Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Design of Energy Control Method for Three-Phase Buck-Type Rectifier With Very Demanding Load Steps to Achieve Smooth Input Currents

Conventional three-phase rectifiers are controlled to achieve good power factor and low total harmonic distortion in the input. In the case of pulsating power loads, the fast dynamic response implies that the load pulses are reflected in the generator. These pulsating loads affect the lifetime operation of the generator, especially when it is not oversized (as in the case of aircraft applications). In order to smooth the power demanded from the generator, it is preferable to reduce the bandwidth of the output voltage controller for the rectifier but it affects its stability due to the fact that the right-half-plane (RHP) pole given by the negative impedance of a constant power load requires high-bandwidth control loop to compensate it. In this paper, an energy control method is proposed that utilizes the energy stored in the output capacitor of the rectifier to control the output voltage of the rectifier. In such a way, the minimum bandwidth restriction imposed by the RHP pole of the power load is eliminated and the bandwidth of the voltage loop can be defined low enough to demand smooth power from the generator.
Research on Tibet Tangka based on shape grammar

Introduce a new research method which based on shape grammar for depth analysis of art of Tibetan Tangka paintings. As an important components of painting art of Tibet, although Tangka paintings is an extensive research subject, the studies are often confined to the age investigation, religious significance and coloring of Tangka paintings, there are few ones from the perspective of drawing methods, thickness, length and crookedness of the lines. In fact, all these are also the important elements of Tangka paintings. This paper proposes a new research direction which based on shape grammar. There are some general characters and rules in their modeling elements, which make it possible for the shape grammar to be applied in our study. Our research emphasis on the modeling rules of the Buddha Tangka paintings. And try to discover the aesthetic standards of Tibet culture in a relatively objective way, and find out its guiding role for present design.
Analysis of brain uptake and loss or radiotracers after intracarotid injection.

The amount of radioactivity in brain was estimated at different times after intracarotid injection in the pentobarbital-anesthetized rat. Fifteen seconds after injection, six radiolabeled solutes minimally metabolized by brain, 3H2O , isopropanol, nicotine, antipyrine, 3-O-methyglucose, and codeine, left the brain according to first-order kinetics. Two solutes metabolized by brain, lactic acid, and heroin, behaved in a more complex fashion. The behavior of the six nonmetabolized solutes was interpreted satisfactorily by a simple model in which the brain is treated as a single compartment. From the model, uptake at 15 s as a percentage of the dose is linearly related to the permeability when the uptake is low, i.e., 30% or less. In higher uptakes blood flow becomes increasingly important. The efflux rate is similarly related to permeability and blood flow, but additionally it depends inversely on brain space. The exchanges of 3H2O, isopropanol, and nicotine were determined almost solely by blood flow and brain space. Movements of codeine and 3-O-methylglucose depended primarily on permeability and those of antipyrine on both factors.
Defaultable term structure models: macroeconomic impact and valuation of complex credit- and inflation-linked derivatives

This thesis is concerned with the pricing of credit- and inflation-linked products within a defaultable term structure framework that incorporates macroeconomic and firm-specific factors. In particular, we introduce a general pricing framework from which several models are derived differing in the assumptions regarding the number of economic factors, observability and correlation of these factors. Based on the general version of the defaultable term structure model, we determine prices for credit default swaps and further deduce exact dynamics of their spreads. Approximating these exact dynamics enables us to present closed-form solutions for complex credit derivatives. Further, we apply a variant of our general term structure framework to the pricing of inflation-linked products, especially hybrid derivatives with interest rate, equity or credit components.
Economic growth, Financial development and CO2 Emission: PSTR Approach

