Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
380V digital isolated quasi-resonant multiphase converter for high power LED application

In high-power LED driver system a single stage boost-LLC AC-DC converter is usually adopted to obtain good efficiency with low cost. However, boost-LLC AC-DC converter are only available for low bus voltage due to the PFM control strategy. A two-stage approach with a PFC as first stage and dc-dc quasi-resonant converter from 380V to 12V is adopted in this work. The proposed DC-DC converter implements a two-phase driving approach implementing current sharing, enabling ZVS operation both at primary side and secondary side. The controller IC has been implemented in 0.16um lithography together with a DPWM with 195ps resolution and 40Ms/s ADC 7 bits pipeline converter. Experimental results of a 100 A, 12 V two cells provide to show the effectiveness of the discussed system.
Size Controlled Preparation of Starch Nanoparticles from Wheat through Precipitation at Low Temperature

This study developed an energy efficient procedure to produce size-controlled starch nanoparticles (SNPs) via precipitation. A 0.06 g/ml aqueous starch suspension was solubilized in a solvents system including NaOH and urea at temperature of 35 °C. Applying only 3 minutes ultrasonic treatment leads to formation of SNPs in a narrow size range of 50-70 nm with production yield of 92±5%. TEM and FESEM revealed formation of uniform short nanofibers. Unlike starch/water suspension, the nanoparticles/water suspension remained stable for 48 hours.
Parents’ uptake of human papillomavirus vaccines for their children: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies

Objective To examine factors associated with parents’ uptake of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines for their children. Design Systematic review and meta-analysis. Data sources Cochrane Library, AIDSLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Social Sciences Abstracts, Ovid MEDLINE, Scholars Portal, Social Sciences Citation Index and Dissertation Abstracts International from inception through November 2017. Methods We included studies that sampled parents and assessed uptake of HPV vaccines for their children (≤18 years) and/or sociodemographics, knowledge, attitudes or other factors associated with uptake. Study risk of bias was assessed using the Effective Public Health Practice Project tool. We pooled data using random-effects meta-analysis and conducted moderation analyses to examine variance in uptake by sex of child and parent. Results Seventy-nine studies on 840 838 parents across 15 countries were included. The pooled proportion of parents’ uptake of HPV vaccines for their children was 41.5% (range: 0.7%–92.8%), twofold higher for girls (46.5%) than for boys (20.3%). In the meta-analysis of 62 studies, physician recommendation (r=0.46 (95% CI 0.34 to 0.56)) had the greatest influence on parents’ uptake, followed by HPV vaccine safety concerns (r=−0.31 (95% CI −0.41 to −0.16)), routine child preventive check-up, past 12 months (r=0.22 (95% CI 0.11 to 0.33)) and parents’ belief in vaccines (r=0.19 (95% CI 0.08 to 0.29)). Health insurance-covered HPV vaccination (r=0.16 (95% CI 0.04 to 0.29)) and lower out-of-pocket cost (r=−0.15 (95% CI −0.22 to −0.07)) had significant effects on uptake. We found significant moderator effects for sex of child. Conclusions Findings indicate suboptimal levels of HPV vaccine uptake, twofold lower among boys, that may be improved by increasing physician recommendations, addressing parental safety concerns and promoting parents’ positive beliefs about vaccines, in addition to expanding insurance coverage and reducing out-of-pocket costs. Limitations of this meta-analysis include the lack of intervention studies and high risk of bias in most studies reviewed. Further studies should disaggregate HPV vaccine uptake by sex of child and parent.
Contact lens associated microbial keratitis: practical considerations for the optometrist

Microbial keratitis (MK) is a corneal condition that encompasses several different pathogens and etiologies. While contact lens associated MK is most often associated with bacterial infections, other pathogens (fungi, Acanthamoeba species, etc) may be responsible. This review summarizes the risk factors, microbiology, diagnostic characteristics, and treatment options for all forms of contact lens-related MK.
Unraveling the role of fungal symbionts in plant abiotic stress tolerance

Fungal symbionts have been found associated with every plant studied in natural ecosystem, where they colonize and reside entirely in the internal tissues of their host plant or partially. Fungal endophytes can express/form a range of different lifestyle/relationships with different host including symbiotic, mutualistic, commensalistic and parasitic in response to host genotype and environmental factors. In mutualistic association fungal endophyte can enhance growth, increase reproductive success and confer biotic and abiotic stress tolerance to its host plant. Since abiotic stress such as, drought, high soil salinity, heat, cold, oxidative stress, heavy metal toxicity is the common adverse environmental conditions that affect and limit crop productivity worldwide. It may be a promising alternative strategy to exploit fungal endophytes to overcome the limitations to crop production brought by abiotic stress. There is increasing interest in developing the potential biotechnological applications of fungal endophytes for improving plant stress tolerance and sustainable production of food crops. Here we have described the fungal symbioses, fungal symbionts and their role in abiotic stress tolerance. A putative mechanism of stress tolerance by symbionts has also been covered.
Wikipedia entry augmentation by sub-merging entities based on multilingual ontology

