Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Predictive leading-edge modulation average current control in DC-DC converters

The paper investigates predictive digital average current control (PDACC) in dc/dc converters using leading-edge modulation (LEM). The study is focused on the recurrence duty cycle equation and then, based on it, stability analysis is performed. It is demonstrated that average current control using leading-edge modulation is stable on the whole range of the duty cycle and thus design problems are highly simplified. The analysis is carried out in a general manner, independent of converter topology and therefore the results can be easily applied for a certain converter topology (buck, boost, buck-boost, etc.). The theoretical considerations are verified using both MATLAB and finally with the CASPOC circuit simulation package. Some simulation aspects regarding the new developed dedicated blocks are also presented.
Rubidium marking of Anopheles mosquitoes detectable by field‐capable X‐ray spectrometry

Abstract We present a mosquito marking technique suitable for mark‐release‐recapture that can be used with a hand‐held, portable X‐ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer, which is practical for field measurements. Third instar Anopheles gambiae Giles sensu stricto (Diptera: Culicidae) and Anopheles stephensi Liston larvae were cultured to pupation in water containing rubidium (Rb) Cl at concentrations up to 1000 p.p.m. Rb. Anopheles gambiae larvae survived to adulthood at concentrations as high as 1000 p.p.m. Rb but suffered pupal mortality and reduced adult longevity at high concentrations. We were able to culture An. stephensi at Rb concentrations as high as 300 p.p.m. The presence of Rb in adults was evaluated using a portable XRF analyser, and we were able to reliably detect Rb above background levels in 10‐day‐old females and 4‐day‐old males at concentrations causing minimal pupal or adult mortality. We observed that Rb marking was not permanent, and the concentration declined significantly as adults aged. The low cost of labelling with RbCl and the field portability of the spectrometer provide a useful means for labelling mosquitoes via breeding sites or in the laboratory for mark‐release‐recapture experiments.
Clearance of Theiler's virus infection depends on the ability to generate a CD8+ T cell response against a single immunodominant viral peptide

Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) induces a chronic demyelinating disease in the central nervous system of susceptible mice. Resistance to persistent TMEV infection maps to he D locus of the major histocompatibility complex suggesting a prominent role of antiviral CTL in the protective immune response. Introduction of the Db gene into the FVB strain confers resistance to this otherwise susceptible mouse line. Infection of the FVB/Db mouse with TMEV provides a model where antiviral resistance is determined by a response elicited by a single class I molecule. Resistant mice of the H‐2b haplotype mount a vigorous H‐2Db‐restricted immunodominant response to the VP2 capsid protein. To investigate the extent of the contributionof the immunodominant T cell population in resistance to TMEV, FVB/Db mice were depleted of VP2‐specific CD8+ T cells by peptide treatment prior to virus infection. Peptide‐treated mice were not able to clear the virus and developed extensive demyelination. These findings demonstrate that the Db‐restricted CD8+ T cells specific for a single viral peptide can confer resistance to TMEV infection. Our ability to manipulate this cellular response provides a model for investigating the mechanisms mediating protection against virus infection by CD8+ T cells.
Development of RE-123 Superconducting Cable

High temperature superconducting (HTS) cables are expected as a large capacity cable with lower transmission loss. Numerous HTS cable demonstration projects using Bi-2223 superconducting wires are being promoted around the world for practical utility usage. RE-123 coated conductors, which are still at the research and development stage, will also be applied to several demonstration projects in coming years in addition to Sumitomo Electric's world first 30-m HTS cable project using RE-123 conductors which was successfully energized in early 2008. As wire and cable manufacturer, Sumitomo Electric has also been developing it's own RE-123 conductors, and has succeeded in fabricating a 200-m-class conductor. One of the important challenges associated with the use of RE-123 conductors in power cables is to ensure stability against over-current. In order to evaluate over-current characteristics, a 10-meter ldquo3-in-Onerdquo RE-123 superconducting cable was manufactured and over-current tests were performed. No Ic degradation was observed after exposure to over-currents with a maximum current of 31.5 kArms for 2 s (120 cycles), which meets the requirements for 66-77 kV class power cables in Japan. It was confirmed that RE-123 conductors have satisfactory over-current characteristics for use as superconducting cable wires.
Productivity loss due to overweight and obesity: a systematic review of indirect costs