The aim of this paper is to assess the sign and magnitude of the nonlinear effects of main socio-economic variables as well as the financial development index(measured by private credit to GDP ratio) on the environmental pollution. Specifically, the interaction of the socio-economic variables with financial development as a threshold variable in affecting CO2 emission is studied. In this respect the PSTR(Panel Smooth Transition Regression) technique is applied to a panel-data set for 16 middle income countries (including Iran) during the period 1970-2013.It is found that output level and energy use have positive significant effect on CO2 emission on the whole but their effects at higher levels of financial development decrease and increase respectively i.e. financial development has provided motivations for shifting to eco-friendly technologies on the whole but has not been effective for applying fuel efficient technologies . The effect of population on CO2 emission at higher levels of financial development, intensifies . As to the effect of financial development ,it has a positive significant effect on pollution with a threshold level of 34 percent for financial development index i.e. up to this point ,the effect of financial development on the increase of pollution, rises at an increasing rate
Antimetastatic Effect of Salvicine on Human Breast Cancer MDA-MB-435 Orthotopic Xenograft Is Closely Related to Rho-Dependent Pathway

Purpose: Salvicine is a novel DNA topoisomerase II inhibitor with potent anticancer activity. In present study, the effect of salvicine against metastasis is evaluated using human breast carcinoma orthotopic metastasis model and its mechanism is further investigated both in animal and cellular levels. Experimental Design: The MDA-MB-435 orthotopic xenograft model was applied to detect the antimetastatic effect of salvicine. Potential target candidates were detected and analyzed by microarray technology. Candidates were verified and explored by reverse transcription-PCR and Western blot. Salvicine activities on stress fiber formation, invasion, and membrane translocation were further investigated by immunofluorescence, invasion, and ultracentrifugal assays. Results: Salvicine significantly reduced the lung metastatic foci of MDA-MB-435 orthotopic xenograft, without affecting primary tumor growth obviously. A comparison of gene expression profiles of primary tumors and lung metastatic focus between salvicine-treated and untreated groups using the CLOTECH Atlas human Cancer 1.2 cDNA microarray revealed that genes involved in tumor metastasis, particularly those closely related to cell adhesion and motility, were obviously down-regulated, including fibronectin, integrin α3, integrin β3, integrin β5, FAK, paxillin, and RhoC. Furthermore, salvicine significantly down-regulated RhoC at both mRNA and protein levels, greatly inhibited stress fiber formation and invasiveness of MDA-MB-435 cells, and markedly blocked translocation of both RhoA and RhoC from cytosol to membrane. Conclusion: The unique antimetastatic action of salvicine, particularly its specific modulation of cell motility in vivo and in vitro, is closely related to Rho-dependent signaling pathway.
The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship education (EE) research is not advancing as fast as general entrepreneurship because it is not subject to the same level of scholarship. Grounded in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning from the field of adult education and using an expert Delphi Panel approach, we offer a glimpse into the minds of top entrepreneurship educators. We suggest studying EE through a teaching lens offers insights and elevates teaching as a form of scholarship on par with traditional, more accepted forms of research. Our Delphi analysis suggests a definition of EE as developing the mindset, skill set, and practice necessary for starting new ventures, yet acknowledging the outcomes of such education are far reaching. We introduce five continuums of EE that encourage a transition to teaching approaches based on adult learning, namely andragogy and heutagogy. Implications for entrepreneurship educator training, the need for practice, and the future of EE research are discussed.
Beyond surveys: An approach to understanding effective classroom assessment practices

The aim of this project was to provide teachers with training materials that meet their actual, specified needs, based on interviews, classroom observations and focus-group discussions. Findings from the study reveal there are large differences in understanding between teachers and those who research and write about teachers’ language assessment literacy. We conclude by showing an example of materials produced, which were specifically requested by teachers to develop their understanding of the CEFR and its levels.
Association of Evidence-Based Care Processes With Mortality in Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia at Veterans Health Administration Hospitals, 2003-2014