The amount of knowledge in the world wide web is increasing with the frequent addition of new features, like adaptation of multiple languages. Immense amount of content makes its utilization quite challenging for intelligent machines. Hence, structured formats or ontologies became significant. Ontologies require efficient extraction techniques, a topic that still needs much work. A way to improve the extraction technique is by concentrating multiple data sources into one single source. This paper introduces a way that can sub-merge knowledge repositories from multiple languages into a richer and easily accessible one. Using the knowledge base from English and French languages, machine-readable properties of individual entities are filtered through intelligent techniques and a precise knowledge source is generated. The results obtained by experimental implementation of the sub-merging technique are also presented in this paper to demonstrate the magnitude of enhancement.
Activation of Proteinase-Activated Receptor 2 Stimulates Soluble Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor 1 Release via Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Transactivation in Endothelial Cells

The proteinase-activated receptor 2 (PAR-2) expression is increased in endothelial cells derived from women with preeclampsia, characterized by widespread maternal endothelial damage, which occurs as a consequence of elevated soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 (sVEGFR-1; commonly known as sFlt-1) in the maternal circulation. Because PAR-2 is upregulated by proinflammatory cytokines and activated by blood coagulation serine proteinases, we investigated whether activation of PAR-2 contributed to sVEGFR-1 release. PAR-2–activating peptides (SLIGRL-NH2 and 2-furoyl-LIGRLO-NH2) and factor Xa increased the expression and release of sVEGFR-1 from human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Enzyme-specific, dominant-negative mutants and small interfering RNA were used to demonstrate that PAR-2–mediated sVEGFR-1 release depended on protein kinase C-&bgr;1 and protein kinase C-ϵ, which required intracellular transactivation of epidermal growth factor receptor 1, leading to mitogen-activated protein kinase activation. Overexpression of heme oxygenase 1 and its gaseous product, carbon monoxide, decreased PAR-2–stimulated sVEGFR-1 release from human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Simvastatin, which upregulates heme oxygenase 1, also suppressed PAR-2–mediated sVEGFR-1 release. These results show that endothelial PAR-2 activation leading to increased sVEGFR-1 release may contribute to the maternal vascular dysfunction observed in preeclampsia and highlights the PAR-2 pathway as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of preeclampsia.
The Neurodevelopmental Perspective of Surgical Necrotizing Enterocolitis: The Role of the Gut-Brain Axis

This state-of-the-art review article aims to highlight the most recent evidence about the therapeutic options of surgical necrotizing enterocolitis, focusing on the molecular basis of the gut-brain axis in relevance to the neurodevelopmental outcomes of primary peritoneal drainage and primary laparotomy. Current evidence favors primary laparotomy over primary peritoneal drainage as regards neurodevelopment in the surgical treatment of necrotizing enterocolitis. The added exposure to inhalational anesthesia in infants undergoing primary laparotomy is an additional confounding variable but requires further study. The concept of the gut-brain axis suggests that bowel injury initiates systemic inflammation potentially affecting the developing central nervous system. Signals about microbes in the gut are transduced to the brain and the limbic system via the enteric nervous system, autonomic nervous system, and hypothalamic-pituitary axis. Preterm infants with necrotizing enterocolitis have significant differences in the diversity of the microbiome compared with preterm controls. The gut bacterial flora changes remarkably prior to the onset of necrotizing enterocolitis with a predominance of pathogenic organisms. The type of initial surgical approach correlates with the length of functional gut and microbiome equilibrium influencing brain development and function through the gut-brain axis. Existing data favor patients who were treated with primary laparotomy over those who underwent primary peritoneal drainage in terms of neurodevelopmental outcomes. We propose that this is due to the sustained injurious effect of the remaining diseased and necrotic bowel on the developing newborn brain, in patients treated with primary peritoneal drainage, through the gut-brain axis and probably not due to the procedure itself.
Characteristics Analysis of Data From News and Social Network Services

With the rapid proliferation of the Internet and mobile devices, vast amounts of user-generated content has been accumulated through social network services, and massive amounts of news continues to be created and posted online. In this paper, we extract the characteristics of online news and data from social network services, including the differences and similarities between them. We found the following differences: First, the news responds to official events but content on social network services is related to personal interests. Second, the news is continually related to a specific issue or set of issues, whereas topics of conversation change daily in social network services. Third, items from the news can be identified with a single keyword in searches, whereas more keywords are needed to extract the desired information from social network services. At the same time, we found that the words mentioned in both the news and on social network services were similar, and both were used for commercial purposes. Our analysis revealed that the news is related to the keyword generally, uses same words repeatedly, and its range of topics is narrow and public. On the contrary, social network services are not related to the keyword often, and their range of topics is wide and personal. Furthermore our analysis showed that the ranking algorithm improves the topic detection rate and catches the topic quickly. This paper provides useful information to better understand the characteristics of online news and data from social network services.
A Multi-Class Classification Weighted Least Squares Twin Support Vector Hypersphere Using Local Density Information