Objective The increasingly high levels of overweight and obesity among the workforce are accompanied by a hidden cost burden due to losses in productivity. This study reviews the extent of indirect cost of overweight and obesity. Methods A systematic search was conducted in eight electronic databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science Core Collection, PsychInfo, Cinahl, EconLit and ClinicalTrial.gov). Additional studies were added from reference lists of original studies and reviews. Studies were eligible if they were published between January 2000 and June 2017 and included monetary estimates of indirect costs of overweight and obesity. The authors reviewed studies independently and assessed their quality. Results Of the 3626 search results, 50 studies met the inclusion criteria. A narrative synthesis of the reviewed studies revealed substantial costs due to lost productivity among workers with obesity. Especially absenteeism and presenteeism contribute to high indirect costs. However, the methodologies and results vary greatly, especially regarding the cost of overweight, which was even associated with lower indirect costs than normal weight in three studies. Conclusion The evidence predominantly confirms substantial short-term and long-term indirect costs of overweight and obesity in the absence of effective customised prevention programmes and thus demonstrates the extent of the burden of obesity beyond the healthcare sector.
THE USE OF THE INTERNET TO SUPPORT AND DEVELOP DEMOCRACY

The realization of the idea of e-democracy is an important part of the information society, the establishment of which is a priority for the EU. The article analyses some of the aspects of e-democracy and their importance for strengthening democracy, democratic institutions and democratic processes. Its primary objective is to determine the conditions for implementing of the idea of e-democracy in Bulgaria by defining the key problems related to e-democracy and the causes thereof. A large amount of data was subjected to comparative analysis to determine the current status of the information society, e-government and e-services in Bulgaria and in other European Union countries. The author has put emphasis on the essential role of social media in the process of implementation of various forms of electronic democracy.The author's main thesis is that information and communication technologies (ICT) are a prerequisite and a very important factor for the development of e-democracy. However, the use of the Internet in various forms of democratic life depends heavily on the degree of the e-readiness of the country, its efficient e-government and e-services, the sustained interest of its citizens in participating in its governance and their requirements for transparency and free access to information, its government and civil organizations, the adequacy of its egislation, the level of development of its civil society and its drive for continuous strengthening and development of democratic institutions.
Busting a Myth: Review of Agile Security Engineering Methods

Engineering methods are essential in software development, and form a crucial element in the design and implementation of software security. Security engineering processes and activities have a long and well-standardized history of integration with software development methods. The inception of iterative and incremental software development methods raised suspicions of an inherent incompatibility between the traditional non-agile security processes and the new agile methods. This suspicion still affects the attitude towards agile security. To examine and explore this myth, this study presents a literature review of a selected set of agile secure software development methods. A systematic literature method was used to find the definitive set of secure agile software development methods, of which a core set of 11 papers was selected for analysis, and the security activities documented in the methods were extracted. The results show a wide and well-documented adaptation of security activities in agile software development, with the observed activities covering the whole security development life cycle. Based on the analysis, the inherent insecurity of the agile software development methods can be declared to be a mere myth.
A simple low-power high-speed CMOS four-quadrant current multiplier

In this paper, a CMOS low-power high-speed low-error four-quadrant analog multiplier based on a simple current squarer circuit, is presented. The new squarer circuit consists of a MOS transistor which operating in saturation region and a resistor. The proposed multiplier has a balanced structure composed of four squarer cells and a simple current mirror. The performance of the proposed design has been simulated using HSPICE software in 0.18 μm TSMC CMOS technology. Simulation results with ±0.7 V DC supply voltages show that the linearity error is 0.35%, the -3dB bandwidth is 903 MHz, the THD is 0.3% (at 1 MHz), maximum and static power consumption are 41.25 μW and 14.5 μW, respectively. Monte Carlo analysis with 5% variations in channel width and length, gate oxide thickness and threshold voltage of all transistors and resistance values are also performed to verify the satisfactory robustness and reliability of the proposed work.
The FVA Debate: In Theory and Practice

