Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Culture Change in a Professional Sports Team: Shaping Environmental Contexts and Regulating Power: A Commentary

INTRODUCTION My commentary is situated within my own field of expertise which lies within management and organization studies. This location leads me to be somewhat critical of Cruickshank et al.’s article because the authors took the decision to elide these literatures which I argue are foundational to a really nuanced, developed understanding of the phenomena explored in this study. My comments are restricted to three key areas: i) the issue of professional sports organizations being businesses and the implications of this for culture; ii) the exclusion of theory from management and organization studies literatures; and iii) a critique of methods.
Bifurcation Analysis of Standalone Photovoltaic-Battery Hybrid Power System

Standalone photovoltaic-battery hybrid power systems are attractive renewable power generation systems, a popular form of which is based on a photovoltaic system and a battery connected to an output dc bus via a buck converter and a bidirectional buck/boost converter, respectively. Due to variation of the available sunlight intensity, the battery voltage and load condition, the system's structures and operating modes are switched from time to time. The dynamic behavior is thus quite complex, and the design for stable operation of the system requires consideration of the stability conditions for all possible operating modes. This paper studies the dynamic behavior of this system and reveals the smooth and non-smooth bifurcation phenomena. Under certain conditions, when the system switches its operating mode, a non-smooth bifurcation, manifested as a jump from stable to unstable behavior, has been observed and verified with full-circuit simulations. Moreover, a detailed analysis based on averaged modes is performed to identify the two types of bifurcation and evaluate the stability boundaries of the system. The results provide useful insights and information about the behavior of the system and the interacting effects of control parameters on the design of the control loops.
Ranolazine Shortens Repolarization in Patients with Sustained Inward Sodium Current Due to Type‐3 Long‐QT Syndrome

Introduction: One form of the hereditary long‐QT syndrome, LQT3‐ΔKPQ, is associated with sustained inward sodium current during membrane depolarization. Ranolazine reduces late sodium channel current, and we hypothesized that ranolazine would have beneficial effects on electrical and mechanical cardiac function in LQT3 patients with the SCN5A‐ΔKPQ mutation.
Antidepressant Potential of (R)-Ketamine in Rodent Models: Comparison with (S)-Ketamine

The rapid-acting and long-lasting antidepressant effects of (R,S)-ketamine have recently gained much attention. Although (S)-ketamine has been studied as an active isomer, recent evidence suggests that (R)-ketamine exhibits longer-lasting antidepressant effects than (S)-ketamine in rodents. However, the antidepressant potential of (R)-ketamine has not been fully addressed. In the present study, we compared the antidepressant effects of (R)-ketamine with those of (S)-ketamine in animal models of depression, including a model that is refractory to current medications. Both (R)-ketamine and (S)-ketamine exhibited antidepressant effects at 30 minutes as well as at 24 hours after administration in forced-swimming and tail-suspension tests in mice. At 48 hours after administration, however, (R)-ketamine still exerted a significant antidepressant effect in the tail-suspension test, whereas the effect of (S)-ketamine was no longer observed. Moreover, (R)-ketamine, but not (S)-ketamine, significantly reversed the depressive-like behavior induced by repeated treatments with corticosterone in rats at 24 hours after a single administration. This effect was attenuated by an α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionate (AMPA) receptor antagonist, suggesting the involvement of AMPA receptor stimulation in the effects. Both (R)-ketamine and (S)-ketamine exhibited practically the same exposure levels in plasma, brain, and cerebrospinal fluid in mice and rats, and both compounds were rapidly eliminated from plasma (<4–8 hours). The present results confirmed the previous findings that (R)-ketamine exerted longer-lasting antidepressant effects than (S)-ketamine in animal models of depression. Moreover, our study is the first to demonstrate that (R)-ketamine exerted a sustained antidepressant effect even in a model that is refractory to currently prescribed antidepressants.
EEG Database of Seizure Disorders for Experts and Application Developers

This article presents an online accessible electroencephalogram (EEG) database, where the EEG recordings comprise abnormal patterns such as spikes, poly spikes, slow waves, and sharp waves to help diagnose related disorders. The data, as of now, are a collection of EEGs from a diagnostic center in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India, and the data samples pertain to an age-group ranging from 1 to 107 years. Eventually, the EEG data concerning other disorders as well as those from other institutions will be included. The present database provides information under the following categories: major classification of the disorder, patient’s record, digitized EEG, and specific diagnosis; in addition, a search facility is incorporated into the database. The mode of access by the domain experts, application developers, and researchers, along with a few classical applications are explained in this article. With the advance of clinical neuroscience, this database will be helpful in developing software for applications such as diagnosis and treatment.
Capacity analysis of subcarrier pairing for OFDMA-based DF relay link over Rayleigh channel

