Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Phase-Shift Modulated Hybrid LLC and Half-Bridge Converter With Fixed Frequency for Wide Voltage Gain Range Application

In this article, a novel hybrid LLC and half-bridge (HB) converter is proposed for wide voltage gain applications. The proposed converter is composed of a conventional LLC resonant converter and a HB converter. The LLC resonant converter and the HB converter are connected in parallel on the primary side with an auxiliary winding of the LLC transformer inserted in the primary power loop of the HB converter, while the secondary windings of two converters transformers are inversely connected and share a voltage-doubler rectifier. The LLC and HB operate with the same fixed frequency, and the phase-shift modulation control between two converters is utilized to regulate the output voltage. Zero-voltage switching of all the primary switches and zero-current switching of all second side diodes can be achieved over a wide range of output voltage and load conditions. Detailed principle and voltage gain analysis based on time-domain method has been presented. After that, a simple approximate analysis method is proposed so that the voltage gain can be obtained more easily and main parameters of the converter can be fast optimally designed. Finally, a 1 KW laboratory prototype with 400 V input/50 V–450 V output has been built up to verify the theoretical analysis of the proposed converter. The peak efficiency achieves 97.9%, and features good voltage regulation capability. Thus, the proposed converter is suitable for wide voltage gain range applications.
The growth of shear bands in the catastrophic failure of soils

This paper is an attempt to apply the Palmer–Rice fracture mechanics approach to the shear band propagation in sands and normally consolidated clays. This approach, proposed 30 years ago for overconsolidated clays, had a tremendous advantage of treating a shear band evolution as a true physical process and not just as a sufficient mathematical condition for its existence. Extension of this approach to a wider variety of soils requires for non-elastic soil properties (e.g. isotropic hardening plasticity, strain softening, lack of tensile strength, dilatancy, active and passive failure modes, etc.) to be taken into account. This paper demonstrates how the energy balance and process zone approaches can be applied to the simple problem of the shallow shear band propagation in an infinite slope built of such a soil. The energy balance approach appears to be the most conservative one. It allows for catastrophic and progressive types of soil failure to be properly identified, and dramatically effects the results of the slope stability analysis.
SABER temperature observations in the summer polar mesosphere and lower thermosphere: Importance of accounting for the CO2ν2 quanta V–V exchange

The polar summer thermal structure, with its cold mesopause and steep temperature gradients, both below and above the mesopause, produces the largest non‐LTE effects in the CO2ν2 mode manifold states. In this paper we focus on validating the non‐LTE model applied for operational temperature retrievals from the SABER 15 μm limb radiance observations for these extreme conditions. We demonstrate that accounting for the redistribution of ν2 quanta among various CO2 isotopes shifts the retrieved summer 2002 polar mesopause altitude upwards by 2 to 4 km. It brings the SABER temperature measurements into a better agreement with those of falling sphere experiments, lidar observations, as well as with climatological data.
Confirmation of a Middle Jurassic age for the Eedemt Formation in Dundgobi Province, southeast Mongolia: constraints from the discovery of new spinicaudatans (clam shrimps)

Two spinicaudatan species, Triglypta eedemtensis Li sp. nov. and Dundgobiestheria mandalgobiensis Li gen. et sp. nov., are described on the basis of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging of newly collected specimens from paper-thin laminated black shale of the Eedemt Formation exposed at the Eedemt locality in the Khootiin Khotgor coal mine region of Dundgobi Province in southeast Mongolia. Triglypta eedemtensis is ornamented mainly with puncta and a punctate fine reticulum; radial lirae occur only on two or three growth bands near the venter. The small spinicaudatan Triglypta is a common component of the Middle Jurassic Euestheria ziliujingensis fauna and Sinokontikia fauna, and is a typical taxon in the Middle Jurassic lacustrine sequences of northern Hebei and the Junggar and Turpan basins of the Xinjiang Autonomous District of China; however, it does not occur in stratigraphically higher units elsewhere. Therefore, the age of the Eedemt Formation should be considered Middle Jurassic rather than Early Cretaceous. The Eedemt Formation is much older than the Early Cretaceous Shinekhudag Formation in the Shine Khudag area of southeast Mongolia.
Targeting the melanoma-associated antigen CSPG4 with HLA-C*07:01-restricted T-cell receptors

