Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Physics-Informed Scaling Method for Power Electronic Converters in Power Hardware-in-the-Loop Test Beds

Power hardware in the loop (PHIL) is a modern experimental technique that allows the emulation of a full-scale converter (FSC) with the combination of a scaled-down converter (SDC), a power amplifier, and a real-time simulator, thus enabling the study of real-time interactions of power electronics with large power systems. However, assembling an accurate scaled-down replica of an FSC with off-the-shelf laboratory SDCs is practically impossible due to a mismatch in per unit losses, as well as in the impedance of the $L/LC/LCL$ filter. Consequently, the scaled-up power flow capability of SDCs differs from that of FSCs, restricting emulation to smaller regions of the four quadrants than those corresponding to the FSCs' nominal active and reactive capacity. These PHIL test beds cannot be used to emulate FSCs demanding bidirectional active and reactive power flow. Any scaling method on SDCs, emulating the entire operation of FSCs, demands underutilization of SDCs, reducing the advantages of PHIL tests. This article, therefore, proposes a physics-informed scaling method that exploits power capability curves to emulate FSCs in all four quadrants of operation. This method is independent of SDC topology, filter type, and interfacing methods. A visual identification of semiconductor device constraints bounding the emulation is also presented, utilizing the physics of converter control. A theoretical analysis of the proposed method is presented, followed by validation with MATLAB simulations and experimental tests using a 50-kVA SDC.
Association between Modifiable Risk Factors and Levels of Blood-Based Biomarkers of Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias in the Look AHEAD Cohort

Background Emerging evidence suggests that a number of factors can influence blood-based biomarker levels for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Alzheimer’s related dementias (ADRD). We examined the associations that demographic and clinical characteristics have with AD/ADRD blood-based biomarker levels in an observational continuation of a clinical trial cohort of older individuals with type 2 diabetes and overweight or obesity. Methods Participants aged 45-76 years were randomized to a 10-year Intensive Lifestyle Intervention (ILI) or a diabetes support and education (DSE) condition. Stored baseline and end of intervention (8-13 years later) plasma samples were analyzed with the Quanterix Simoa HD-X Analyzer. Changes in Aβ42, Aβ40, Aβ42/Aβ40, ptau181, neurofilament light chain (NfL), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were evaluated in relation to randomization status, demographic, and clinical characteristics. Results In a sample of 779 participants from the Look AHEAD cohort, we found significant associations between blood-based biomarkers for AD/ADRD and 15 of 18 demographic (age, gender, race and ethnicity, education) and clinical characteristics (APOE, depression, alcohol use, smoking, body mass index, HbA1c, diabetes duration, diabetes treatment, estimated glomerular filtration rate, hypertension, and history of cardiovascular disease) . Conclusions Blood-based biomarkers of AD/ADRD are influenced by common demographic and clinical characteristics. These factors should be considered carefully when interpreting these AD/ADRD blood biomarker values for clinical or research purposes.
The Development of a CRISPR-FnCpf1 System for Large-Fragment Deletion and Multiplex Gene Editing in Acinetobacter baumannii

Acinetobacter baumannii is a low-GC-content Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen that poses a serious global public health threat. Convenient and rapid genetic manipulation is beneficial for elucidating its pathogenic mechanisms and developing novel therapeutic methods. In this study, we report a new CRISPR-FnCpf1-based two-plasmid system for versatile and precise genome editing in A. baumannii. After identification, this new system prefers to recognize the 5′-TTN-3′ (N = A, T, C or G) and the 5′-CTV-3′ (V = A, C or G) protospacer-adjacent motif (PAM) sequence and utilize the spacer with lengths ranging from 19 to 25 nt. In direct comparison with the existing CRISPR-Cas9 system, it exhibits approximately four times the targetable range in A. baumannii. Moreover, by employing a tandem dual crRNA expression cassette, the new system can perform large-fragment deletion and simultaneous multiple gene editing, which is difficult to achieve via CRISPR-Cas9. Therefore, the new system is valuable and can greatly expand the genome editing toolbox of A. baumannii.
Supervisor Emotional Maturity, Psychological Safety, and Traumatic Stress in College Student Affairs

