Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modelling and identification of a wire-cable vibration isolator via a cyclic loading test

Abstract A cyclic loading test was carried out on a wire-cable vibration isolator to obtain experimentally its hysteretic behaviour in shear, roll and tension-compression respectively. In shear and roll modes, the isolator exhibits symmetric soft-hardening hysteresis loops under cyclic loading, namely the hysteresis loops display a softening stiffness in relatively small deformations and diverge to exhibiting a hardening stiffness at large deformation levels. In the tension-compression mode, the isolator exhibits asymmetric hysteresis loops, which constitute a segment of a hardening overlapping envelope in the loading curves. In recognizing the inapplicability of existing hysteretic models, two improved Bouc-Wen models are proposed within the framework of the mathematical Duhem hysteresis operator, to represent the symmetric soft-hardening hysteresis loops and the asymmetric hysteresis loops with a hardening overlapping envelope respectively.
On convergence of Newton's method for load flow problems

The Kantorovich theorem is virtually the only known sufficiency condition for convergence of Newton's method on a set of non-linear equations. The theorem gives very conservative bounds and is difficult to apply. In this paper the power system load flow problem is solved by Newton's method, and a sufficiency condition for the convergence of the iterations on this particular problem is given. The criterion relates to a condition number defined on the Jacobian matrix associated with the non-linear equations. Computational feasibility is considered and the merits of its use are discussed.
SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF A STANDING-WAVE THER- MOACOUSTIC ENGINE

Thermoacoustic engines are devices that rely on the interaction between thermodynamics and acoustics to convert thermal energy into acoustic energy in the form of a pressure wave (sound wave). This sound wave is one form of mechanical work. The pressure wave is not generated and sustained unless the temperature of the hot side of the stack exceeds a certain critical value, known as the onset temperature. This work considers an existing optimized thermoacoustic engine design and analyzes the sensitivity of the effects of main engine factors (mean gas pressure, stack position, stack length, stack porosity and plate spacing) on the engine performance, evaluated by the onset temperature and the first and second-law efficiencies. The results indicate the relative importance of the different engine factors on the engine performance. This relative importance is evaluated for variations within ±±±± 10% of the nominal values of the engine design. The results indicate that the most important engine parameters that affect the engine performance at the presented design conditions are the mean pressure, the plate spacing and the stack length for the onset temperature; the stack porosity and position for the first-law efficiency and the stack porosity and position for the second-law efficiency.
Acute ACAT1/SOAT1 Blockade Increases MAM Cholesterol and Strengthens ER-Mitochondria Connectivity

Cholesterol is a key component of all mammalian cell membranes. Disruptions in cholesterol metabolism have been observed in the context of various diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The genetic and pharmacological blockade of acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase 1/sterol O-acyltransferase 1 (ACAT1/SOAT1), a cholesterol storage enzyme found on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and enriched at the mitochondria-associated ER membrane (MAM), has been shown to reduce amyloid pathology and rescue cognitive deficits in mouse models of AD. Additionally, blocking ACAT1/SOAT1 activity stimulates autophagy and lysosomal biogenesis; however, the exact molecular connection between the ACAT1/SOAT1 blockade and these observed benefits remain unknown. Here, using biochemical fractionation techniques, we observe cholesterol accumulation at the MAM which leads to ACAT1/SOAT1 enrichment in this domain. MAM proteomics data suggests that ACAT1/SOAT1 inhibition strengthens the ER-mitochondria connection. Confocal and electron microscopy confirms that ACAT1/SOAT1 inhibition increases the number of ER-mitochondria contact sites and strengthens this connection by shortening the distance between these two organelles. This work demonstrates how directly manipulating local cholesterol levels at the MAM can alter inter-organellar contact sites and suggests that cholesterol buildup at the MAM is the impetus behind the therapeutic benefits of ACAT1/SOAT1 inhibition.
Broadband plasmonic response of self-organized aluminium nanowire arrays

We investigated the plasmonic response of arrays of Al nanowires fabricated in high-vacuum and embedded within a transparent protective medium. The nanostructures exhibited a strongly-birefringent plasmonic response which, depending on the mutual orientation of the incident-field polarization and the nanowire axis, allowed the plasmon resonance to span the whole spectral range from the visible to the deep-ultraviolet regime. Comparing the experimental data with theoretical calculations allowed to rationalize the optical response in terms of non-ideal nanowire morphologies arising from the bottom-up character of the nanofabrication method. The broadband plasmonic response suggests the potential application of these systems in plasmon-enhanced photovoltaics, exploiting the great advantage of the low-cost of aluminium.
Representative Air Temperature of Thermally Heterogeneous Urban Areas Using the Measured Pressure Gradient