In a recent paper John Hull and Alan White have argued that funding cost adjustments should not be included in derivatives pricing, which has triggered a heated debate. Their arguments share some ideas that we have published previously and the purpose of this note is intended to help clarify some of the debate, relate the note of Hull and White to our previous papers on the topic and connect some theoretical lines of argument with some practical considerations.
On the Measurement of Investment Types: Heterogeneity in Corporate Tax Elasticities

This paper highlights the importance of different investment motives and to what extend they affect the responsiveness to corporate taxation. In particular, we discuss how to classify investment as non-related, horizontal, vertical and complex types using a combination of both firm-specific (ownership) information and sector-specific information from input-output tables. Hereby, we point out to what extend the resulting classification depends on assumptions made by the researcher. Following this, we examine the effects of host-country corporate taxation on the volume of investment within related firms (i.e., the intensive margin). We are able to quantitatively replicate the average result in the empirical literature with an overall tax semi-elasticity of approximately -1.5. Taking into account firm-heterogeneity we find that non-related investments react stronger to corporate taxation whereas horizontal investments are less responsive, though, significant negative tax semi-elasticities turn out for the subset of manufacturing industries where horizontal investment is much more prevalent. As the strict categorical classification still yields ambiguous results for both vertical and complex investments we extend the methodology by defining shares of investment and make the point that, by and large, stronger business motives reduce the tax responsiveness of investment.
Market Economies Potentialities and Cultural Clusters. A Global and Longitudinal Study

This paper explores longitudinally and globally the relationships between cultural clusters and the determinants that drive market potentiality. The research shows differences in variances in all 7 determinants using a longitudinal one way Anova method and an Estimated Size Effect. Conclusions show three revealing issues: 1.There is significance in all Market Potentiality Index determinants with the exception of “Market Intensity and Market Receptivity”. 2. The clusters do not show significant differences according to the MPI determinants with the regular exception of Latin American cluster. 3. The results obtained after the estimated effect size analysis show that Commercial Infrastructure and Country Risk are the most important factors which influence on the variability of the clusters.
Influence of rhG‐CSF Scheduling on Megakaryocytopoietic Recovery following 5‐Fluorouracil‐Induced Hematotoxicity in Splenectomized B6D2F1 Mice

Recombinant human granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor, rhG‐CSF, is widely applied to ameliorate neutropenia following chemotherapy. However, rhG‐CSF can exert negative effects on megakaryocytopoiesis that might cause a delay of megakaryocyte recovery. Therefore, the present study was designed to test different rhG‐CSF administration protocols with regard to their megakaryocytic inhibitory potential in a 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU)‐induced experimental model system. Splenectomized B6D2F1 mice received a single injection of 5‐FU (150 mg/kg) on day 0 followed by 50 μg/kg/day rhG‐CSF given daily for either zero, four, or eight days. Five days after 5‐FU, bone marrow and blood hematopoiesis were reduced significantly when compared with controls, independent of whether or not animals received rhG‐CSF. However, nine days after 5‐FU, granulopoietic recovery from 5‐FU‐induced toxicity was faster for rhG‐CSF‐treated versus untreated mice as demonstrated by higher values for colony forming unit‐granulocyte macrophage (CFU‐GM) and granulocytes (CFU‐GM: 7.2 ± 0.4 versus 5 ± 0.6 × 104/femur, granulocytes: 4.3 ± 2 versus 1.4 ± 0.4 × 105/ml, respectively). Furthermore, significant mobilization of CFU‐megakaryocyte (CFU‐Meg) and CFU‐GM into the peripheral blood was induced by the eight‐day administration of rhG‐CSF following 5‐FU (day 9: 911 ± 102 CFU‐Meg/ml, 2330 ± 152 CFU‐GM/ml). However, megakaryocytic cells in these same mice were considerably lower when compared with those of animals receiving no rhG‐CSF (CFU‐Meg: 2.7 ± 0.2 × 103 versus 4.2 ± 0.2 × 103/femur; small acetylcholinesterase positive (SAChE+) cells: 4.9 ± 0.3 × 103 versus 7.3 ± 0.9 × 103/femur; megakaryocytes: 2.5 ± 0.2 × 103 versus 4.1 ± 0.7 × 103/femur; platelets: 2.67 ± 0.5 × 109 versus 3.1 ± 0.5 × 109/ml, respectively). On the other hand, the shortening of the rhG‐CSF treatment from eight to four days caused a rapid granulopoietic recovery comparable to animals receiving eight days of G‐CSF with no significant delay in megakaryocytic recovery when compared with mice treated with 5‐FU alone; however, with four days of rhG‐CSF, the mobilization of CFU into the peripheral blood was significantly less effective. Taken together, the results showed that a shortening of rhG‐CSF treatment after chemotherapy is capable of ameliorating neutropenia without negatively affecting megakaryocytopoietic recovery. If, however, maximum recruitment of CFU into the peripheral blood circulation by rhG‐CSF for subsequent harvest and transplantation is needed, any shortening of rhG‐CSF administration is not advisable.
Detection of antibodies against the cellular protein p53 in sera from patients with breast cancer