Abstract:The COVID-19 pandemic placed an immense amount of stress on student affairs professionals, who were exposed to numerous potentially traumatic events as a result of changing workplace environments, health and safety risks, and their emotional support of students. This study explored the impact of supervisor emotional maturity on supervisee trauma exposure response through the mediating effect of psychological safety for a sample of student affairs professionals employed at 4-year institutions. Results indicated that supervisees who felt that their supervisors were more emotionally mature felt more psychologically safe and that this psychological safety predicted lower adverse reactions to both primary and secondary traumatic stress in workplace contexts. Implications for the training and development of student affairs supervisors are explored, as well as for further research into the construct of emotional maturity as it relates to supervision.
Left Atrial Volume Assessment in Atrial Fibrillation Patients undergoing Ablation, using 2-D Echocardiography and Invasive Three-Dimensional CARTO and its Predictive Value in Recurrence of Atrial Fibrillation after Ablation

Background: The most prevalent cardiac arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation (AF), is expected to affect around 16 million people worldwide by 2050. Because AF is linked to increased mortality, thromboembolic strokes, myocardial infarction, and heart failure, it costs the US health care system over $6 billion yearly. Aim of the Work: This study aimed to assess left atrial volume (LAV) in atrial fibrillation patients using non-invasive echocardiography and invasive 3D mapping (CARTO) and to assess its predictive value in recurrence of atrial fibrillation after ablation. Patient and methods: The study was conducted on 42 consecutive patients with non-valvular AF who underwent pulmonary vein isolation and came to follow up in the Outpatient Clinic of the Cardiology Department at El Galaa Military Hospital and Benha University Hospital. Results: LAV measured by CARTO was significantly higher compared to LAV measured by Echocardiography. Recurrence rate after AF ablation was significantly higher in patients with LAVI more than 36 ml/m 2 (47.8%) than patients with LAVI less than 36 ml/m 2 (5.3%). LAV by CARTO could significantly predict the AF recurrence with cutoff value > 98 ml. High BMI related significantly with the recurrence of AF after AF ablation. Recurrence was significantly lower in patients with ablation catheter type Thermo Cool Smart Touch than patients with EZ steer. Conclusion: Optimizing the benefits of AF catheter ablation required determining each patient's risk of recurrence as it assists in identifying individuals who stand to gain the most from AF ablation as well as the technique and approach employed for ablation.
Evaluation of the LDN-0060609 PERK Inhibitor as a Selective Treatment for Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma: An In Vitro Study on Human Retinal Astrocytes

The term glaucoma encompasses various neurodegenerative eye disorders, among which the most common is primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). Recently, the essential role of human retinal astrocytes (HRA) in glaucoma progression has been placed in the spotlight. It has been found that placing the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) under stress and activating PERK leads to apoptosis of HRA cells, which inhibits their neuroprotective effect in the course of glaucoma. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the small-molecule PERK inhibitor LDN-0060609 in countering ER stress conditions induced in HRA cells in vitro. The activity of LDN-0060609 was studied in terms of protein and mRNA expression, cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, caspase-3 level and cell cycle progression. LDN-0060609 at 25 μM proved to be a potent inhibitor of the major PERK substrate, p-eIF2α (49% inhibition). The compound markedly decreased the expression of pro-apoptotic ER stress-related genes (ATF4, DDIT3, BAX and Bcl-2). Treatment with LDN-0060609 significantly increased cell viability, decreased genotoxicity and caspase-3 levels, and restored cell cycle distribution in HRA cells with activated ER stress conditions. These findings indicate that the small-molecule PERK inhibitor LDN-0060609 can potentially be developed into a novel anti-glaucoma agent.
Automated Identification of Causal Relationships in Nuclear Power Plant Event Reports

