNA under conditions that effect dimerization and DNA binding in the functional DtxR(Cys-102 → Asp) construct. Although the interaction properties of this inactive mutant in solution are very different from that of active repressors, crystallization imposes the same dimeric structure as observed in all crystal forms of the active repressor with and without bound metal. Our solution NMR analyses of active and inactive metal-free diphtheria toxin repressors demonstrate that whereas the C-terminal one-third of the protein is well ordered, the N-terminal two-thirds exhibits conformational flexibility and exists as an ensemble of structural substates with undefined tertiary structure. Fluorescence binding assays with 1-anilino naphthalene-8-sulfonic acid (ANS) confirm that the highly α-helical N-terminal two-thirds of the apoprotein is molten globule-like in solution. Binding of divalent metal cations induces a substantial conformational reorganization to a more ordered state, as evidenced by changes in the NMR spectra and ANS binding. The evident disorder to order transition upon binding of metal in solution is in contrast to the minor conformational changes seen comparing apo- and holo-DtxR crystal structures. Disordered to ordered folding appears to be a general mechanism for regulating specific recognition in protein action and this mechanism provides a plausible explanation for how metal binding controls the DtxR repressor activity.
Treatment with proteasome inhibitor bortezomib decreases organic anion transporting polypeptide (OATP) 1B3-mediated transport in a substrate-dependent manner

OATP1B1 and OATP1B3 mediate hepatic uptake of many drugs (e.g., statins) and can mediate transporter-mediated drug-drug-interactions (DDIs). Bortezomib is the first-in-class proteasome inhibitor drug approved by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of multiple myeloma. The potential of bortezomib to cause OATP-mediated DDIs has not been assessed. The current study investigated the involvement of the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) in OATP1B1 and OATP1B3 degradation and determined the effects of proteasome inhibitors on OATP1B1- and OATP1B3-mediated transport. Co-immunoprecipitation of FLAG-OATP1B1/1B3 and HA-ubiquitin was observed in human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells co-transfected with FLAG-tagged OATP1B1/OATP1B3 and hemagglutinin (HA)-tagged ubiquitin, suggesting that OATP1B1 and OATP1B3 can be ubiquitin-modified. Although blocking proteasome activity by bortezomib treatment (50 nM, 7 h) increased the endogenous ubiquitin-conjugated FLAG-OATP1B1 and FLAG-OATP1B3 in HEK293-FLAG-OATP1B1 and–OATP1B3 cells, such treatment did not affect the total protein levels of OATP1B1 and OATP1B3, suggesting that the UPS plays a minor role in degradation of OATP1B1 and OATP1B3 under current constitutive conditions. Pretreatment with bortezomib (50–250 nM, 2–7 h) significantly decreased transport of [3H]CCK-8, a specific OATP1B3 substrate, in HEK293-OATP1B3 and human sandwich-cultured hepatocytes (SCH). However, bortezomib pretreatment had negligible effects on the transport of [3H]E217βG and [3H]pitavastatin, dual substrates of OATP1B1 and OATP1B3, in HEK293-OATP1B1/1B3 cells and/or human SCH. Compared with vehicle control treatment, bortezomib pretreatment significantly decreased the maximal transport velocity (Vmax) of OATP1B3-mediated transport of CCK-8 (92.25 ± 14.2 vs. 133.95 ± 15.5 pmol/mg protein/min) without affecting the affinity constant (Km) values. Treatment with other proteasome inhibitors MG132, epoxomicin, and carfilzomib also significantly decreased OATP1B3-mediated [3H]CCK-8 transport. In summary, the current studies for the first time report ubiquitination of OATP1B1 and OATP1B3 and the apparent substrate-dependent inhibitory effect of bortezomib on OATP1B3-mediated transport. The data suggest that bortezomib has a low risk of causing OATP-mediated DDIs.
Parental physical activity as a moderator of the parental social influence – child physical activity relationship: A social control approach

This study utilized a social control framework to assess whether parents' physical activity level moderated the relationship between parents' use of social influences and their children's physical activity level. Parents reported their personal and child's physical activity levels as well as the frequency with which they used various social control tactics in relation to their child's physical activity. A series of hierarchical regression analyses were used to determine if parental physical activity level interacted with use of parental tactics in predicting child physical activity levels. A significant interactive effect was found for parents' telling their child to be physically active and parental physical activity levels (t = −2.19, p<.03). Interpretation of the interaction revealed a significant negative relationship between parental telling and child physical activity for active parents, but not for less active parents. These findings were explained within a social control framework, and the suggestion was made that social control warrants future attention in helping to understand how social relationships influence health‐promoting behaviors such as physical activity within the parent–child dyad.
Plasma free amino acid profiles of canine mammary gland tumors

The purpose of this study was to elucidate the relationship between plasma free amino acid (PFAA) levels and the clinical stages of mammary gland tumors (MGT) in dogs. PFAA levels in canines with malignant mammary tumors were decreased compared to those of healthy animals. The levels of aspartate and ornithine, in the dogs with tumor metastasis were significantly decreased when compared to those of dogs that did not have metastases. Results of this study indicate that PFAA levels could be a risk factor or biomarker for canine MGT metastasis.
Recombinant Norwalk Virus-Like Particles Administered Intranasally to Mice Induce Systemic and Mucosal (Fecal and Vaginal) Immune Responses

