Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
DC Link Voltage Effects on the Performance of the Two Current Control Strategies of Voltage Source Converters

This paper investigates the effects of the DC link voltage of a voltage source converter (VSC)on the performance oftwo current control strategies of the VSCsfrom point of views: capability of tracking the references signals with a zero steady-state error and imposing less transients during the step changes in the references signals of the controllers. Two conventional and multivariable proportional-integral (PI) based dqcurrent controllerstrategy has been represented. Then based on the considering the worst step changes in the references signals of the VSC while the DC link voltage (Vdc) is varying, a specified range has been obtained for theVdc.It has been depicted thatthe multivariable control strategy has less transient and more decoupling capability between d and q axis components of the current during the step changes which have been occurred in the various DC link voltage of the VSC. Alsofor tracking the reference signals,Vdc of the inverter must be in a particular range.Otherwise tracking the reference signals verifies that the axes are not fully decoupled or in some cases the system would be unstable.
Performance Analysis of Single Quantum Dots and Couple Quantum Dots at Intermediate Band Solar Cells

In this paper, the performance of the single quantum dots and couple quantum dots at intermediate band solar cells are investigated. Simulation results show that by increasing the distance between quantum dot overlap between the wave functions of the quantum dots is reduced and the intermediate bandwidth decreases. We found that an intermediate band has an inverse relation with efficiency. Keywords: Barrier width, Efficiency, Quantum dot intermediate band solar cell (QD-IBSCs) ، Quantum-dot width، Efficiency.
Detecting predisposition to torsade de points using a PCA-based method

Torsade de points (TDP) is a form of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia. It is associated with alternation ofT wave and prolongation of the QT interval. The primary objective of this work is to find characteristics of the T waves before and after TDP using principal component analysis (PCA). PCA was applied on T wave of 60 normal 24-hour tapes and 10 TDP 24-hour tapes from different studies recorded during 'Dofetilide' clinical trials (Pfizer, Inc.). All signals were first conditionedby eliminating baseline wander, detecting their significant points and extracting T waves of each channel into a data matrix. Afterwards, for every zero-centred data matrix, a covariance matrix and its corresponding eigenvalues and eigenvectors were calculated. Then, every beat is explained in terms of the eigenvectors delivering scores that characterise individual T wave. Results showed that Standard deviation (SD) of PCA scores for TDP patients before TDP syndrome are clearly higher than in case of healthy subjects.
Advanced processing of altimetry Cassini radar data

The Cassini RADAR is a Ku band multimode instrument capable of providing topography information of Titan's surface when operating in altimetry mode. During the last six years (January 2005 to 2011) Cassini has performed 71 Titan's fly-bys and several observations have been collected in Altimetry mode. These profiles have shown Titan's surface complexity. Along track profile resolution can be improved by processing data in a coherent approach. This paper describes an advanced processing applied to the raw Altimetric Cassini radar data (LBDR, Long Burst Data Record). The processing is based on the well known Doppler/Delay algorithm. Results show an improvement respect to the existing ABDR (Altimeter Burst Data Record) products in terms of along track resolution and SNR.
On the Heterotic Effective Action at One-Loop, Gauge Couplings and the Gravitational Sector

We present in detail the procedure for calculating the heterotic one-loop effective action. We focus on gravitational and gauge couplings. We show that the two-derivative couplings of the gravitational sector are not renormalized at one loop when the ground state is supersymmetric. Arguments are presented that this non-renormalization theorem persists to all orders in perturbation theory. We also derive the full one-loop correction to the gauge coupling. For a class of $N=2$ ground states, namely those that are obtained by toroidal compactification to four dimensions of generic six-dimensional $N=1$ models, we give an explicit formula for the gauge-group independent thresholds, and show that these are equal within the whole family.
Bone mineral density and testicular failure: evidence for a role of vitamin D 25-hydroxylase in human testis.

WORKING HYPOTHESIS Mutations in the CYP2R1 gene, highly expressed in the testis and encoding vitamin D 25-hydroxylase, result in a vitamin D deficiency and a defective calcium homeostasis leading to rickets. OBJECTIVE Our aim was to investigate CYP2R1 expression in pathological testis samples and relate this to vitamin D metabolism in testiculopathic patients. DESIGN, PATIENTS, SETTING: Testis samples for in vitro study and 98 young men were transversally evaluated at Padova's Center for Male Gamete Cryopreservation. METHODS CYP2R1 mRNA expression and protein production were evaluated by quantitative RT-PCR, Western blot analysis, and immunofluorescence. Hormonal and bone-marker levels, and bone densitometry by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, were determined in patients with Sertoli-cell-only syndrome and severe hypospermatogenesis. RESULTS We found a lower gene and protein expression of CYP2R1 in samples with hypospermatogenesis and Sertoli-cell-only syndrome (P < 0.05) and a colocalization with INSL-3, a Leydig cell marker, at immunofluorescence. In all testiculopathic patients 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were significantly lower and PTH levels higher compared to controls (P < 0.05). Furthermore, testiculopathic patients showed osteopenia and osteoporosis despite normal testosterone levels compared with controls both with increased bone-marker levels and altered dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry in the femoral neck and lumbar spine (for all parameters, P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Our data show an association between testiculopathy and alteration of the bone status, despite unvaried androgen and estrogen levels and no other evident cause of vitamin D reduction. Further studies in larger cohorts are needed to confirm our results.
The capability of the EDCA mechanism to support voice traffic in a mixed voice/data transmission over 802.11e WLANs - an experimental investigation