Antibodies reacting with the host protein p53 were found in the sera of patients with primary or secondary carcinoma of the breast. Fourteen out of the 155 sera from breast cancer patients tested were positive for anti‐p53 antibodies (9%) and no positives were detected among 164 control sera from normal women tested. The locations of the first metastasis in patients with positive sera were unusual, with more lung metastases and fewer bone metastases than expected. The detection of anti‐p53 antibodies indicates that p53 is altered in amount, type or presentation in breast tumors so that it becomes immunogenic.
Dielectric analysis based on spherical-shell model for cationic and anionic spherical polyelectrolyte brushes

We report here a dielectric study on cationic and anionic spherical polyelectrolyte brush (SPB) (consisting of a polystyrene (PS) core and poly (2-aminoethylmethacrylate hydrochloride (PAEMH) chains or poly (acrylic acid) (PAA) chains grafted onto the core) suspensions over a frequency range of 40 Hz–110 MHz. The relaxation behavior of the suspensions shows significant changes in the brush layer properties when changing the particle mass fraction or pH of the system. After eliminating the electrode polarization effect at a low frequency, two definite relaxations related to interfacial polarization, around 100 kHz and 10 MHz respectively, are observed. Based on a single layer spherical-shell model, we developed a curve-fitting procedure to analyze such dielectric spectra for soft particles, and then calculated the dielectric properties of the components of the SPBs (such as the permittivities and conductivities of the layer and solution phase), especially the layer thickness ds of the polyelectrolyte chain (PE) layer. We also found a larger confinement degree of counterions in the PAEMH brush due to the protonation of the amino group. Moreover, the repulsive force between the SPB particles is evaluated by using the ds combined with the relative theoretical formulas. We conclude that by raising (reducing) the acidity of the system, the stability of the PAEMH-SPB (PAA-SPB) suspension was improved. An increase in particle concentration can also improve the stability of these two dispersions.
The dynamics of medical care in skin cancers.