ABSTRACT Recombinant Norwalk virus-like particles (rNV VLPs) were administered to BALB/c mice by the intranasal (i.n.) route to evaluate the induction of mucosal antibody responses. The results were compared to systemic and mucosal responses observed in new and previous studies (J. M. Ball, M. E. Hardy, R. L. Atmar, M. E. Connor, and M. K. Estes, J. Virol. 72:1345–1353, 1998) after oral administration of rNV VLPs. Immunizations were given in the presence or absence of a mucosal adjuvant, mutant Escherichia coliheat-labile toxin LT(R192G). rNV-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) and fecal IgA were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The i.n. delivery of rNV VLPs was more effective than the oral route at inducing serum IgG and fecal IgA responses to low doses of rNV particles. Vaginal responses of female mice given VLPs by the i.n. and oral routes were also examined. All mice that received two immunizations with low doses i.n. (10 or 25 μg) of rNV VLPs and the majority of mice that received two high doses orally (200 μg) in the absence of adjuvant had rNV-specific serum IgG, fecal, and vaginal responses. Additional experiments evaluated whether rNV VLPs can function as a mucosal adjuvant by evaluating the immune responses to two soluble proteins, keyhole limpet hemocyanin and chicken egg albumin. Under the conditions tested, rNV VLPs did not enhance the serum IgG or fecal IgA response to these soluble proteins when coadministered by the i.n. or oral route. Low doses of nonreplicating rNV VLPs are immunogenic when administered i.n. in the absence of adjuvant, and addition of adjuvant enhanced the magnitude and duration of these responses. Recombinant NV VLPs represent a candidate mucosal vaccine for NV infections in humans.
Pseudorational behaviors and Bezoutians

Behavioral system theory has been successful in providing a viewpoint that does not depend on a priori notions of inputs/outputs. While there are some attempts to extend this theory to infinite-dimensional systems, for example, delay systems, the overall picture seems to remain still incomplete. The first author has studied a class of infinite-dimensional systems called pseudorational. This class allows a compact fractional representation for systems having bounded-time memory. It is particularly appropriate for extending the behavioral framework to infinite-dimensional context. We have recently studied several attempts to extend this framework to a behavioral context. Among them are characterizations of behavioral controllability, particularly involving a coprimeness condition over an algebra of distributions, and some stability tests involving Lyapunov functions derived from Bézoutians. This article gives a brief overview of pseudorational transfer functions, controllability issues and related criteria, path integrals, and finally the connection with Lyapunov functions derived from Bézoutians.
Investigations Into the Efficacy of Short-Term Group Social Skills Training for Socially Isolated Children

This paper presents the results of two studies designed to investigate the effects of short-term group social skills training on a population of socially withdrawn elementary school children. The skill training programs of six to eight hourly sessions did not have a significantly greater impact on socially withdrawn children than did comparison training programs designed to control for the effects of group interaction or a wait-listed no-treatment group. The authors discuss the results of both studies and offer suggestions for improving the quality of the program and the design of future studies.
Trade, Growth and the Environment

For the last ten years environmentalists and the trade policy community have engaged in a heated debate over the environmental consequences of liberalized trade. The debate was originally fueled by negotiations over the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Uruguay round of GATT negotiations, both of which occurred at a time when concerns over global warming, species extinction and industrial pollution were rising. Recently it has been intensified by the creation of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and proposals for future rounds of trade negotiations. The debate has often been unproductive. It has been hampered by the lack of a common language and also suffered from little recourse to economic theory and empirical evidence. The purpose of this essay is set out what we currently know about the environmental consequences of economic growth and international trade. We critically review both theory and empirical work to answer three basic questions. What do we know about the relationship between international trade, economic growth and the environment? How can this evidence help us evaluate ongoing policy debates? Where do we go from here?
Impact of common crystalloid solutions on resuscitation markers following Class I hemorrhage: A randomized control trial

BACKGROUND Resuscitation after hemorrhage with crystalloid solutions can lead to marked acidosis and iatrogenically worsen the lethal triad. The effect of differing solutions on base deficit and lactate has been sparsely prospectively studied in humans. We sought to quantify the effect of normal saline (NS) and lactated Ringer’s (LR) resuscitation in voluntary blood donors as a model for Class I hemorrhage. METHODS A prospective randomized control trial was conducted in conjunction with blood drives. Donors were randomized to receive no intravenous fluid (noIVF), 2-L NS, or 2-L LR after blood donation of 500 mL. Lactate and base deficit were measured before and after fluid administration using an iSTAT. The mean laboratory values were compared between groups first using a global test followed by pairwise testing between groups using the Wilcoxon rank-sum and Kruskal-Wallis tests. The Bonferroni correction was used and a statistical significance of p < 0.0167 was set. RESULTS A total of 157 patients completed the study. The mean (SD) age was 39.2 (12.7), and 65.0% were female. Patients in each group lost equivalent amounts of total blood volume, and a similar amount was replaced in the crystalloid group (p > 0.0167). Donors had comparable increases in lactate and base deficit after donation regardless of the group (p > 0.0167). After resuscitation with 2-L crystalloid, the lactate level increased higher in the LR group than in the noIVF or the NS group (1.36 mmol/L vs. 1.00 mmol/L vs. 1.54 mmol/L, p < 0.0001). In addition, the resuscitation base deficit increased in the NS group more than in the noIVF or LR group (−0.65 vs. −3.06 vs. −0.34, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION This study is one of the first human studies to prospectively demonstrate quantifiable differences in base deficit and lactate by type of crystalloid resuscitation. LR resuscitation elevated lactate levels, and NS negatively affected the base deficit. These findings are critical to the interpretation of trauma patient resuscitation with crystalloid solutions. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Therapeutic study, level II.