Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A bipolar-DC-bus EV fast charging station with intrinsic DC-bus voltages equalization and minimized voltage ripples

This paper proposes a bipolar-dc-bus Electric Vehicle (EV) charging station without a line-frequency transformer at the medium-voltage grid side. It is mainly composed of the Neutral Point Clamped (NPC) converter based central ac-dc station and the parallel isolated three-level dc-dc converter based fast chargers. Due to the elimination of the line-frequency transformer, the volume and cost of the system are reduced. Meanwhile, the isolation and step-down between high dc-bus voltages and low load voltages are performed through the high-frequency transformers, leading to increased voltage utilization of switching devices. In order to guarantee the bipolar dc buses balance and minimize the dc-bus voltage ripples, the 180°-interleaved operation for the two parallel isolated three-level dc-dc converters is proposed to make the total neutral-point current zero so that all fast chargers do not bring any unbalance problems. The proposed 180°-interleaved operating principle has been analyzed in detail, then simulation results are presented to verify its performance.
Prevalence and management of gastrointestinal manifestations in Silver–Russell syndrome

Objectives Silver–Russell syndrome (SRS) is an imprinted disorder characterised by intrauterine growth retardation, relative macrocephaly, failure to thrive, typical facial phenotype and frequent body asymmetry. Feeding difficulties are frequently noted, but no study described evolution of gastrointestinal signs during infancy and their management in SRS. The aim of this study was to describe these abnormalities in a large cohort of children with SRS. Design We included 75 patients (median age 24.3 months (5.1–135.2)) in the study. We retrospectively analysed nutritional status before growth hormone therapy, the frequency of gastrointestinal signs, such as gastroesophageal reflux (GER), vomiting, constipation and feeding difficulties, and nutritional management. Results Maternal uniparental disomy for chromosome 7 was found in 10 patients and 11p15 hypomethylation in 65 patients. Malnutrition (defined as a weight/expected weight for height ratio <80%) was detected in 70% of the children. Gastrointestinal signs were found in 77%, including severe vomiting before the age of 1 year in 50% of cases, persistent vomiting from the age of 1 year in 29% of cases and constipation in 20% of cases. Severe GER was diagnosed in 55% of children by 24 h oesophageal pH-metry. Feeding difficulties were described in 65% of cases, with indications for dietary enrichment in 49%. Enteral nutrition by gastrostomy was indicated in 22% of cases. Conclusions Digestive signs (GER, constipation) and malnutrition are frequent in children with SRS. The systematic exploration and management of these signs are crucial to improve the nutritional status of these children before initiating growth hormone therapy.
Drug-induced Disorders of Teeth

It is essential that every health care professional who is involved with the prescription or recommendation of drugs be fully aware of any resultant disorders that may arise as a side-effect. A range of drugs can affect the teeth. In this review article, drugs that have the potential to induce changes in teeth have been classified as those leading to tooth discoloration (intrinsic and extrinsic), physical damage to tooth structure (enamel, dentin, and cementum), and alteration in tooth sensitivity.
Sequence-specific DNA binding by the vnd/NK-2 homeodomain of Drosophila

The ventral nervous system defective (vnd)/NK-2 homeodomain and some flanking amino acid residues were expressed in Escherichia coli, purified to homogeneity, and the protein was covalently coupled to Sepharose. Oligodeoxynucleotides that contained 16-bp random sequences were purified by vnd/NK-2 affinity column chromatography, cloned, and sequenced. The consensus nucleotide sequence of the vnd/NK-2 homeodomain binding site was shown to be T(T/C)AAGTG(G/C). The apparent equilibrium dissociation constant (KD) of the vnd/NK-2 homeodomain for the consensus sequence is 1.9 × 10−10 M. In addition, results of competition between oligodeoxynucleotides for binding to the vnd/NK-2 homeodomain and determination of the apparent KD values of oligodeoxynucleotides that differ from the consensus sequence by only a single base pair demonstrate that the four central nucleotides, AAGT, in this sequence play a major role in determining the affinity of binding.
WUSCHEL-RELATED HOMEOBOX5 Gene Expression and Interaction of CLE Peptides with Components of the Systemic Control Add Two Pieces to the Puzzle of Autoregulation of Nodulation1[W]