In this paper we experimentally evaluate the capability of the EDCA mechanism to support voice traffic in a mixed voice/data transmission over 802.1 le WLANs. In particular we investigate how real-time voice transmission can be supported by tuning four EDCA parameters, namely AIFSN, CWmin , CWmax, and TXOP and how this impacts on background data transmission. The experimental set-up involves fifteen VoIP terminals sending bi-directional traffic between wired and wireless subnets and another station injecting various types of heavy background loads to the wireless subnet. End-to-end voice transmission quality is predicted from time-varying transmission impairments with the use of the latest appendix to the ITU-T E-model. Our experimental results show that the AIFSN parameter more effectively protects voice calls against background data traffic than CWmin. We also demonstrate that tuning of the TXOP parameter does not improve the quality of voice transmission. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first experimental investigation regarding tuning of MAC layer EDCA parameters in a real 802.1 le WLAN network from the perspective of end-to-end voice transmission quality and end user satisfaction.
Increasing the reliability of control systems with agent technology

This paper describes how Software Agents technology can be used to increase the reliability of a control system. Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems are established as means to exercise supervisory control over an industrial process. Software Agent technology can improve SCADA systems as it allows distribution, which inherently promotes redundancy, and modularity, which promotes versatility.
Title: Functional Brain Connectivity Phenotypes for Schizophrenia Drug Discovery Authors and Affiliations

While our knowledge of the pathophysiology of schizophrenia has increased dramatically this has not translated into the development of new and improved drugs to treat this disorder. Human brain imaging and electrophysiological studies have provided dramatic new insight into the mechanisms of brain dysfunction in the disease, with a swathe of recent studies highlighting the differences in functional brain network and neural system connectivity present in the disorder. Only recently has the value of applying these approaches in preclinical rodent models relevant to the disorder started to be recognised. Here we highlight recent findings of altered functional brain connectivity in preclinical rodent models and consider their relevance to those alterations seen in the brains of schizophrenia patients. Furthermore, we highlight the potential translational value of using the paradigm of functional brain connectivity phenotypes in the context of preclinical schizophrenia drug discovery, as a means both to understand the mechanisms of brain dysfunction in the disorder and to reduce the current high attrition rate in schizophrenia drug discovery.
Internal migrants and everyday Islam in the Turkish context

This thesis explores the interplay between internal migration and religion. Specifically, it examines internal migrants’ reconfiguration of boundaries and spaces of belonging, as well as the impact that migration has on the religious lives of migrants and those who are left behind. These topics are investigated in relation to the historical and political environment in Turkey. The study focuses on migrants coming into the Gebze urban district from the provinces of Giresun and Erzurum, and it considers the experiences of both migrants and their family members who have remained in these provinces. A multi-sited ethnographic research model is used that incorporates a translocal analytical framework, which enables the relationship between internal migration and religion to be conceptualised. Using the ‘everyday lived religion’ approach and a translocal lens, life history interviews are analysed in order to elucidate the relationship between internal migration and religious life. The concept of ‘everyday lived religion’ permits a consideration of aspects of religion that are otherwise invisible, such as experiences and actions in migrants’ lives that are not necessarily seen as religious in nature. Furthermore, the examination of life histories enables the structural, individual and local factors behind migrants’ experiences (the continuation and reinvention of their religious lives, the remaking of homes, or the reconstruction of boundaries) to be revealed. In addition, the translocal lens facilitates scrutiny of the subjective experiences of both migrants and their relatives in the place of origin. The perceptions, emotions and practices of individuals and groups are studied here, with the importance of connections between and across spaces, places and locales being taken into account. The results demonstrate that migrants’ home- and boundary-making ideas and practices are reconfigured via the interactions, relationships and connections that occur both in the place of settlement and the place of origin. Moreover, institutional factors shape – and, indeed, are shaped by – religion and migration. The thesis makes empirical and conceptual contributions to the field of internal-migration research by arguing that religion in both the hometown and the destination is created, formed and influenced by the migration experience. As such, this study challenges the mainstream view that Islam is a product of the local setting, as well as indicating that the dichotomy between the rural and the urban is insufficient to explicate the complexity of the migration context. Further still, religion, with its transcendent aspect, translocalises migrants’ lives so that ‘here’ (the place of settlement), ‘there’ (the hometown) and ‘elsewhere’ (the spiritual world) become relevant to migrants’ definitions of the self and others, as well as their reconfiguration of spaces. Ultimately, a fusion of the ‘everyday lived religion’ and translocal approaches enables us to see that religion is used, articulated and performed in everyday places, being negotiated and contested by migrants and those who are left behind.
Fatigue, alcohol, and serious road crashes in France: factorial study of national data