A method to measure an area-averaged ground air temperature based on the hydrostatic equation is shown. The method was devised to overcome the problem of finding the most representative surface air temperature over a wide region, a problem that has seriously hindered the description of urban heat islands. The vertical pressure gradient is used and the hydrostatic equation is applied to estimate the average air temperature between two barometers, which is here called the hydrostatic temperature. The error analysis shows that the hydrostatic temperature can be estimated with a systematic error of 1.88C and a random error of 0.78C in the case in which the two barometers have a vertical separation of 228 m. The measured hydrostatic temperature agreed with the average of the directly measured temperature within 0.78C rms. For this barometer separation, the representative area of the hydrostatic temperature was experimentally found to be a 12-km-radius circle. The size of this area decreased when the vertical separation of the barometers decreased. The hydrostatic temperature is compared with the average directly measured temperature for various areas. The maximum correlation between them occurred for a circular area with a 12-km radius centered on the pressure measurements. The size of the representative area for this method is larger than that for the direct measurement of air temperature.
Quantum Mode Coupling Theory and Path Integral Monte Carlo

A theory for dynamical correlations in quantum liquids is presented. The approach is based on augmenting an exact quantum generalized Langevin equation (QGLE) for the Kubo transform of the dynamical correlation of interest, combined with an approximation for the memory kernel obtained within the framework of a quantum mode‐coupling theory (QMCT) developed by Rabani and Reichman. The solution to the quantum generalized Langevin equation requires as input static equilibrium information which is generated from a path‐integral Monte Carlo method suitable for observables that combine positions and momenta of all particles. The theory is applied to the case of liquid para‐hydrogen and liquid ortho‐deuterium near their triple points. Good agreement for the intermediate scattering function, for the self‐diffusion constant, and for the real time velocity autocorrelation function is obtained in comparison to experimental measurements and to numerical results obtained from a maximum entropy analytic continuation app.
Sf2955 COMPUTER INTENSIVE METHODS MCMC On the Metropolis-Hastings Algorithm on Continuous State Spaces 2009

MCMC is a powerful method for exploring (by simulation) a high-dimensional distribution. Problems arising in Bayesian inference and other fields frequently lead to highdimensional distribution that are (absolutely) continuous, i.e., have a density. Hastings (1970) suggested the use of the discrete MetropolisHastings algorithm by discretization of the pertinent densities, but we do not follow his lead in this lecture. In fact it seems to be natural to base the defińıtion and theoretical analysis of MCMC on the theory of Markov chains on a general space. In this lecture we give a brief and informal summary of general Markov chains as expounded in (Nummelin 1984, Meyn & Tweedie 1993). Our summary follows the outline in (Robert and Castella 1999, Tierney 1994). The approach to Markov chain theory in discrete time and on a general (continuous) state space is to start with a transition kernel, which gives us P (A|x), the conditional probability distribution of moving from x to a set A. A major concern in the theory is to find conditions under which there exists an invariant distribution for the chain, and conditions which allow iterations
A New Construction Method of Neighbor Graph Based on Correlative Columns Information for Marginal Fisher Analysis

Marginal fisher analysis is a typical supervised method which has been used in many practical problems such as face recognition. However, MFA mainly depends on its essential neighbor graphsintrinsic graph and penalty graph. Intrinsic graph characterizes the intra-class compactness while the inter-class graph characterizes the inter-class separability. Consequently, neighbor graph construction plays a vital role on the performance of MFA. In this paper, we propose a new construction method of intrinsic graph and penalty graph for marginal fisher analysis. It is based on correlative columns information, so we name this new method as Correlative Columns Information based MFA (CCIMFA). CCIMFA can well show the spatial structure information of the original image matrices, and also can preserve the corresponding columns information. CCIMFA also has anther attractive property that is columns’ noise immunity. In order to test and evaluate CCIMFA’s performance, a series of experiments were performed on the well-known face databases: ORL and Yale face databases. The experimental results show that CCIMFA achieves better performance than MFA.
PBPK-based dose finding for sildenafil in pregnant women for antenatal treatment of congenital diaphragmatic hernia