Importance Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia is common and frequently associated with poor outcomes. Evidence indicates that specific care processes are associated with improved outcomes for patients with S aureus bacteremia, including appropriate antibiotic prescribing, use of echocardiography to identify endocarditis, and consultation with infectious diseases (ID) specialists. Whether use of these care processes has increased in routine care for S aureus bacteremia or whether use of these processes has led to large-scale improvements in survival is unknown. Objective To examine the association of evidence-based care processes in routine care for S aureus bacteremia with mortality. Design, Setting, and Participants This retrospective observational cohort study examined all patients admitted to Veterans Health Administration (VHA) acute care hospitals who had a first episode of S aureus bacteremia from January 1, 2003, through December 31, 2014. Exposures Use of appropriate antibiotic therapy, echocardiography, and ID consultation. Main Outcomes and Measures Thirty-day all-cause mortality. Results Analyses included 36 868 patients in 124 hospitals (mean [SD] age, 66.4 [12.5] years; 36 036 [97.7%] male), including 19 325 (52.4%) with infection due to methicillin-resistant S aureus and 17 543 (47.6%) with infection due to methicillin-susceptible S aureus. Risk-adjusted mortality decreased from 23.5% (95% CI, 23.3%-23.8%) in 2003 to 18.2% (95% CI, 17.9%-18.5%) in 2014. Rates of appropriate antibiotic prescribing increased from 2467 (66.4%) to 1991 (78.9%), echocardiography from 1256 (33.8%) to 1837 (72.8%), and ID consultation from 1390 (37.4%) to 1717 (68.0%). After adjustment for patient characteristics, cohort year, and other care processes, receipt of care processes was associated with lower mortality, with adjusted odds ratios of 0.74 (95% CI, 0.68-0.79) for appropriate antibiotics, 0.73 (95% CI, 0.68-0.78) for echocardiography, and 0.61 (95% CI, 0.56-0.65) for ID consultation. Mortality decreased progressively as the number of care processes that a patient received increased (adjusted odds ratio for all 3 processes compared with none, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.30-0.36). An estimated 57.3% (95% CI, 48.4%-69.9%) of the decrease in mortality between 2003 and 2014 could be attributed to increased use of these evidence-based care processes. Conclusions and Relevance Mortality associated with S aureus bacteremia decreased significantly in VHA hospitals, and a substantial portion of the decreasing mortality may have been attributable to increased use of evidence-based care processes. The experience in VHA hospitals demonstrates that increasing application of these care processes may improve survival among patients with S aureus bacteremia in routine health care settings.
Range expansions in the flightless longhorn cactus beetles, Moneilema gigas and Moneilema armatum, in response to Pleistocene climate changes

Pollen cores and plant and animal fossils suggest that global climate changes at the end of the last glacial period caused range expansions in organisms indigenous to the North American desert regions, but this suggestion has rarely been investigated from a population genetic perspective. In order to investigate the impact of Pleistocene climate changes and glacial/interglacial cycling on the distribution and population structure of animals in North American desert communities, biogeographical patterns in the flightless, warm‐desert cactus beetles, Moneilema gigas and Moneilema armatum, were examined using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence data from the cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene. Gene tree relationships between haplotypes were inferred using parsimony, maximum‐likelihood, and Bayesian analysis. Nested clade analysis and coalescent modelling using the programs mdiv and fluctuate were used to identify demographically independent populations, and to test the hypothesis that Pleistocene climate changes caused recent range expansions in these species. A sign test was used to evaluate the probability of observing concerted population growth across multiple, independent populations. The phylogeographical and nested clade analyses reveal a history of northward expansion in both of these species, as well as a history of past range fragmentation, followed by expansion from refugia. The coalescent analyses provide highly significant evidence for independent range expansions from multiple refugia, but also identify biogeographical patterns that predate the most recent glacial period. The results indicate that widespread desert environments are more ancient than has been suggested in the past.
Synaptic organization of projections from basal forebrain structures to the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus of the rat