DOI:10.1097/CCO.0000000000000435 Ten years ago, surgery was the only reliable treatment option in most skin cancers. Medical therapy including chemotherapy was standard of care without any benefit concerning overall survival. Many patients with advanced melanoma received monochemotherapy with dacarbazine for metastatic disease. Others were treated with highdose interleukin 2. This treatment causes substantial side-effects and many medical complications. In the adjuvant situation, high-dose interferon a was used. Interferon a has an impact on the outcome, however, again this therapy was quiet toxic. Many patients suffered for months from flu-like symptoms and some also from depression. On the basis of a very limited repertoire of treatment options, many patients searched for alternative medicine strategies or other obscured treatment options. Today, advanced melanoma is a paradigm for modern tumor therapy including targeted and immunotherapy. The Progressive Disease (PD) ligand 1 and 2/PD1 interaction is very important for the prevention of autoimmunity in cutaneous cardiac, kidney and other tissues. Nevertheless, the use of anti-PD1 antibodies is very safe and tolerable. There are currently some adverse events, but the risk ratio benefit is very much in favor of this therapy. Anti-PD1 therapies are really the backbone for immunotherapy in melanoma. They are really successful treatment options with a reasonable response rate and a low risk for adverse events. However, there are a number of patients who do not respond to the monotherapy; therefore, there is an urgent need for combined immunotherapy. Combined immunotherapy has resulted in a 58% 3-year survival landmark for the combination therapy of ipilimumab and nivolumab [1]. We have seen that combinations are more powerful concerning progression-free survival and response rates, but now for the first time we have the proof of concept that the addition of a second immune modulator improves overall outcome. Certainly, the drawback is that we have more toxicity; however, we can work on this. So, first, we can improve the management of patients on combined
Resource allocation for the DF multiple access relay channel with OFDMA

This work analyses a multi-user relay network with orthogonal channel access using OFDMA. For the considered Multiple Access Relay Channel (MARC) the relay performs non-adaptive Decode & Forward (DF) with repetition coding. The objective of this paper is to find a resource allocation (subcarrier and power) which maximises the sum rate. Within this context, different algorithms are proposed which are supposed to be near-optimum. The algorithms will be derived and numerical results for their sum rate performance are presented.
Surgical Anatomy of the Superficial Peroneal Nerve in the Ankle and Foot

The subcutaneous (sensory) portion of the superficial peroneal nerve was dissected in 25 cadaver lower limbs under loupe magnification. Three distinct branching pattern types were noted. Type A (72%) consisted of a pattern where the nerve penetrated the crural fascia to become subcutaneous at an average distance of 12.3 cm proximal to the ankle joint, then divided at a mean distance of 4.4 cm proximal to the ankle into two major branches: a large medial dorsal cutaneous nerve and a smaller more laterally located intermediate dorsal cutaneous nerve. Type B (16%) consisted of a pattern where both the medial and intermediate dorsal cutaneous nerve arose independently from the superficial peroneal nerve, with the medial dorsal cutaneous nerve having a similar course to that found in Type A, while the intermediate dorsal cutaneous nerve penetrated the crural fascia posterior to the fibula 5.5 cm proximal to the ankle joint and coursed medially to cross the lateral aspect of the fibula at mean distance 4.5 cm above the ankle joint. Type C (12%) consisted of a pattern where the medial dorsal cutaneous nerve and the intermediate dorsal cutaneous nerve arose independently and the medial dorsal cutaneous nerve coursed similar to that in Type A; however, the intermediate dorsal cutaneous nerve penetrated the crural fascia anterior to the fibula an average of 4.9 cm above the ankle joint and continued in close proximity to the anterior fibular border. In all patterns the mean diameters of the medial dorsal cutaneous nerve and intermediate dorsal cutaneous nerve at the ankle were 2.9 mm and 2 mm, respectively. At the level of the malleoli, the medial dorsal cutaneous nerve was located approximately one half the distance from the lateral malleolus to medial malleolus while the intermediate dorsal cutaneous nerve was approximately one third the distance. Appreciation of these branch patterns and the quantified relationships should assist nerve protection during surgical procedures as well as aid rapid nerve isolation for exploration or decompression. Branches especially at risk for iatrogenic injury include: (1) the intermediate dorsal cutaneous nerve of Type B where the nerve crosses the lateral surface of the distal fibula; (2) the intermediate dorsal cutaneous nerve of Type C where the nerve travels adjacent to the anterior border of the fibula; and (3) the intermediate dorsal cutaneous nerve and the medial dorsal cutaneous nerve at the level of the ankle, where they are at risk during anterior ankle arthrotomy or arthroscopy.