Sildenafil is a potent vasodilator and phosphodiesterase type five inhibitor, commercially known as Revatio® and approved for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension. Maternal administration of sildenafil during pregnancy is being evaluated for antenatal treatment of several conditions, including the prevention of pulmonary hypertension in fetuses with congenital diaphragmatic hernia. However, determination of a safe and effective maternal dose to achieve adequate fetal exposure to sildenafil remains challenging, as pregnancy almost always is an exclusion criterion in clinical studies. Physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modelling offers an attractive approach for dose finding in this specific population. The aim of this study is to exploit physiologically-based pharmacokinetic modelling to predict the required maternal dose to achieve therapeutic fetal exposure for the treatment congenital diaphragmatic hernia. A full-PBPK model was developed for sildenafil and N-desmethyl-sildenafil using the Simcyp simulator V21 platform, and verified in adult reference individuals, as well as in pregnant women, taking into account maternal and fetal physiology, along with factors known to determine hepatic disposition of sildenafil. Clinical pharmacokinetic data in mother and fetus were previously obtained in the RIDSTRESS study and were used for model verification purposes. Subsequent simulations were performed relying either on measured values for fetal fraction unbound (fu = 0.108) or on values predicted by the simulator (fu = 0.044). Adequate doses were predicted according to the efficacy target of 15 ng/mL (or 38 ng/mL) and safety target of 166 ng/mL (or 409 ng/mL), assuming measured (or predicted) fu values, respectively. Considering simulated median profiles for average steady state sildenafil concentrations, dosing regimens of 130 mg/day or 150 mg/day (administered as t.i.d.), were within the therapeutic window, assuming either measured or predicted fu values, respectively. For safety reasons, dosing should be initiated at 130 mg/day, under therapeutic drug monitoring. Additional experimental measurements should be performed to confirm accurate fetal (and maternal) values for fu. Additional characterization of pharmacodynamics in this specific population is required and may lead to further optimization of the dosing regimen.
An X-Ray Survey of the Open Cluster NGC 6475 (M7) with ROSAT

A ROSAT x-ray survey, with complimentary optical photometry, of the open cluster NGC 6475 has enabled the detection of -50 late-F to K0 and -70 K/M dwarf new candidate members, providing the first reliable detection of low-mass stars in this low galactic latitude, 220 Myr old cluster. The x-ray observations reported here have a typical limiting sensitivity of Lx=1029 erg/s. The detection frequency of early type cluster members is consistent with the hypothesis that the x-ray emitting early type stars are binary systems with an unseen, low-mass secondary producing the x rays. The ratio between x-ray and bolometric luminosity among NGC 6475 members saturates at a spectral-type/color which is intermediate between that in much younger and in much older clusters, consistent with rotational spindown of solar-type stars upon their arrival on the ZAMS. The upper envelope of x-ray luminosity as a function of spectral type is comparable to that of the Pleiades, with the observed spread in x-ray luminosity among low-mass members being likely due to the presence of binaries and relatively rapid rotators. However, the list of x-ray selected candidate members is likely biased against low-mass, slowly rotating single stars. While some preliminary spectroscopic information is given in an appendix, further spectroscopic observations of the new candidate members will aid in interpreting the coronal activity among solar-type NGC 6475 members and their relation to similar stars in older and younger open clusters. © 1995 American Astronomical Society.
A Systematic Review of Yoga and Meditation for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Children

With attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) being a prevalent disorder in childhood, it is essential to acknowledge the different adverse effects the disorder can have on the quality of life in children. Therefore, this systematic review focuses mainly on children. Medical therapy, especially stimulants, can have many side effects. Our systematic review aims to evaluate the potential of other non-medical treatment options for ADHD, such as yoga or meditation. We used PubMed and Google Scholar as databases for this systematic review. Using different combinations of medical subheadings (MeSH) and key terms, followed by the application of several inclusion/exclusion criteria and filters to narrow down our search. From an initial 51,675 articles, we selected 10 papers that passed our screening process and quality check to analyze in depth. Yoga and meditation positively affect various symptoms in children with ADHD, including attention, hyperactivity, and impulsive behavior. If done in family group sessions, it also benefited the parents and family dynamics, suggesting a potential option for family therapy. Furthermore, other psychological symptoms, such as anxiety or low self-esteem, appeared to be positively impacted by these interventions. Although yoga and meditation positively influenced children with ADHD, a more in-depth research is necessary with a more significant number of participants and over a more extended period of time. The results of the included studies suggest a substantial benefit. Nonetheless, as the number of studies is limited, at present yoga and meditation could be beneficial as supplemental therapy rather than being used alone as a therapy for ADHD.
The detector control system of the ATLAS experiment

The ATLAS experiment is one of the experiments at the Large Hadron Collider, constructed to study elementary particle interactions in collisions of high-energy proton beams. The individual detector components as well as the common experimental infrastructure are supervised by the Detector Control System (DCS). The DCS enables equipment supervision using operator commands, reads, processes and archives the operational parameters of the detector, allows for error recognition and handling, manages the communication with external control systems, and provides a synchronization mechanism with the physics data acquisition system. Given the enormous size and complexity of ATLAS, special emphasis was put on the use of standardized hardware and software components enabling efficient development and long-term maintainability of the DCS over the lifetime of the experiment. Currently, the DCS is being used successfully during the experiment commissioning phase.
Clinical and Genetic Characteristics of Patients with Unexplained Intellectual Disability/Developmental Delay without Epilepsy