Abstract A large number of licensee event reports are available in the nuclear power generation sector. A comprehensive analysis of the reports will provide valuable insights for improving nuclear power plant operation and safety. However, the free-text format of the reports poses great challenges to the analysis of the tens of thousands of reports generated. To address this issue, we propose an automated method for the analysis based on natural language processing techniques. Specifically, the objective is to automatically extract the causal relationships from free-text reports. The proposed method relies on a set of keywords that indicates causal relationships and the rules associated with the keywords for identifying the causal relationships, both of which can be identified based on manual analysis of sampled reports and sentences. The rules are described using the parts of speech of the words in a sentence and the dependencies between these words. The keywords and the rules constitute a rule-based expert system, Causal Relationship Identification (CaRI). The proposed method is applied to the analysis of the abstract section of the reports from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Licensee Event Report database. We identified 11 keywords and developed 184 rules. The developed system, CaRI, is tested and the result shows that 86% of the causal relationships in the test data can be captured automatically. Application of the proposed method is foreseen in a number of areas, for instance, in the analysis of performance-shaping factors and in reconstruction of the scenario in an event.
Marine Ice Nuclei Collections – MAGIC (MAGIC-IN) Final Campaign Summary

This campaign augmented measurements obtained via deployment of the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility’s ARM Mobile Facility (AMF) in the Marine ARM GPCI1 Investigation of Clouds (MAGIC) field campaign. The measurements, comprised of shipboard aerosol collections obtained during the five legs of the summer 2013 cruises, were sent for offline processing to measure ice nucleating particle (INP) number concentrations. The forty-three sample periods each represented, nominally, 24-hour segments during outbound and inbound transits of the Horizon Spirit. The samples were collected at locations between Los Angeles and Hawaii. Eight samples have been analyzed for immersion freezing temperature spectra thus far, using funding from other grants. Remaining samples are being frozen until support for further processing is obtained. Future analyses will investigate the inorganic/organic proportions of ice nuclei, in addition to determining the genetic composition of the overall biological community associated with INPs. Resulting correlations will be compared with other archived aerosol quantities, meteorological and ocean data (e.g., temperature, wind speed, sea surface temperature, etc…) and satellite ocean color products. These findings will ultimately aid in parameterizing oceanic (e.g., sea spray) INP emissions in regional and global scale models, when illustrating aerosol connections to cloud phases and properties. Independentmore » future analyses of frozen filter samples, as proposed by collaborating investigators at the time of this report, will include single particle analyses of marine boundary layer aerosol compositions and morphology. The MAGIC-IN data are considered representative of the oligotrophic, low Chlorophyll-a (with the exception of near-shore) ocean regions, which exist along the MAGIC transect. Current analyses suggest that INP numbers in the marine boundary layer over this region are typically low, compared to existing measurements over marine areas and those collected in the laboratory as the result of realistic sea spray particle generation. These findings, along with separate studies, confirm the existence of highly variable emission sources for INP from oceans, (though weaker than land-based emissions at modestly cooled temperatures). « less
Learning Compact Transformation Based on Dual Quaternion for Point Cloud Registration

Accurately estimating 3-D rigid body transformation is a critical step for correspondences-free point cloud registration method. However, recently proposed methods have faced challenges in effectively estimating rigid body transformation due to issues related to parameters redundancy and singularity. In this article, we propose a new framework to estimate rigid transformation by dual quaternion which provides a compact representation for rigid transformation information. Different from traditional methods which generate dual quaternion utilizing prior knowledge, the multiscale features association network (MFANet) is introduced to adaptively learn transformation parameters of dual quaternion for accurately estimating rigid transformation. In addition, MFANet enhances data interaction between feature maps of low-dimensional and high-dimensional, which can potentially promote the learning of transformation parameters and reduce the appearance of preference features. Finally, our method demonstrates superior precision and robustness through comprehensive experiments conducted on synthetic dataset ModelNet40 and real-world dataset 3DMatch.
The Geographic Distribution of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever in Tajikistan and Central Asia