To overcome the disadvantages of the least squares twin support vector hypersphere (LS-TSVH), some improvements are proposed in this paper. First, LS-TSVH ignores the local sample information; it treats each sample equally when constructing the separating hyperspheres, which causes LS-TSVH to be highly sensitive to noisy samples. To solve this problem, we introduce local density information into LS-TSVH and propose a weighted LS-TSVH (WLSTSVH) approach. Then, we use the Newton downhill algorithm to solve it efficiently. Furthermore, to overcome the limitation that LS-TSVH is suitable only for binary classification problems and cannot be used to solve multi-class classification problems, we employ the one-versus-rest method, extending WLSTSVH to achieve multi-class classification capability. Computational comparisons with other classical multi-class classification algorithms are performed on several benchmark data sets and practical problems. The results indicate that the proposed algorithm achieves better classification performance.
Short circuit characterization of 3rd generation 10 kV SiC MOSFET

The short circuit performance of a 3rd generation 10 kV/20 A SiC MOSFET with short channel is characterized in this paper. The platform consisting of a phase-leg configuration, which can test both hard switching fault (HSF) and fault under load (FUL) types of fault, is introduced in detail. A Si IGBT based solid state circuit breaker is developed for short circuit test. The short circuit protection having a response time of 1.5 μs is validated by the test platform. The short circuit characteristics for both the HSF and FUL types at 6 kV DC-link are presented and analyzed.
Mechanical compression and hydrostatic pressure induce reversible changes in actin cytoskeletal organisation in chondrocytes in agarose

In numerous cell types, the cytoskeleton has been widely implicated in mechanotransduction pathways involving stretch-activated ion channels, integrins and deformation of intracellular organelles. Studies have also demonstrated that the cytoskeleton can undergo remodelling in response to mechanical stimuli such as tensile strain or fluid flow. In articular chondrocytes, the mechanotransduction pathways are complex, inter-related and as yet, poorly understood. Furthermore, little is known of how the chondrocyte cytoskeleton responds to physiological mechanical loading. This study utilises the well-characterised chondrocyteagarose model and an established confocal image-analysis technique to demonstrate that both static and cyclic, compressive strain and hydrostatic pressure all induce remodelling of actin microfilaments. This remodelling was characterised by a change from a uniform to a more punctate distribution of cortical actin around the cell periphery. For some loading regimes, this remodelling was reversed over a subsequent 1 h unloaded period. This reversible remodelling of actin cytoskeleton may therefore represent a mechanism through which the chondrocyte alters its mechanical properties and mechanosensitivity in response to physiological mechanical loading. r 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Objective determination of image end-members in spectral mixture analysis

Spectral mixture analysis was shown to be a powerful, multifaceted tool for analysis of multi- and hyper-spectral data. The essence of the first phase of the approach is to determine a set of image end-members that best account for the spectral variance in an image cube within a constrained, linear least squares mixing model. The selection of the image end-member is usually achieved using a priori knowledge and successive trial and error solutions to refine the total number and physical location of the end-members. However, in many situations a more objective method of determining these essential components is desired. The problem of image end-member determination was approached objectively by using the inherent variance of the data. Unlike purely statistical methods such as factor analysis, this approach derives solutions that conform to a physically realistic model.
Aquaporins: Highly Regulated Channels Controlling Plant Water Relations1

Aquaporins are highly regulated water channels that contribute to the control of water movement at the cell, tissue, and organ levels and, hence, to the overall plant water relations in varying environmental conditions. Plant growth and development are dependent on tight regulation of water movement. Water diffusion across cell membranes is facilitated by aquaporins that provide plants with the means to rapidly and reversibly modify water permeability. This is done by changing aquaporin density and activity in the membrane, including posttranslational modifications and protein interaction that act on their trafficking and gating. At the whole organ level aquaporins modify water conductance and gradients at key “gatekeeper” cell layers that impact on whole plant water flow and plant water potential. In this way they may act in concert with stomatal regulation to determine the degree of isohydry/anisohydry. Molecular, physiological, and biophysical approaches have demonstrated that variations in root and leaf hydraulic conductivity can be accounted for by aquaporins but this must be integrated with anatomical considerations. This Update integrates these data and emphasizes the central role played by aquaporins in regulating plant water relations.
An Emerging Family of Hybrid Nanomaterials: Metal–Organic Framework/Aerogel Composites