In this paper we analyze the end-to-end capacity of subcarrier pairing strageties of OFDMA-base DF relay link over Rayleigh fading channels. We compare fixed pairing strategy to optimal pairing strategy in the circumstance that the relay is fixed or mobile.The main contribution of this paper is deriving the closed-form expressions for average end-to-end SNR and capacity in these circumstances. The simulation result illustrates that the optimal pairing scheme can bring performance gain over fixed subcarrier pairing as expected.
A concept and design optimization of compact planar UWB monopole antenna

A novel structure concept of a compact UWB monopole antenna is introduced together with a low-cost design optimization procedure. Reduced footprint is achieved by introduction of a protruded ground plane for current path increase and a matching transformer to ensure wideband impedance matching. All geometrical parameters of the structure are optimized simultaneously by means of surrogate based optimization involving variable-fidelity EM antenna simulations, which allows us to obtain small antenna size while maintaining low reflection in the UWB frequency range.
Déterminer automatiquement la valence affective de phrases : Amélioration de l'approche lexicale

An approach simple, but effective, to determine automatically the emotional valence of a sentence consists in using the valence of the words which it contains. The problem is that the effectiveness of this procedure depends on the number of words contained in the sentence whose valence is known. To bypass this limitation, we describe several procedures allowing to determine automatically the emotional valence of words on the basis of their use in corpora. An experiment based on 702 sentences evaluated by judges confirms the effectiveness of these procedures.
Lack of association between antioxidant gene polymorphisms and progressive massive fibrosis in coal miners

Background: Oxidative stress plays a major role in the pathogenesis of interstitial lung diseases. The antioxidant enzymes glutathione S-transferases (GST) and manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) are important components of lung defence against oxidative stress, and polymorphisms in the genes which regulate their expression may represent important disease modifiers. Methods: A matched case-control study was conducted to determine the influence of the GSTP1, GSTT1 and MnSOD polymorphisms on susceptibility to progressive massive fibrosis (PMF). Seven hundred ex-coal miners were included in the study; 350 were classified as PMF cases while 350 with a similar underground mining tenure but no clinical or histological evidence of lung disease served as controls. Genotype analysis was performed on genomic DNA, using a 5′ nuclease PCR assay. Results: None of the individual investigated polymorphisms and two-way gene–gene interactions had a statistically significant association with PMF. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that polymorphic genotypes within the GST gene cluster and MnSOD do not affect individual susceptibility to PMF.
Cryptic genetic variation in an inbreeding and cosmopolitan pest, Xylosandrus crassiusculus, revealed using ddRADseq

Abstract Each year new exotic species are transported across the world through global commerce, causing considerable economic and ecological damage. An important component of managing invasion pathways is to identify source populations. Some of the most widespread exotic species are haplodiploid ambrosia beetles. The ability to mate with siblings (inbreed) and their transportable food source (symbiotic fungus) have enabled them to colonize most of the world and become pests of plant nurseries, lumber, and forests. One of the fastest spreading ambrosia beetles is Xylosandrus crassiusculus. In order to discover the source populations of this globally invasive species, track its movement around the world, and test biogeographical scenarios, we combined restriction site‐associated DNA sequencing (RADseq) with comprehensive sampling across the species native and introduced range. From 1,365 genotyped SNP loci across 198 individuals, we determined that in its native range, X. crassiusculus is comprised of a population in Southeast Asia that includes mainland China, Thailand, and Taiwan, and a second island population in Japan. North America and Central America were colonized from the island populations, while Africa and Oceania were colonized from the mainland Asia, and Hawaii was colonized by both populations. Populations of X. crassiusculus in North America were genetically diverse and highly structured, suggesting (1) numerous, repeated introductions; (2) introduction of a large founding population; or (3) both scenarios with higher than expected outcrossing. X. crassiusculus, other wood‐boring insects, and indeed many other pests with unusual genetic structure continue to spread around the world. We show that contemporary genetic methods offer a powerful tool for understanding and preventing pathways of future biosecurity threats.
A unified limit theory via bootstrap for brancing processes with immigration

In this paper we consider bootstrap approximation to the sampling distribution of the maximum likelihood estimator (m.l.e.) of the offspring mean m in a branching process with immigration. A clever modification of the standard parametric bootstrap procedure is shown to eliminate the invalidity of the standard bootstrap for the case m=1, as reported in Sriram (1992). Furthermore, the modified bootstrap is shown to provide valid approximations for other values of m (=f:. 1) as well. Thus, in this example, the modified bootstrap provides a unified solution while the form of the limit distribution of the m.l. e. via classical asymptotic theory depends on m. It is argued that similar modifications will be useful more generally. AMS(1990) Subject Classifications: Primary 60J80,62G09.
Synchronous machines with very high torque density for automotive traction applications