ABSTRACT Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a fatal tick-borne pathogen found in thirty countries across Europe, Africa, and Asia. The virus is seen sporadically across a large geographic range and can cause severe illness in human populations. In Tajikistan and Central Asia, the disease is endemic and affects those who work primarily with livestock or within the agricultural sector. This interaction is the primary mode of transmission among high-risk groups; secondary infection is possible through contact with infected individuals. Ecological niche modeling will provide a more comprehensive understanding of the potential geographic distribution of the virus. In this research, the ecological niche of CCHF is analyzed using the maximum-entropy method (Maxent). The use of habitat suitability modeling is critical in understanding the disease ecology of CCHF and the related interaction between human populations in endemic regions. Viral hemorrhagic fevers pose a significant public health threat, and it is imperative that we improve our understanding of the routes of transmission that favor land cover biomes and zoonotic foci.
Step-by-step guide for electrochemical generation of highly oxidizing reactive species on BDD for beginners

Selecting the ideal anodic potential conditions and corresponding limiting current density to generate reactive oxygen species, especially the hydroxyl radical (•OH), becomes a major challenge when venturing into advanced electrochemical oxidation processes. In this work, a step-by-step guide for the electrochemical generation of •OH on boron-doped diamond (BDD) for beginners is shown, in which the following steps are discussed: i) BDD activation (assuming it is new), ii) the electrochemical response of BDD (in electrolyte and ferri/ferro-cyanide), iii) Tafel plots using sampled current voltammetry to evaluate the overpotential region where •OH is mainly generated, iv) a study of radical entrapment in the overpotential region where •OH generation is predominant according to the Tafel plots, and v) finally, the previously found ideal conditions are applied in the electrochemical degradation of amoxicillin, and the instantaneous current efficiency and relative cost of the process are reported.
Psychological Antecedents to Intention to Quit

A random sample of adults was surveyed to explore the relationships among derailment, productivity propensity, and intention to quit. Derailed individuals perceive a lack of self-continuity and productivity propensity represents individuals’ disposition to perform tasks in a timely manner. Results indicated that intention to quit was positively affected by derailment and negatively affected by productivity propensity. Managerial implications of the findings, as well as directions for future research was discussed.
Examining the Performance of Melanoma Classification using Superpixel Segmentation: A Comparative Analysis

Skin cancer, characterized by the abnormal growth of skin cells, is a severe and prevalent condition. Despite the advancement in digital diagnosis techniques, existing skin cancer detection methods often fail to achieve satisfactory performance in melanoma identification in dermoscopy imaging. This study presents a new melanoma classification algorithm that utilizes a superpixel-based segmentation technique, simple linear iterative clustering, and transfer learning-based convolutional neural networks to achieve the objective. A key innovation of our methodology is the introduction of a novel approach for efficiently merging superpixels, that enhances the quality of segmentation resulting in better classification performance. Following the segmentation phase, several convolutional neural networks have been utilized for feature extraction from segmented images and classification. The proposed method shows an enhanced performance in melanoma classification which is 91.67%, 95.33%, 91.23%, and 90.48% in terms of accuracy, precision, recall and F1-score, respectively. Our results indicate that the superpixel segmentation technique considerably enhances the classification models’ accuracy compared to k-means segmentation methods. A comparative analysis between the proposed method and several state-of-the-art methods in the field has also been presented in the context.
Proposed mechanisms of tau: relationships to traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer’s disease, and epilepsy