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are crystalline nanoporous coordination polymers made of metal ions and organic linkers. Aerogels are highly nanoporous amorphous polymers that can be organic, inorganic, or hybrid. Both of these unique materials have been extensively investigated in many laboratories around the world for a wide range of applications ranging from separations to catalysis, resulting in thousands of published articles in a wide variety of journals. MOF/aerogel composites (MOFACs) are a new class of nanostructured materials that are attracting increasing attention because of their favorable properties. The combination of the micro- and mesoporosities of MOFs with the meso- and macroporosities of aerogels makes MOFACs hierarchically multimodal porous materials. With their high surface areas and combined morphological, mechanical, physicochemical, and functional properties of both MOFs and aerogels, MOFACs have demonstrated outstanding performances in various applications. Herein we provide an o.
Meta-analysis of the association between short-term exposure to ambient ozone and respiratory hospital admissions

Ozone is associated with health impacts including respiratory outcomes; however, results differ across studies. Meta-analysis is an increasingly important approach to synthesizing evidence across studies. We conducted meta-analysis of short-term ozone exposure and respiratory hospitalizations to evaluate variation across studies and explore some of the challenges in meta-analysis. We identified 136 estimates from 96 studies and investigated how estimates differed by age, ozone metric, season, lag, region, disease category, and hospitalization type. Overall results indicate associations between ozone and various kinds of respiratory hospitalizations; however, study characteristics affected risk estimates. Estimates were similar, but higher, for the elderly compared to all ages and for previous day exposure compared to same day exposure. Comparison across studies was hindered by variation in definitions of disease categories, as some (e.g., asthma) were identified through ≥ 3 different sets of ICD codes. Although not all analyses exhibited evidence of publication bias, adjustment for publication bias generally lowered overall estimates. Emergency hospitalizations for total respiratory disease increased by 4.47% (95% interval: 2.48, 6.50%) per 10 ppb 24 h ozone among the elderly without adjustment for publication bias and 2.97% (1.05, 4.94%) with adjustment. Comparison of multi-city study results and meta-analysis based on single-city studies further suggested publication bias.
ANSWER EXTRACTION USING A DEPENDENCY GRAMMAR IN EXTRANS

Nous exposons ici l'implementation d'un systeme d'extraction de reponses, ExtrAns, qui utilise la sortie d'un analyseur et d'une grammaire bases sur les dependances. Afin d'augmenter la vitesse de calcul, l'analyseur et la grammaire utilises sacrifient le fonctionnalisme (dans le cadre des grammaires de dependance) au profit de la projectivite. Nous avons decouvert que les structures de dependance resultantes, bien qu'elles soient difficiles a traiter, peuvent etre utilisees par ExtrAns pour trouver les dependances syntaxiques et semantiques necessaires dans plusieurs des etapes du traitement linguistique. En particulier, nous mettons l'accent sur la generation de formes logiques minimales.
Dietary patterns interact with APOA1/APOC3 polymorphisms to alter the risk of the metabolic syndrome: the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study

The interaction of genetic and dietary factors, as an area of CVD research, has been explored poorly. The aim of the present study was to examine the interaction of dietary patterns and three genetic variants of APOA1 and APOC3, both independently and in combination, relative to the risk of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Tehranian adults. In the present matched, nested case–control study, 414 subjects with the MetS and 414 controls were selected from the participants of the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study. Dietary patterns were determined by factor analysis. APOC3 (rs5128 3238C>G) and APOA1 (rs670, − 75G>A and rs5069,+83C>T) SNP were genotyped by the conventional PCR followed by the restriction fragment length polymorphism technique. Overall, three major dietary patterns were extracted: healthy dietary pattern (HDP); Western dietary pattern (WDP); fat–sweet dietary pattern (FSDP). The A and T allele carriers of the APOA1 SNP had a greater risk of developing the MetS in the highest quartile of WDP scores (OR 3·22, 95 % CI 1·21, 8·58, P interaction= 0·03). Compared with other genotype combinations, the combined effect of APOC3/APOA1 (CC/GA+AA/CT+TT) genotypes showed a further increase in the risk of the MetS in the highest quartile of WDP scores (OR 1, 2·49, 8·73, 6·32, P trend< 0·001, P interaction= 0·003). A significant interaction was found between the quartiles of FSDP scores and the APOA1 diplotype (GA+AA/CT+TT). OR for these genotype carriers were 1, 0·65, 0·57 and 0·22 (P trend= 0·006) in the lowest to the highest quartile of FSDP scores when compared with the other combined genotypes (P interaction= 0·03). Our findings suggest that the WDP and FSDP are associated with APOA1 and APOC3 SNP in relation to the risk of the MetS.