In legumes, the symbiotic nodules are formed as a result of dedifferentiation and reactivation of cortical root cells. A shoot-acting receptor complex, similar to the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) CLAVATA1 (CLV1)/CLV2 receptor, regulating development of the shoot apical meristem, is involved in autoregulation of nodulation (AON), a mechanism that systemically controls nodule number. The targets of CLV1/CLV2 in the shoot apical meristem, the WUSCHEL (WUS)-RELATED HOMEOBOX (WOX) family transcription factors, have been proposed to be important regulators of apical meristem maintenance and to be expressed in apical meristem “organizers. ” Here, we focus on the role of the WOX5 transcription factor upon nodulation in Medicago truncatula and pea (Pisum sativum) that form indeterminate nodules. Analysis of temporal WOX5 expression during nodulation with quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and promoter-reporter fusion revealed that the WOX5 gene was expressed during nodule organogenesis, suggesting that WOX genes are common regulators of cell proliferation in different systems. Furthermore, in nodules of supernodulating mutants, defective in AON, WOX5 expression was higher than that in wild-type nodules. Hence, a conserved WUS/WOX-CLV regulatory system might control cell proliferation and differentiation not only in the root and shoot apical meristems but also in nodule meristems. In addition, the link between nodule-derived CLE peptides activating AON in different legumes and components of the AON system was investigated. We demonstrate that the identified AON component, NODULATION3 of pea, might act downstream from or beside the CLE peptides during AON.
Valuing Companies and VTs

This paper presents uniform metrics, calculating the value of the firm, the one and only standard WACC, VTS and shareholder value, all at one and the same time. Valuing companies by cash flow discounting can be done, both unequivocal and quite simple really. It all starts with a set of basic data. This has to be brought in from the outside world. Science cannot answer most of the gauging questions. After the data-acquisition, the matter is signal compilation. Starting with any set of given data, they must be compiled in the same best way. It should be possible to work-out, process and purely transform data, regardless of the value of these signals, with one and the same algorithm. The detours that must be followed when working with the different methods and theories on company valuation applied so far, have been eliminated by the algorithm that is outlined in this paper.The ten most commonly used methods and nine theories, extensively described by Pablo Fernandez, cannot stand the test. ECF, FCF, CFd, CCF and also EVA® as well as CVA®, these are all incorrect starting-points. Fernandez describes numerous valuation equations of which the very basics exist by way of definition only, with all the resulting consequences. A cortege of famous writers, and still more equations and would-be 'solutions', which are mutually exclusive. This is not acceptable practice. Within money counting problems, everything has to fit together. An optical fit is not good enough. No euro, no dime, no cent can disappear or appear just like that. In other words, all amounts of money (inherent in an exemplary problem) are inter-dependent.What has been argued by so many people e.g. Pablo Fernandez, about tax shields is not true. Two problems quoted by Fernandez are worked out in detail. In order to show that everything that has been written down in economic literature about 'the value of tax shields' (VTS), together with 'various WACCs', is not necessary. The so-called 'appropriate discount for tax shields' (another rate than standard WACC) exists by way of definition only. Modigliani and Miller studied the effect of leverage on the firm's value, but their famous Proposition 1 (1958, equation 3), stating in the absence of taxes, the firm's value is independent of its debt is abundantly not true. Including the computation of the value of the tax shields (which is a side-issue - the main subject is valuing companies i.e. the key matter in the debate on VBM), it all can be done both finally and easily, as is demonstrated in this paper.
Drinking modulates monocyte migration in healthy subjects: a randomised intervention study of water, ethanol, red wine and beer with or without alcohol