Intorduction Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan 4 (CSPG4), also known as high molecular weight-melanoma associated antigen, is expressed in melanoma but also other tumor entities and constitutes an attractive target for immunotherapeutic approaches. While recent preclinical reports focused on anti-CSPG4 chimeric antigen receptors (CAR), we here explore T-cell receptor (TCR)-based approaches targeting CSPG4. Methods The TCRs of two CSPG4-reactive T-cell clones (11C/73 and 2C/165) restricted by the highly prevalent HLA-C*07:01 allele were isolated and the respective αβTCR pairs were retrovirally expressed in CRISPR/Cas9-edited TCR-knockout T cells for functional testing. We also combined alpha and beta TCR chains derived from 11C/73 and 2C/165 in a cross-over fashion to assess for hemichain dominance. CSPG4+ melanoma, glioblastoma and lung cancer cell lines were identified and, if negative, retrovirally transduced with HLA-C*07:01. Results Functional tests confirmed specific recognition of CSPG4+HLA-C*07:01+ target cells by the αβTCR retrieved from the parental T-cell clones and in part also by the cross-over TCR construct 2Cα-11Cβ. Despite high surface expression, the 11Cα-2Cβ combination, however, was not functional. Discussion Collectively, 11C/73- and 2C/165-expressing T cells specifically and efficiently recognized CSPG4+HLA-C*07:01+ cancer cells which warrants further preclinical and clinical evaluation of these TCRs.
Development, Optimization, and Validation of Radium-226 Measurement in Oyster, a Sentinel Organism by Mass Spectrometry

Radium-226 (226Ra) measurement in living organisms, such as the American oyster (Crassostrea virginica), is an analytical challenge: the matrix complexity and the extremely low Ra levels require a purification/preconcentration step prior to its quantification. In this study, 5 g of dry oyster soft tissues and 1.6 g of shell were both mineralized, preconcentrated on an AG50W-X8 and a strontium-specific resin, and measured using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The volumes of digestate used in the method for both matrices were optimized to reach a high preconcentration factor without any risk of oversaturating the columns. Out of the 50 mL of digestates, 48 mL and 2.5 mL were determined as optimal volumes for soft tissues and shell, respectively. To obtain a higher preconcentration factor and a lower limit of quantification (LOQ) for shell samples, three aliquots of 2.5 mL digestate were run on three different sets of resins and, ultimately, combined for Ra analysis using ICP-MS. LOQs of 7.7 and 0.3 fg/g (260 and 11 µBq/g) were achieved for the oyster shell and soft tissues, respectively. The new protocols were applied on relevant samples: oyster soft tissues and shell from New Brunswick, Canada, and different types of reference materials, such as IAEA-470, oyster soft tissue and IAEA-A-12, and animal bones. 226Ra recovery of 105 ± 3% (n = 6) was achieved for IAEA-A-12 (animal bones), the closest available reference material to shell with a recommended value for 226Ra. Resin performances were investigated using 226Ra standard solution and real samples: each set of columns could be used more than 100 times without any significant reduction in Ra preconcentration efficiency. Although the method proposed and validated in this work was developed for oysters, it could easily be applied to other matrices by adjusting the volume of digestate run on the resins to avoid their oversaturation.
CONFLUENCE: An Integration Model for Human-in-the-Loop IoT Privacy-Preserving Solutions Toward Sustainability in a Smart City

The evolution of the Internet of Things (IoT), progressing from a hyper-connected world of seamless device interaction to a paradigm that emphasizes the human factor as a central component, is driven by approaches like human-in-the-loop IoT (HITL-IoT). This shift enables the development of innovative systems in various environments. For example, in the context of a smart city, which comprises diverse solutions aimed at enhancing citizens’ quality of life and urban service efficiency, HITL-IoT approaches are employed to promote sustainability. Given the strong human involvement in these systems, challenges related to personal data protection, transparency, and participation must be addressed. Additionally, ensuring interoperability among different smart city entities is crucial for the coexistence and synergy of these solutions. This article presents a model that incorporates contemporary technologies like Blockchain and LoRa to integrate citizen-centric IoT privacy preservation solutions, fostering the vision of smart and sustainable cities. To demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed model, a prototype was designed, implemented, and deployed in a realistic scenario. Assessment results include metrics, such as latency, throughput, and communication aspects of the components.
Household ofrendas and community feasts: ritual at a Late Intermediate Period village in the Jequetepeque Valley, Peru

Abstract This article explores domestic and community rituals in the Late Intermediate Period village of Pedregal, in the lower Jequetepeque Valley on the north coast of Peru. Excavations in 2006 identified rituals on multiple scales, from offerings of burnt maize within houses to community feasts. Some of these rituals used imported products or referenced public rituals at elite centers, incorporating Pedregal residents into wider spheres of interaction. However, local ritual was also focused on intimate daily life within rural households, and served to unite community members, emphasizing local identities in the face of the region's increasing incorporation into the Chimú empire.
Designing Bioorthogonal Reactions for Biomedical Applications