The synaptic organization of the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus (MD) in the rat was studied with the electron microscope, and correlated with the termination of afferent fibers labeled with wheat germ agglutinin conjugated to horseradish peroxidase (WGA‐HRP). Presynaptic axon terminals were classified into four categories in MD on the basis of the size, synaptic vesicle morphology, and synaptic membrane specializations: (1) small axon terminals with round synaptic vesicles (SR), which made asymmetrical synaptic contacts predominantly with small dendritic shafts; (2) large axon terminals with round vesicles (LR), which established asymmetrical synaptic junctions mainly with large dendritic shafts; (3) small to medium axon terminals with pleomorphic vesicles (SMP), which formed symmetrical synaptic contacts with somata and small‐diameter dendrites; (4) large axon terminals with pleomorphic vesicles (LP), which made symmetrical synaptic contacts with large dendritic shafts. Synaptic glomeruli were also identified in MD that contained either LR or LP terminals as the central presynaptic components. No presynaptic dendrites were identified.
A hierarchical motion smoothing for distributed scalable video coding

This paper proposes a method to improve the coding efficiency of the distributed video coding based on a scalable encoder/decoder without feedback link. The proposed method performs a hierarchical motion smoothing to enable accurate rate control. Specifically, reflecting motion information on a coding rate, the encoder can estimate code amount which satisfies the decoder's need. In addition, side information generation based on the hierarchical motion smoothing is proposed for further quality improvement. Experimental results show that the proposed method increases the PSNR-Y by 1.2 dB at 500 kbps in comparison with a block matching based method. Moreover the number of repeat operations to calculate cost value for side information generation can be reduced by 10 times from the conventional method, which demonstrates the practicability of the proposed method.
A Genetic Algorithm-Inspired UUV Path Planner Based on Dynamic Programming

Path planning can be viewed as an optimization process in which an optimum path between two points is to be found under some predefined constraints. Some typical constraints are path length, fuel consumption, and path safety factor. Exact algorithms such as linear programming (LP) and dynamic programming (DP) are widely adopted in vehicle maneuvering systems. However, as the problem domain scales up, exact algorithms suffer from high computational complexity. In contrast, metaheuristic algorithms such as evolutionary algorithms (EA) and genetic algorithms (GA) can provide suboptimum solutions without the full understanding of the problem domain. Metaheuristic algorithms are capable of providing decent solutions within a finite period of time, even for large-scaled problems. In this paper, a GA-inspired unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) path planner based on DP is proposed. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can outperform a GA-based UUV path planner in terms of speed and solution quality.
An Analysis of Taxation Supports for Private Pension Provision in Ireland

The size and distribution of the taxation supports for private pension provision has been a contentious issue. Research produced or commissioned by representative groups of the pensions industry in Ireland maintains that the tax supports are merely tax deferment, and the effective tax relief is lower than the ‘headline’ relief on pension contributions. Research by the OECD, on the other hand, suggests that pension savings are essentially tax free to the majority of pension savers. This paper estimates the value of the favourable tax treatment to private pensions provision, expressed as a percentage of the original amount invested, and analyses how it varies with income level, gender, saving period, and other factors. The net effective tax relief on pension savings on each Euro invested in a private pension is estimated by comparing the increase in the present value of pension savings over the lifetime of the individual when compared to other savings. We report that the net effective relief is considerably higher than estimated by the widely cited industry research, and depends on the value of the pension fund at retirement. We identify three distinct groups of individuals in the current regime of incentivising pension savings: those on low incomes who are offered no incentive, the standard rate tax-payers where the net effective tax relief is about 25-30 per cent, and the higher rate tax-payers where the net effective relief is about 31-51 per cent. We argue that current regressive taxation supports for pension savings should be reformed, and reformed before the proposed imminent introduction of an auto-enrolment retirement saving scheme.
COMPARATIVE STUDIES OF FEMTOSECOND TO MICROSECOND LASER PULSES ON SELECTIVE PIGMENTED CELL INJURY IN SKIN