Moderate alcohol consumption is associated with reduced cardiovascular mortality compared to non-consumption of alcohol and heavy drinking. Experimental data suggest a direct effect of alcohol on atherosclerotic lesion development. We assessed the effect of consumption of moderate amounts of alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages on monocyte migration, a crucial step in atherogenesis. Forty-nine healthy men and women (aged 22–56 years) were enrolled in this randomised controlled trial. After wash-out, participants were assigned to either ethanol (concentration 12.5%), beer (5.6%) or red wine (12.5%) equivalent to 30 grams of ethanol per day (g/d) for men and 20 g/d for women, or to the same amount of de-alcoholised beer or red wine, or to water. Monocyte migration was evaluated ex vivo using a modified Boyden chamber. Intake of ethanol or de-alcoholised red wine significantly reduced monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1)- induced monocyte migration by 58% (p<0.05; n=6) and 36% (p<0.05; n=7) and FMLP (N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine)-induced migration by 41% (p<0.05) and 36% (p<0.05), respectively. MCP-1 receptor expression was not affected by these interventions, as shown by flow cytometry. Short-term intervention with moderate amounts of ethanol and de-alcoholised red wine inhibits monocyte migration ex vivo. This might represent one mechanism by which alcoholic beverages lower cardiovascular risk.
Signal transduction between enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) and epithelial cells: EPEC induces tyrosine phosphorylation of host cell proteins to initiate cytoskeletal rearrangement and bacterial uptake.

Upon attachment to cultured HeLa cells, enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) induces assembly of a complex cytoskeletal structure within the eucaryotic cell, localized beneath the adherent bacterium. In addition, EPEC induces its own internalization by non‐phagocytic epithelial cells. We found that after binding to the epithelial cell surface, EPEC induces tyrosine phosphorylation of three eucaryotic proteins. The major phosphorylation substrate is a 90 kDa protein (Hp90). In correlation with Hp90 tyrosine phosphorylation, the EPEC‐induced cytoskeletal structure also contained tyrosine phosphorylated proteins. Using tyrosine protein kinase inhibitors and EPEC mutants (cfm) that fail to induce Hp90 phosphorylation, we demonstrate that induction of Hp90 phosphorylation is involved in initiation of the cytoskeletal structure assembly and in bacterial uptake. Other non‐invasive EPEC mutants (eae) are still able to induce Hp90 tyrosine phosphorylation and to initiate aggregation of the tyrosine phosphorylated proteins and some cytoskeleton components. However, eae mutants are deficient in nucleating the aggregates into an organized structure.
The Globalization of Business Ethics: Why America Remains Distinctive

During the last decade, highly publicized incidents of business misconduct have occurred in virtually every major industrial economy. These scandals have played a critical role in increasing public, business, and academic awareness of issues of business ethics throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. Yet the extent of both public and academic interest in business ethics remains substantially greater in the United States than in any other capitalist nation. Moreover, the way Americans approach ethical issues remains distinctive. This article shows how the distinctive institutional, legal, social, and cultural context of American society has affected the way Americans perceive the ethical dimensions of business.
Rate-Distortion Optimization for depth map coding with distortion estimation of synthesized view

In 3D video systems, depth maps supply geometry information which is used to generate virtual views. The coding of the depth maps can be improved by considering distortion of synthesized views instead of depth map distortion. Therefore, this paper proposes a novel metric for depth coding, which quantifies the impact of the depth distortion on the fidelity of synthesized views, without banding with any complete rendering process. The metric is integrated into Rate-Distortion Optimization (RDO) process for mode decision in depth map coding, replacing the metric in HTM software. Experimental results show that the proposed metric significantly improves the coding efficiency of 3D video by about 10% bitrate saving compared with conventional RDO. Moreover, the RDO with the proposed metric achieves stable coding efficiency for different decoder-side renderers with low computation complexity.
A novel distributed control strategy for modular multilevel converters