Bioorthogonal reactions are a class of chemical reactions that can be carried out in living organisms without interfering with other reactions, possessing high yield, high selectivity, and high efficiency. Since the first proposal of the conception by Professor Carolyn Bertozzi in 2003, bioorthogonal chemistry has attracted great attention and has been quickly developed. As an important chemical biology tool, bioorthogonal reactions have been applied broadly in biomedicine, including bio-labeling, nucleic acid functionalization, drug discovery, drug activation, synthesis of antibody–drug conjugates, and proteolysis-targeting chimeras. Given this, we summarized the basic knowledge, development history, research status, and prospects of bioorthogonal reactions and their biomedical applications. The main purpose of this paper is to furnish an overview of the intriguing bioorthogonal reactions in a variety of biomedical applications and to provide guidance for the design of novel reactions to enrich bioorthogonal chemistry toolkits.
Terrain-aware semantic mapping for cooperative subterranean exploration

Navigation over torturous terrain such as those in natural subterranean environments presents a significant challenge to field robots. The diversity of hazards, from large boulders to muddy or even partially submerged Earth, eludes complete definition. The challenge is amplified if the presence and nature of these hazards must be shared among multiple agents that are operating in the same space. Furthermore, highly efficient mapping and robust navigation solutions are absolutely critical to operations such as semi-autonomous search and rescue. We propose an efficient and modular framework for semantic grid mapping of subterranean environments. Our approach encodes occupancy and traversability information, as well as the presence of stairways, into a grid map that is distributed amongst a robot fleet despite bandwidth constraints. We demonstrate that the mapping method enables safe and enduring exploration of subterranean environments. The performance of the system is showcased in high-fidelity simulations, physical experiments, and Team MARBLE’s entry in the DARPA Subterranean Challenge which received third place.
The structure of the Kythira–Antikythira strait, offshore SW Greece (35.7°–36.6°N)

Abstract The Kythira–Antikythira strait, within the SW Hellenic Arc, forms a 100 km long NNW–SSE trending ridge between Peloponnesus and Crete and represents the submarine continuation of the Hellenic Alpine belt. In order to present the shallow as well as the deeper structure of Kythira–Antikythira strait we studied five seismic sections, oriented either parallel or perpendicular to the inner part of the Hellenic Arc. This information was complemented with velocity analyses from a dense network of seismic lines and information concerning the bathymetry. Contractional structures recognized on the seismic profiles indicate that this part of the Gavrovo–Tripolitza geotectonic zone was involved in the Miocene shortening related to the westward propagation of the Hellenic fold-and-thrust system. East-dipping thrust faults which root in the top of the crystalline basement were identified on the seismic profiles. The deepest reflector identified on the profiles corresponds to the crystalline basement. Shallower reflectors include those corresponding to the contacts between the Mesozoic/Miocene, Upper Miocene/Lower Pliocene and Pliocene/Pleistocene sedimentary sequences. The Upper Cenozoic to Quaternary sequence rests unconformably upon Mesozoic carbonates. Messinian intrusions, forming small scale domes, deform the Pliocene–Quaternary sedimentary succession. West- and east-dipping normal faults were also recognised both within the Palaeozoic and Cenozoic successions, and are related to regional extension during sedimentation.
Salivary Uric Acid Detection With Graphene–Gold Bilayers Surface Plasmon Resonance

This article proposes a Kretschmann configuration surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor setup incorporating gold and graphene quantum dot (GQD) bilayers for the detection of uric acid (UA) solution. The confirmation of the deposition of gold and GQD films onto the sensor substrate was accomplished through the utilization of a field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy. Analysis revealed an average film thickness of 55.4 nm for the gold film and 5.8 nm for the GQD film. Different concentrations of UA solution were tested with the proposed setup and the performance was evaluated in terms of sensitivity, linearity, limit of detection (LOD), binding affinity, full width at half maximum (FWHM), detection accuracy (DA), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and figure of merit (FOM). The sensitivities achieved for the SPR sensors were 0.23 and 3.77 %/(mg/dL) with correlation coefficients of 0.0318 and 0.825 for gold and gold–GQD, respectively. The corresponding LODs were 32.85 and 4.74 mg/dL, with binding affinity constants of 91.87 and $89.18\,\,\mu \text {M}^{-1}$ , respectively. Adding GQD to the gold film increased the sensitivity of the SPR sensor substantially while demonstrating excellent reproducibility, repeatability, and reusability, exalted DA and SNR, constricted FWHM, and superlative FOM. These outcomes harbor the potential to spark a proficient and modest technique that enables the detection of UA in saliva, thus expediting near-patient testing.
Hotspots, research productivity and collaboration networks in remote sensing and GIS in Australia from 1991 to 2010