Traumatic brain injury (TBI), Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and epilepsy share proposed mechanisms of injury, including neuronal excitotoxicity, cascade signaling, and activation of protein biomarkers such as tau. Although tau is typically present intracellularly, in tauopathies, phosphorylated (p-) and hyper-phosphorylated (hp-) tau are released extracellularly, the latter leading to decreased neuronal stability and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). Tau cleavage at particular sites increases susceptibility to hyper-phosphorylation, NFT formation, and eventual cell death. The relationship between tau and inflammation, however, is unknown. In this review, we present evidence for an imbalanced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response and inflammatory signaling pathways resulting in atypical p-tau, hp-tau and NFT formation. Further, we propose tau as a biomarker for neuronal injury severity in TBI, AD, and epilepsy. We present a hypothesis of tau phosphorylation as an initial acute neuroprotective response to seizures/TBI. However, if the underlying seizure pathology or TBI recurrence is not effectively treated, and the pathway becomes chronically activated, we propose a “tipping point” hypothesis that identifies a transition of tau phosphorylation from neuroprotective to injurious. We outline the role of amyloid beta (Aβ) as a “last ditch effort” to revert the cell to programmed death signaling, that, when fails, transitions the mechanism from injurious to neurodegenerative. Lastly, we discuss targets along these pathways for therapeutic intervention in AD, TBI, and epilepsy.
EFFECTS OF ANALOGY AND TARGET TASK APPROACH (TTA) ON STUDENTS’ ACHIEVEMENT IN GAS LAWS IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN DELTA STATE, NIGERIA

The study sorts out between the Target Task Approach (TTA), Analogy, and Lecture method that will best increase the achievement and retention of learned concepts. It adopted a quasi-experimental design with a study population of 42,811 and a sample of 294 students drawn from nine government schools in Delta State, Nigeria. The instrument for the study was the Chemistry Achievement Test (CAT) which was found valid in face and content. The reliability was established using the Kuder-Richardson formula 21, and a reliability coefficient of 0.89 was obtained. Chemistry Achievement Test was employed in gathering data, while Analysis of Variance was used to analyse the data after the groups’ equivalence was established. The results showed, among others, that all three methods significantly affected achievement; students under Analogy and TTA achieved and retained significantly higher than those in the Lecture method. The study concluded that Analogy and TTA should be employed rather than Lecture method to improve students’ achievement and retention. It was recommended that Analogy and Target Task Approach (TTA) should be adopted by Chemistry teachers in teaching Chemistry at the secondary school level, and school administrators should provide and organise in-service training for Chemistry teachers to equip them with the required skills needed to implement Analogy and Target Task Approach (TTA) with no difficulty. This will also ensure in-depth knowledge and mastery of Chemistry concepts. Article visualizations:
COMPUTATIONAL ANALYSIS OF PEM FUEL CELL UNDER DIFFERENT OPERATING CONDITIONS

PEM fuel cells are one of the most promising sources of electrical energy and also have interesting properties. This research is purely theoretical and based on ANSYS Fluent software. Thus, the next step of the research should be the comparison of the solutions to other models and experimental results. The PEM fuel cell can be used as an energy source in the near future in a much more common way, although there are few modifications required, such as increasing efficiency and reducing production costs. In general, a three-dimensional steady-state model of the polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell implemented in Fluent was used to study a single channel flow inside such a PEMFC. The analysis concerns an aspect, that seems to be overlooked in this type of analysis, namely the influence of the substrate flow rate on the quality and efficiency of the chemical reaction, and thus on the value of the generated current for a given voltage. In addition, attention is also paid to the problem of the possible influence of the flow model - laminar or turbulent on the mentioned reaction rate. Such theoretical research is very useful and very much needed to design a new PEM fuel cells, utilizing Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) tool to statically monitor its performance for different boundary conditions.
COASTAL MUDSLIDE MORPHOLOGY AND PROCESSES ON EOCENE CLAYS IN DENMARK

Prior, D.B. : Coastal Mudslide Morphology and Processes on Eocene Clays in Denmark. Geografisk Tidsskrift 76: 14–33. Kobenhavn, juni 1, 1977. The study deals with three localities: Rojle Klint, Rosnaes and Helgenaes concerning shallow mudslides. The mudslide morphology at the three slides is described together with detailed laboratory analysis of the characteristics of the eocene clays, i.e. to relate the field characteristics of the mudslides and their associated processes to the geotechnical and geochemical properties of the clays. The significans of postglacial changes in land-sea level relationship to land slide morphology consider the time scale of variations in coastal activity.