This paper presents the electromagnetic and thermal analysis of a salient-pole synchronous machine and a permanent magnet synchronous machine with very high torque density for a wheel hub traction drive in an electric vehicle. In order to find the best trade-off between a very high peak torque and a high efficiency throughout the whole operating range, four highly utilized machines with an outer rotor and different stator slots to pole pair combinations are modeled and analyzed by using the finite element method (FEM). The most suitable designs for automotive application of each machine type are compared with each other in terms of peak performance, driving cycle efficiency and dominant loss mechanisms. In addition to electromagnetic analysis, the thermal behavior of the two types of machines is investigated in the maximum overload operation and in a common driving cycle. As a result, the advantages and disadvantages of optimized and highly utilized salient-pole and permanent magnet synchronous machines are identified with regards to their suitability for wheel hub drives.
In Vitro Genetic Analysis of the RNA Binding Site of Vigilin, a Multi-KH-Domain Protein

ABSTRACT The function(s) and RNA binding properties of vigilin, a ubiquitous protein with 14 KH domains, remain largely obscure. We recently showed that vigilin is the estrogen-inducible protein in polysome extracts which binds specifically to a segment of the 3′ untranslated region (UTR) of estrogen-stabilized vitellogenin mRNA. In order to identify consensus mRNA sequences and structures important in binding of vigilin to RNA, before vigilin was purified, we developed a modified in vitro genetic selection protocol. We subsequently validated our selection procedure, which employed crude polysome extracts, by testing natural and in vitro-selected RNAs with purified recombinant vigilin. Most of the selected up-binding mutants exhibited hypermutation of G residues leading to a largely unstructured, single-stranded region containing multiple conserved (A) n CU and UC(A) n motifs. All eight of the selected down-binding mutants contained a mutation in the sequence (A) n CU. Deletion analysis indicated that approximately 75 nucleotides are required for maximal binding. Using this information, we predicted and subsequently identified a strong vigilin binding site near the 3′ end of human dystrophin mRNA. RNA sequences from the 3′ UTRs of transferrin receptor and estrogen receptor, which lack strong homology to the selected sequences, did not bind vigilin. These studies describe an aproach to identifying long RNA binding sites and describe sequence and structural requirements for interaction of vigilin with RNAs.
An Evidence Combination Rule Based on the Support Degree of Focal Element

According to the management and assignment of conflicted evidences in the evidence combination, the paper introduces the supporting degree of focal element of conflicted evidences to the combination rule according to these issues, and suggests a new way of combination assignment. Based on the support degree of focal element, we establish a combination rule of evidence theory. Besides, the paper also gives the strict demonstration and makes simulated experiments of the new rule. The new rule rationally assigns the probability of conflicted evidences to every focal element according to the support degree. The experiments show that the results of the new combination rule are very reliable and rational.
Aspects of Identity Predict Engagement in Work Under Adverse Conditions

This study examined whether aspects of identity relevant to an occupational domain predict increased engagement in work when the conditions of work are unclear or ambiguous, whereas possessing an aspect of identity unrelated to one's occupational domain would not be associated with increased engagement. Members of an elite army unit (U.S. Army Rangers) who scored high on "warriorism" (a belief in the necessity and inevitability of war) evidenced high levels of engagement in their job even when they reported that the guidelines for their job were unclear and their work was not relevant to their training. Those scoring low on warriorism were more likely to evidence decreased engagement under these adverse conditions. In contrast, identifying with the role of "peacekeeper," an aspect of identity not associated (or perhaps negatively associated) with the Rangers' occupational domain, was associated with a larger decrease in engagement when job guidelines were unclear. Results are discussed in terms of aspects of identity relevant to a performance domain protecting motivation under less-than-optimal work conditions.
Efficient energy management in wireless rechargeable sensor networks

Through recent technology advances in the field of wireless energy transmission, Wireless Rechargeable Sensor Networks (WRSN) have emerged. In this new paradigm for WSNs a mobile entity called Mobile Charger (MC) traverses the network and replenishes the dissipated energy of sensors. In this work we first provide a formal definition of the charging dispatch decision problem and prove its computational hardness. We then investigate how to optimize the trade-offs of several critical aspects of the charging process such as a) the trajectory of the charger, b) the different charging policies and c) the impact of the ratio of the energy the MC may deliver to the sensors over the total available energy in the network. In the light of these optimizations, we then study the impact of the charging process to the network lifetime for three characteristic underlying routing protocols; a greedy protocol, a clustering protocol and an energy balancing protocol. Finally, we propose a Mobile Charging Protocol that locally adapts the circular trajectory of the MC to the energy dissipation rate of each sub-region of the network. We compare this protocol against several MC trajectories for all three routing families by a detailed experimental evaluation. The derived findings demonstrate significant performance gains, both with respect to the no charger case as well as the different charging alternatives; in particular, the performance improvements include the network lifetime, as well as connectivity, coverage and energy balance properties.
Zero-content augmented caches