Editorial by Feyer France has a high rate of road traffic crashes.1 Although driver fatigue may be an important factor,2–4 it has not been investigated in France, and no comparisons have been made with alcohol related crashes.5 We investigated the role of fatigue in serious road crashes using the French national database.1 We obtained data from the French Ministry of Transport on all road crashes during 1994–8 (640 670) in which at least one person was severely injured (confirmed by paramedics) or died. Crashes were attended by police officers, who completed a standard ministry questionnaire that covered time of incident, location, road and weather conditions, vehicles involved, mechanical defects, health of driver, and alcohol consumption as well as giving summaries of interviews and probable causes. As crashes related to fatigue can be difficult …
Performance Evaluation by Using Exergoeconomics and Extenics Based on the Power Supply Chains

Using the extension technique, the return threshold is evaluated first, then based on the exergoeconomics theory, the supply chain is regarded as a huge energy system with the new view, and the sustainability of the supply chain system is discussed under the circumstance of exergoeconomics in this paper, and then the metric about "system negative environment effect" is introduced to measure the supply chain system performance in the point of energy, the case study illustrates our conclusion.
Attribute based proxy re-encryption with delegating capabilities

Attribute based proxy re-encryption scheme (ABPRE) is a new cryptographic primitive which extends the traditional proxy re-encryption (public key or identity based cryptosystem) to the attribute based counterpart, and thus empower users with delegating capability in the access control environment. Users, identified by attributes, could freely designate a proxy who can re-encrypt a ciphertext related with a certain access policy to another one with a different access policy. The proposed scheme is proved selective-structure chosen plaintext secure and master key secure without random oracles. Besides, we develop another kind of key delegating capability in our scheme and also discuss some related issues including a stronger security model and applications.
Assessing astronomy students’ views about the nature of scientific inquiry

[This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Astronomy Education Research. ] Students taking a second astronomy course for nonscientists were asked to reflect on the nature of scientific inquiry three times during the first half of the semester. First, they were assigned a short paper in which they were asked to argue for or against the thesis that observers of the night sky in ancient civilizations were scientists, and nearly all of the students argued that yes, they were. Second, they were asked to write a second paper in which they argued the opposite of their first thesis. Lastly, they were asked, on a midterm exam, to write an essay about whether the Ancient Greek astronomers were good scientists. In writing these papers and essays, many students included definitions of science or scientists, and these definitions progressed from paper to paper. In addition, the evidence students used to argue that ancient observers were scientists changed, with students becoming more expertlike.
Adaptive residual interpolation for color image demosaicking

Color image demosaicking is an essential image processing operation for acquiring high-quality color images. Recently, demosaicking algorithms using residual interpolation (RI), which performs the interpolation in a residual domain, have been proposed. An iterative framework has also been introduced into the RI and shown state-of-the-art performance. In this paper, we propose a novel demosaicking algorithm using adaptive residual interpolation (ARI), which adaptively selects a suitable iteration number and combines two different types of RI algorithms at each pixel. Experimental results demonstrate that our demosaicking algorithm can achieve a clear improvement in comparison with existing algorithms.
The Association of a Genetic Variant in SCAF8-CNKSR3 with Diabetic Kidney Disease and Diabetic Retinopathy in a Chinese Population

Background. Genome-wide association studies found rs955333 located in 6q25.2 was associated with diabetic kidney disease in multiple ethnic populations, including European Americans, African Americans, and Mexican Americans. We aimed to investigate the association between the variant rs955333 in SCAF8-CNKSR3 and DKD susceptibility in Chinese type 2 diabetes patients. Methods. The variant rs955333 was genotyped in 1884 Chinese type 2 diabetes patients. Associations of the variant rs955333 with DKD and DR susceptibility and related quantitative traits were evaluated. Results. The variant rs955333 was not associated with DKD in our samples, while subjects with genotype GG were associated with DR (P = 0.047, OR = 0.5525 [0.308,0.9911]), and it also showed association with microalbuminuria (P = 0.024, beta = −0.1812 [−0.339, −0.024]). Conclusion. Our data suggests the variant rs955333 was not associated with DKD but showed association with diabetic retinopathy in Chinese type 2 diabetes patients.
Applications of Amniotic Membrane and Fluid in Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine

The amniotic membrane (AM) and amniotic fluid (AF) have a long history of use in surgical and prenatal diagnostic applications, respectively. In addition, the discovery of cell populations in AM and AF which are widely accessible, nontumorigenic and capable of differentiating into a variety of cell types has stimulated a flurry of research aimed at characterizing the cells and evaluating their potential utility in regenerative medicine. While a major focus of research has been the use of amniotic membrane and fluid in tissue engineering and cell replacement, AM- and AF-derived cells may also have capabilities in protecting and stimulating the repair of injured tissues via paracrine actions, and acting as vectors for biodelivery of exogenous factors to treat injury and diseases. Much progress has been made since the discovery of AM and AF cells with stem cell characteristics nearly a decade ago, but there remain a number of problematic issues stemming from the inherent heterogeneity of these cells as well as inconsistencies in isolation and culturing methods which must be addressed to advance the field towards the development of cell-based therapies. Here, we provide an overview of the recent progress and future perspectives in the use of AM- and AF-derived cells for therapeutic applications.
Difficulty in action based challenges: success prediction, players' strategies and profiling

In this paper we extend the existing metrics for estimating difficulty, directed to action games (in particular, platform videogames) and taking into account different types of challenges. Specifically, we analyse how challenges are represented in time and space and observe the players' behaviour when facing such challenges. Accordingly, we propose a set of models to predict the probability of failure and success in different situations. This type of assessment can serve as a validation mechanism for automatic level generation algorithms and also to perform adaptive difficulty techniques. As a final point, we analyse multiple gameplay information retrieved from gaming sessions, in which 40 users performed over 10000 trials in different types of challenges. We have verified that the main hypotheses behind the proposed metrics are applicable and the estimators are valid approximations to the players' behaviour.
Influence of light and anoxia on chemiosmotic energy conservation in Dinoroseobacter shibae

In the present study we have investigated the influence of light and anoxia on the energetic state of the aerobic anoxygenic phototroph (AAP) Dinoroseobacter shibae. Respiration, chemiosmotic proton translocation and the adenylate energy charge (AEC) of the cells were measured comparing light versus dark and oxic versus anoxic conditions. Light caused a decrease of the respiration rates of washed cells. This might be a substitution rather than a direct inhibitory effect, because both photosynthesis and respiration contribute to the proton-motive force. As known from other AAPs, light alone did not induce proton translocation if applied to anoxic cell suspensions. However, additions of small oxygen pulses to anoxic cell suspensions caused two times more proton translocation in the light than in the dark. The AEC of the cells was measured by means of a modified luciferin-luciferase method. Growing cells of D. shibae kept an AEC of 0.93, indicating that the adenylate pool was highly phosphorylated. After harvesting and storing the cells under anoxic conditions for 2 h, the AEC dropped to 0.12. However, the cells remained reactive. Upon addition of oxygen, the AEC increased to its original value within 40 s by the formation of about 12 mM of intracellular ATP. There were no differences whether this recovery experiment was carried out in the dark or in the light. We conclude that D. shibae is able to change its energetic state not only in response to the light regime but also during oxic–anoxic transitions. Both responses appear suited to save in situ organic substrates and endogenous electron donors, thus enhancing the role of photosynthetic energy conservation.
Fat soluble antioxidants in brood-rearing great tits Parus major: relations to health and appearance

The concept of parasite-mediated sexual selection assumes that females may improve offspring fitness by selecting mates on the basis of sexual ornaments that honestly reveal the health state of a partner. Expression of such signals may be particularly sensitive to oxidative damage caused by excess production of oxidative metabolites and free radicals. To control and neutralise free radicals, animals rely heavily on dietary fat-soluble antioxidants such as vitamin E and A, and carotenoids. However, the organism's need for free radical scavenging may interfere with the opposite need to generate oxidative stress for fighting parasitic infections. We investigated plasma concentrations of carotenoids and vitamin A and E in brood-rearing great tits Parus major in relation to carotenoid-based plumage coloration, sex, habitat, leukocyte hemoconcentrations and infection status with Haemoproteus blood parasites. Rural great tits differed from urban ones and males from females with respect to the hue of the yellow ventral feathers. However, plasma antioxidant concentrations were not related to sex, habitat or plumage coloration. Plasma carotenoid concentration correlated positively with indices of immune system activation as measured by blood counts of lymphocytes and eosinophils. Birds with gametocytes of Haemoproteus in their blood had higher plasma concentrations of carotenoids and vitamin E than unparasitized individuals. These results are consistent with the idea that maintenance of high blood antioxidant levels might conflict with individual needs to rely on oxidative stress for fighting infections.