Knowledge of the spatial distribution and clustering of productive areas of research can be used by prospective postgraduate students and early career researchers to target locations with high potential for professional development, as well as encourage strategic networking and sharing of knowledge. In the present study, the research output of the Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Science (RS/GIS) discipline in Australia was examined and hotspots of research activity were identified. Publication data from 10 peer-reviewed journals for the 1991 to 2010 period were used to look at research productivity and the levels of research collaboration between research institutions, based on authorship data. Results identified a number of hotspot areas, signifying a clustering of RS/GIS research. The productivity of these hotspot clusters changed over time, with some clusters that were very productive in the early 1990s giving way to other clusters that had developed significantly over time. Some clusters declined in productivity over time, while others were superseded by the development of more productive clusters. The study also found a substantial increase in cross-institutional collaboration in RS/GIS research in Australia over the last 20 years.
The Influence of Human Resource Competence, Use of Information Technology, And Leadership Commitment to Budget Absorption in Regional Apparatus in Simeulue Regency, Aceh Province

The purpose of this study is to determine the influence of Human Resource Competence, Use of Information Technology, and Leadership Commitment to Budget Absorption in Regional Apparatus in Simeulue Regency, Aceh Province. The population in this study is all Regional Apparatus in Simeulue Regency which amounts to 45 offices with a total of 135 respondents. Data analysis in this study used multiple linear regression which was processed with the SPSS (Statistical Package For Social Science) program. The results showed that the Human Resource Competence, Use of Information Technology, and Leadership Commitment had a positive and significant effect on the Budget Absorption of Regional Apparatus in Simeulue Regency. The Human Resource Competence has a positive effect on the Budget Absorption of Regional Apparatus in Simeulue Regency, Use of Information Technology has a positive effect on the Budget Absorption of Regional Apparatus in Simeulue Regency and the Leadership Commitment has a positive effect on the Budget Absorption of Regional Apparatus in Simeulue Regency. The implications of the results of this study are expected to be the evaluation for policy makers in increasing the Budget Absorption, and can be used as a practical guide for each policy maker in managing the budget.
Exploring the impact of Customization Strategy, Product Variety on Operational Performance in Automotive Manufacturing Industry

This research has three big contributions to car manufacturing companies in China. Firstly, it defines how an improvement in product variety impacts operational performance. Second, it explains the impact on operational performance of customization strategies practices. Thirdly, the thesis identifies the relative differences of impact by five types of customisations of the product variety on specific aspects of operating performance. It includes a comprehensive analysis of the literature associated with the effects of product variety and customisation as well as techniques for coping with trade-offs between product variety and operating performance. By adopting a quantitative research method, a survey of 12 car manufacturing sector companies from China was conducted. The objectives and questions of this research is clearly defined and outlines the difference the research is to bring to information. This also establishes theories that take into account the relationship between product variety, customisation and operational efficiency. The project focuses on data collection methods and a questionnaire is designed to be submitted to Chinese car manufacturing companies. This gives the empirical results of this study a detailed debate. Finally, the research is concluded by providing a summary of the results of the work and of the study's theoretical contributions. Effective mass customisation and customer-driven development will offer Chinese carmakers a variety of benefits. The basic results, therefore, have significant management consequences for Chinese car producers to pursue numerous strategies under different product design profiles.
Laboratory experimental check of a conceptual model for infiltration under complex rainfall patterns

Experimental evidence of the accuracy of the model proposed by Corradini et al. (1997, Journal of Hydrology 192: 104–124) for local infiltration–redistribution–reinfiltration in homogeneous soils is given. The model provides infiltration through the time evolution of the soil water content vertical profile, which is described by an ordinary differential equation in any stage of a given rainfall event. A nearly horizontal laboratory slope was used for the experiments performed over both a medium‐ and a coarse‐textured soil. During each experiment characterized by a complex rainfall pattern, the soil water content θ at different depths was continuously monitored using the time‐domain reflectometry method. Our results indicate that the model simulated the experimental vertical profiles of θ accurately, particularly during the infiltration and reinfiltration stages separated by a rainfall hiatus with redistribution of soil water. These results indicate the reliability of the model in computing the local effective rainfall for hydrological response. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.