It has been observed that some applications manipulate large amounts of null data. Moreover these zero data often exhibit high spatial locality. On some applications more than 20% of the data accesses concern null data blocks. Representing a null block in a cache on a standard cache line appears as a waste of resources. In this paper, we propose the Zero-Content Augmented cache, the ZCA cache. A ZCA cache consists of a conventional cache augmented with a specialized cache for memorizing null blocks, the Zero-Content cache or ZC cache. In the ZC cache, the data block is represented by its address tag and a validity bit. Moreover, as null blocks generally exhibit high spatial locality, several null blocks can be associated with a single address tag in the ZC cache. For instance, a ZC cache mapping 32MB of zero 64-byte lines uses less than 80KB of storage. Decompression of a null block is very simple, therefore read access time on the ZCA cache is in the same range as the one of a conventional cache. On applications manipulating large amount of null data blocks, such a ZC cache allows to significantly reduce the miss rate and memory traffic, and therefore to increase performance for a small hardware overhead. In particular, the write-back traffic on null blocks is limited. For applications with a low null block rate, no performance loss is observed.
Send Orders of Reprints at Reprints@benthamscience.net Novel Approaches for Treating Musculoskeletal Diseases: Molecular Orthopedics and Systems Medicine

Molecular medicine uses knowledge about cell structure and function for disease, diagnostics, stage characterisation and treatment. The advent of genomic technologies is considerably leading to developments in the field of molecular medicine. The accumulation of detailed information about gene expression, epigenetic variability, protein transcription and functional modulation is contributing to a new era in medicine. Rapid and early diagnostic procedures, molecular characterisation of degenerative and proliferative diseases and personalized therapies are predicted to lead to advancements in health prevention and treatment of disease. Diagnostic tools and therapies based on local and /or general modulation of cellular processes for traumatic or degenerative musculoskeletal conditions are becoming available. A logical consequence of the information derived from extensive data gathering, systems biology and systemic medicine has lead to significant improvements in understanding biological structure and function in a simultaneous bottom top and integrative, holistic manner. The description of disease mechanism at an intimate, subcellular level has a dual benefit. A thorough understanding of the crosstalk involved in molecular pathways both in the normal and the diseased state are expanding scientific knowledge and simultaneously are enabling design cell-targeted and individualized therapies. This paper presents a brief overview of current molecular based treatments available to the orthopedic surgeon and introduces the concept of systemic medicine from the perspective of musculoskeletal pathology.
Comorbidity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: effect on health-related quality of life.

OBJECTIVE To describe the extent of somatic comorbid conditions in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to assess the influence of comorbidity on health-related quality of life (HRQOL). METHODS A 2-year followup study on health and HRQOL was conducted among 679 patients with RA with varying disease duration. Data were collected by means of questionnaires and clinical examinations at baseline and at 2-year followup. Comorbidity was measured by a self-administered questionnaire including 17 chronic diseases. HRQOL was assessed with the RAND-36. The effect of incident comorbid conditions on HRQOL was investigated with linear regression analyses. RESULTS At least one comorbid condition was reported at baseline by 56% of patients. Significant differences in prevalence rates with the Dutch population were found. The effect of comorbidity on HRQOL depended on both the type of comorbid condition and the dimension of HRQOL. Gastrointestinal (GI) diseases, cancer, dizziness with falling (and less severe chronic pulmonary disease and heart complaints) resulted in significant adverse changes in HRQOL. For the other conditions under study no influence could be detected. CONCLUSION Our results indicate that measuring comorbidity by a summary count, assuming an overall equally large effect of each comorbid condition, may not reveal the real effect. With respect to clinical practice, our results emphasize the relevance for health care providers to be aware of specific comorbid conditions exposing patients with RA at risk for additional impairment of HRQOL, and to be aware of interactions with RA that may be unique.
Electric power applications of superconductivity

The development of superconducting systems for electric power is driven by the promise of improved efficiency, smaller size, and reduced weight as compared to existing technologies and by the possibility of new applications. Superconducting power components can also contribute to improved power quality and increased system reliability. This paper addresses historical developments and technology status of four superconducting power applications: cables, superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES), fault-current limiters, and transformers. Today, SMES is the only fully functional superconducting system and it has seen only limited use at grid power levels. A few model or demonstration units exist for each of the other three applications. Superconductivity faces several hurdles on the path to widespread use. Perhaps the most important is the need for operating voltages of 100 kV or more. Though progress in this and other areas has been rapid, considerable development is needed before superconducting devices perform reliably in the utility environment. As a result, today, most initial installations are aimed at niche applications and will be installed where space is limited, where power demands are increasing over existing corridors, and/or where initial development costs can be offset by enhanced power grid performance.