Introduction: Global developmental delay (DD), intellectual disability (ID), and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are mainly evaluated under the neurodevelopmental disorder framework. In this study, we aimed to determine the genetic diagnosis yield using step-by-step genetic analysis in 38 patients with unexplained ID/DD and/or ASD. Methods: In 38 cases (27 male, 11 female) with unexplained ID/DD and/or ASD, chromosomal microarray (CMA) analysis, clinical exome sequencing (CES), and whole-exome sequencing (WES) analysis were applied, respectively. Results: We found a diagnostic rate of only CMA analysis as 21% (8/38) presenting 8 pathogenic and likely pathogenic CNVs. The rate of patients diagnosed with CES/WES methods was 32.2% (10/31). When all pathogenic and likely pathogenic variants were evaluated, the diagnosis rate was 44.7% (17/38). A dual diagnosis was obtained in a case with 16p11.2 microduplication and de novo SNV. We identified eight novel variants: TUBA1A (c.787C>G), TMEM63A (c.334-2A>G), YY1AP1 (c.2051_2052del), ABCA13 (c.12064C>T), ABCA13 (c.13187G>A), USP9X (c.1189T>C), ANKRD17 (c.328_330dup), and GRIA4 (c.17G>A). Conclusion: We present diagnostic rates of a complementary approach to genetic analysis (CMA, CES, and WES). The combined use of genetic analysis methods in unexplained ID/DD and/or ASD cases has contributed significantly to diagnosis rates. Also, we present detailed clinical characteristics to improve genotype-phenotype correlation in the literature for rare and novel variants.
Microstructural characterization of XLPE electrical insulation in power cables: determination of void size distributions using TEM

In an effort to progress in our understanding of the ageing mechanisms of high voltage cables submitted to electrical and thermal stresses, we present a quantitative study of voids, the defects which are considered to be partly responsible for cable failure. We propose a method based on large data sets of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations of replicated samples allowing for the determination of void concentration distribution as a function of void size in the mesoscopic to microscopic range at any point in the cable insulation. A theory is also developed to calculate the effect of etching on the apparent size of the voids observed. We present the first results of this sort ever obtained on two industrial cables, one of which was aged in an AC field. Results clearly indicate that a much larger concentration of voids occur near the inner semiconductor compared to the bulk of the insulation, independently of ageing. An effect of ageing can also be seen near the inner semiconductor, resulting in an increase in the total void internal surface area and a slight shift of the concentration curve towards larger voids, with the peak moving from about 40 nm to about 50 nm.
Laboratory Astrophysics: Spectral Analysis of Photoionized Neon

A curve of growth analysis was applied to photoionized neon absorption spectra from gas cell experiments at Sandia National Laboratory’s Z facility. The gas cell experiments, designed to photoionize neon up to helium and hydrogen-like species, produce a photoionized plasma comparable to astrophysical plasmas measured in high mass X-ray binaries or Seyfert 2 galaxies. A proper characterization of the photoionized plasma in the gas cell can be used to benchmark photoionization codes like Cloudy and XSTAR used by the astrophysics community. The curve of growth analysis of absorption spectra from neon was applied to calculate the charge state distribution of the neon. The analysis, performed using a Voigt line-profile with the 1s2 N 1snp line series on Ne IX, shows that additional line broadening mechanisms are present. A preliminary analysis of additional line broadening from the Stark effect was also performed.
Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH) for the Characterization and Monitoring of Primary Cultures from Human Tumors

Genetic and drug sensitivity assays on primary cultures are not only of basic but also of translational interest and could eventually aid oncologists in the selection of treatments. However, cancer cells need to be identified and differentiated from the non-tumor cells always present in primary cultures. Also, successive passages can change the proportions of these two subpopulations. In this study, we propose fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis on cell smears to determine the presence of tumor cells in primary cultures obtained from patients carrying translocations or copy number gains. FISH proved to be an easy, fast, economic, and reliable method of characterizing cell populations, which could be used repeatedly at different passages to monitor variations and to confirm the maintenance of translocations and copy number gains throughout the culture process.
Students' algebra sense via their understanding of the distributive law

The distributive law or distributive property is a fundamental algebraic property in the arithmetic of numbers and algebraic expressions. This paper reports on an investigation of students' understanding of the distributive law through task-based interviews from the perspectives of constructivists. It explores students' lack of appreciation of the algebraic structure underpinning the distributive law, particularly amongst students who were already proficient in arithmetic and the distributive law. A total of 203 students from one secondary school of average standard in Hong Kong participated in this study, which adopted a cross-sectional approach. Thirty-three students were then interviewed. The study showed that although some students made progress in the understanding and application of the distributive law, others could not make sense of the meaning of variables and algebraic rules. Therefore, their algebra remained a routine instrumental application of rules, and their understanding of the algebraic structure was incomplete. This paper concludes with a discussion on how the tasks used in the interviews provided teachers with an innovative alternative to deepening students' understanding of letters as variables and the distributive law.