The flexibility and expandability of the Modular Multilevel Converters (MMCs) from the modularized hardware may be reduced because of the conventional centralized control strategies. A distributed control architecture that is capable of assigning individual control task to distributed local controllers is proposed in this paper to address this issue. Although a central controller dealing with the output and differential current regulation based on sensed arm currents is adopted, these current controls can be directly implemented in local controllers without any modification since they share the same current references, controller parameters, and current feedbacks. The submodule capacitor voltage control and PWM generation are distributed into local controllers. Unlike the capacitor voltage control and balance strategies adopted in conventional MMC control systems, a capacitor voltage scheme that employs a PI controller and only relies on the capacitor voltage in the corresponding sub-module is proposed. The communication stress is eased because of the reduced information exchanging. The effectiveness of the proposed MMC distributed control architecture and capacitor voltage control scheme are confirmed by experimental results.
Ccdc87 is critical for sperm function and male fertility†

Abstract Male infertility has become an increasingly common health concern in recent years. Apart from environmental factors, nutrition, lifestyle, and sexually transmitted diseases, genetic defects are important causes of male infertility. Many genes have been demonstrated to be associated with male infertility. However, the roles of some functional genes in infertility, especially those that are specifically expressed in the reproductive system, remain to be elucidated. Here, we demonstrated that the testis-specific gene coiled-coil domain-containing 87 (Ccdc87) is critical for male fertility. Reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and western blot analyses revealed that the Ccdc87 mRNA and protein were only expressed in mouse testis. Ccdc87 expression first appeared at postnatal day 14 and remained at a relatively high level until adulthood. Male mice lacking Ccdc87 gene (Ccdc87−/−) were found to be subfertile. Approximately 20% of Ccdc87-null sperm from the testis and epididymis displayed severe abnormity of acrosome and cell nucleus. Sperm isolated from the cauda epididymides of Ccdc87−/− mice exhibited decreased initial motility but did not show any change in capacitation. Additionally, Ccdc87 disruption led to the impotency of sperm spontaneous and progesterone-induced acrosome reaction. Moreover, in vitro fertilization assays indicated that the fertilizing capacity of Ccdc87−/− sperm was significantly reduced. Taken together, these findings provide a new clue to understand the genetic causes of male infertility. Summary Sentence A testis-specific protein, coiled-coil domain-containing 87 (CCDC87), plays critical roles in male fertility as a participant to regulate sperm morphology and acrosome reaction.
Linkage Disequilibrium and Recent Selection at Three Immunity Receptor Loci in Drosophila simulans Sequence data from this article have been deposited with the EMBL/GenBank Data Libraries under accession nos. AY864355, AY864606 and AY870440, AY870441, AY870442, AY870443, AY870444, AY870445, AY870446

Immune system genes in a California population sample of Drosophila simulans were shown to bear several hallmarks of the effects of past directional selection. One potential effect of directional selection is an increase in linkage disequilibrium among the polymorphic sites that are linked to the site under selection. In this study, we focus on three D. simulans immunity loci, Hmu, Sr-CI/Sr-CIII, and Tehao, for which the polymorphic sites are in nearly perfect linkage disequilibrium, an unusual finding even with respect to other immunity genes sampled from the same lines. The most likely explanation for this finding is that, at each locus, two divergent alleles have been selected to intermediate frequencies in the recent past. The extent to which the linkage disequilibrium extends to the flanks of each of the immunity genes is minimal, suggesting that the favored mutations actually occurred within the immunity genes themselves. Furthermore, the excess linkage disequilibrium found in the California population is not found in an African D. simulans population sample and may be a result of novel pathogen-mediated selection pressures encountered during establishment of non-African populations.
Early intensive care unit mobility therapy in the treatment of acute respiratory failure*