Abstract— —Threshold radiant exposures for grossly apparent immediate whitening and ultrastructural alterations of melanosomes in black guinea pig skin were determined for a series of red visible laser pulses ranging from 4 × 10−4 to 6.5 × 10−14 s. Threshold exposures for melanosomal injury were found to be independent of pulsewidth when the pulsewidths were below the estimated thermal relaxation time of melanosomes. Threshold radiant exposures for melanosomal injury were found to increase when the pulsewidths were approximately equal to or above the thermal relaxation time of melanosomes. At longer pulse durations, fracturing of melanosomes was not observed despite the longer exposures necessary for injury. Instead, perimelanosomal vacuoles were noted. These findings are consistent with the theory of selective photothermolysis and provide evidence for the thermal initiation of melanosomal disruption.
The Effects of Hypnosis on Heart Rate Variability

Abstract Uslu et al. (2012) suggested that hypnotic status can modulate cerebral blood flow. The authors investigated the effects of hypnosis on heart rate variability (HRV). In women, HRV decreased during hypnosis. Posthypnotic values were higher compared to prehypnotic and hypnotic values. Women had highest HRV parameters in the posthypnotic condition. It appears that hypnosis can produce cardiac and cognitive activations. Hypnotherapy may be useful in some cardiac clinical conditions characterized by an autonomic imbalance or some cardiac arrhythmias.
Long‐Term Outcomes and Health Care Utilization after Prolonged Mechanical Ventilation

Rationale: Limited data are available to characterize the long‐term outcomes and associated costs for patients who require prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV; defined here as mechanical ventilation for longer than 21 d). Objectives: To examine the association between PMV and mortality, health care utilization, and costs after critical illness. Methods: Population‐based cohort study of adults who received mechanical ventilation in an intensive care unit (ICU) in Ontario, Canada between 2002 and 2013. Measurement and Main Results: We used linked administrative databases to determine discharge disposition, and ascertain 1‐year mortality (primary outcome), readmissions to hospital and ICU, and health care costs for hospital survivors. Overall, 11,594 (5.4%) patients underwent PMV, with 42.4% of patients dying in the hospital (vs. 27.6% of patients who did not undergo prolonged ventilation; P < 0.0001). Patients on prolonged ventilation were more frequently discharged to other facilities or home with health care support (84.8 vs. 43.5%, P < 0.0001). Among hospital survivors, estimated mortality was higher for patients who underwent PMV: 16.6 versus 11% at 1 year and 42.0 versus 30.4% at 5 years. At 1 year after hospital discharge, patients on prolonged ventilation had higher rates of hospital readmission (47.2 vs. 37.7%; adjusted odds ratio = 1.20; 95% confidence interval = 1.14‐1.26), ICU readmission (19.0 vs. 11.6%; adjusted odds ratio = 1.49; 95% confidence interval: 1.39, 1.60), and total health care costs: median (interquartile range) Can $32,526 ($20,821‐$56,102) versus Can $13,657 ($5,946‐$38,022). Increasing duration of mechanical ventilation was associated with higher mortality and health care utilization. Conclusions: Critically ill patients who undergo mechanical ventilation in an ICU for longer than 21 days have high in‐hospital mortality and greater postdischarge mortality, health care utilization, and health care costs compared with patients who undergo mechanical ventilation for a shorter period of time.
Comparative analysis of fundus image enhancement in detection of diabetic retinopathy

This paper presents a comparative analysis of fundus image enhancement techniques to detect diabetic retinopathy (DR). Medical images frequently suffers from non-uniform illumination, poor contrast and noise, thus these images have to go through pre-processing stage. For image enhancement many techniques are proposed based on spatial domain (histogram). However, these methods usually decline to produce suitable consequences for non-uniform illumination and wide-ranging of low-contract. The comparative analysis and performance evaluation of various enhancement techniques will help in choosing most suitable technique which may significantly improve the detection of diabetic retinopathy. In this paper histogram equalization (HE), adaptive histogram equalization (ADHE), contrast limited adaptive histogram equalization (CLAHE) and exposure based sub-image histogram equalization (ESIHE) techniques are compared for pre-processing of fundus image for detecting DR. For fair analysis of these techniques, histogram, SNR, entropy, absolute mean brightness error and peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) of fundus images are analyzed by using MATLAB.