Objective:Immobilization and subsequent weakness are consequences of critical illness. Despite the theoretical advantages of physical therapy to address this problem, it has not been shown that physical therapy initiated in the intensive care unit offers benefit. Design and Setting:Prospective cohort study in a university medical intensive care unit that assessed whether a mobility protocol increased the proportion of intensive care unit patients receiving physical therapy vs. usual care. Patients:Medical intensive care unit patients with acute respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation on admission: Protocol, n = 165; Usual Care, n = 165. Interventions:An intensive care unit Mobility Team (critical care nurse, nursing assistant, physical therapist) initiated the protocol within 48 hrs of mechanical ventilation. Measurements and Main Results:The primary outcome was the proportion of patients receiving physical therapy in patients surviving to hospital discharge. Baseline characteristics were similar between groups. Outcome data are reflective of survivors. More Protocol patients received at least one physical therapy session than did Usual Care (80% vs. 47%, p ≤ .001). Protocol patients were out of bed earlier (5 vs. 11 days, p ≤ .001), had therapy initiated more frequently in the intensive care unit (91% vs. 13%, p ≤ .001), and had similar low complication rates compared with Usual Care. For Protocol patients, intensive care unit length of stay was 5.5 vs. 6.9 days for Usual Care (p = .025); hospital length of stay for Protocol patients was 11.2 vs. 14.5 days for Usual Care (p = .006) (intensive care unit/hospital length of stay adjusted for body mass index, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II, vasopressor). There were no untoward events during an intensive care unit Mobility session and no cost difference (survivors + nonsurvivors) between the two arms, including Mobility Team costs. Conclusions:A Mobility Team using a mobility protocol initiated earlier physical therapy that was feasible, safe, did not increase costs, and was associated with decreased intensive care unit and hospital length of stay in survivors who received physical therapy during intensive care unit treatment compared with patients who received usual care.
CONCEPTS OF SEROMA FORMATION AND PREVENTION IN BREAST CANCER SURGERY

Background: Seroma formation is the commonest early sequel to breast cancer surgery especially when axillary dissection is undertaken. It is associated with significant morbidity and financial burden. The main pathophysiology of seroma is still poorly understood and remains controversial. The optimal ways to reduce the incidence of seroma formation are unknown. The aim of this paper is to review the concepts of pathophysiology of seroma formation following mastectomy and breast‐conserving surgery for cancer. The various techniques in practice to reduce its incidence and treatment are outlined.
The Climate Change‐Related Disclosures and Accountability Practices of NGOs: Evidence from Australia

This paper focuses on Non-Governmental Organisations’ (NGOs) broader social accountability, investigating their public disclosures on climate change commitment and performance. Using a synthesised disclosure index, we analyse the annual reports of 30 NGOs, all signatories to the Australian Council for International Development’s (ACFID) Code of Conduct. Overall disclosure rates from 2008 to 2013 were higher for commitment than performance, but were very low overall. However, the number of NGOs disclosing information rose markedly over the period. Although it is not directly possible to attribute the change in disclosure levels to the implementation of the Code, the enactment of the new Code could be one of the motivating factors for NGOs’ disclosure practices and their demonstrations of greater social accountability.
Developing a performance management model for the implementation of TQM practices in public education centres

Achieving excellence in public education centre management is a means to attain higher quality in education. This can be reached by implementing performance management. This paper proposes a comprehensive management tool, in the form of a balanced scorecard (BSC), for non-university public education centres, using the European Foundation for Quality Management excellence model as a framework for the implementation, evaluation and improvement of quality. This management system brings total quality management practices to education centres and is specifically designed to cater for their individual requirements. In our study, a strategic map of these organisations was devised after cause-and-effect relationships were identified based on their strategic objectives, and after defining the different areas in which action was required. The Delphi method enabled us to obtain a set of indicators which were identified by experts as being particularly relevant for measuring performance and monitoring strategy. Based on a qualitative analysis of the results, a BSC was drawn up. Its validity and reliability were proved by the high level of consensus reached by the experts. This tool will lead to improved efficiency in the management of educational centres, and is a valuable instrument to better understand factors that determine the performance of educational management and the achievement of excellent results.