Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stability analysis of a non-inverting synchronous buck-boost power converter for a solar power management system

This paper presents the stability analysis of a non-inverting synchronous buck-boost DC/DC power converter for a solar power management system. The system can operate in buck, buck-boost or boost mode according to the condition of the supply voltage. The variation of the supply voltage arises from the rapid changes of the atmospheric condition or sunlight incident angle. The stability margins of each individual operation mode for different system parameters (inductor, capacitor) and load conditions are analyzed first. The results show that the stability margins depend on the inductor and capacitor selected for the converter and depend on the load conditions also. The systems are then modeled as Markov jump systems for evaluating the mean square stability of the systems. With careful selection of the system parameters, adequate stability margins of each individual operation mode and mean square stability of the jump system can be assured. The buck-boost converter is incorporated into the solar power battery management system to maximize the utility of the available solar power drawn from the solar panel.
Automated embedding of dynamic libraries into iOS applications from GNU / Linux

The need for mobile application security assessments has increased since more iOS applications are released every day. Multiple incidents have become public where applications violated the user’s privacy, or provided functionality not allowed by the license agreement. Dynamic analysis of applications is used by security researchers because the source code is often not publicly available. Dynamic analysis enables monitoring the behavior of an application while it is being executed. A jailbroken iOS device is usually required in order to conduct the analysis. To overcome this limitation a dynamically linked library can be embedded into the target iOS application. This library enables the dynamic analysis for that application on a non-jailbroken device. This method is often used since jail-breaks for the latest iOS version are not always available. Moreover, it has become increasingly common that developers implement jail-break detection in their applications. The process of embedding dynamic libraries is mostly implemented by macOS native tools, is time consuming, and information about the inner workings of this process is scarce. The work presented in this paper is aimed at overcoming these limitations by porting and automating this process from GNU/Linux. This would make security assessments more efficient and accessible to the open source community. Besides, by removing the requirement of macOS, security researchers could work with their preferred platform or run a GNU/Linux Virtual Machine. To accomplish our goal, we performed a theoretical analysis of the current state of the art, identified the different steps of the embedding process, and explored the way of implementing and automating each of the steps in GNU/Linux. In this report, we present an open sourced automated solution that we have developed and discuss about its applicability and limitations. We conclude that it is possible to automate from GNU/Linux the process of embedding a dynamic library into an existing iOS application.
The Prevalence of Autoimmune Disorders Among Patients With Primary Ovarian Failure *

ABSTRACT: Eighty‐one patients who had a diagnosis of primary ovarian failure were studied to determine its possible association with autoimmune disorders. All 81 patients displayed 46, XX chromosome complements. On ovarian biopsy, either few or no follicles were demonstrated in 79 patients, and, in two patients, primordial follicles were more abundant. The two patients with a large number of primordial follicles had normal function of other endocrine organs; however, 15 of the 79 patients demonstrating few or no ovarian follicles had associated failure of other endocrine glands, and one patient had myasthenia gravis. Thirteen of these 15 patients sought treatment because of secondary amenorrhea, the age at onset ranging from 11 to 34 years. Of the 81 patients, 11 had primary amenorrhea and 70 had secondary amenorrhea. Among the 79 patients with few or no ovarian follicles, endocrine glandular failure, in addition to ovarian failure, was found in two patients with primary amenorrhea and in 13 patients with secondary amenorrhea. The association of polyglandular failure syndrome and primary ovarian failure, along with demonstration of a lymphocytic infiltrate in ovaries and circulating antibodies in sera of women with premature ovarian failure, suggests that an autoimmune mechanism may be a cause of primary ovarian failure in some cases.
Ultra-high aspect ratio replaceable AFM tips using deformation-suppressed focused ion beam milling

Fabrication of ultra-high aspect ratio exchangeable and customizable tips for atomic force microscopy (AFM) using lateral focused ion beam (FIB) milling is presented. While on-axis FIB milling does allow high aspect ratio (HAR) AFM tips to be defined, lateral milling gives far better flexibility in terms of defining the shape and size of the tip. Due to beam-induced deformation, it has so far not been possible to define HAR structures using lateral FIB milling. In this work we obtain aspect ratios of up to 45, with tip diameters down to 9 nm, by a deformation-suppressing writing strategy. Several FIB milling strategies for obtaining sharper tips are discussed. Finally, assembly of the HAR tips on a custom-designed probe as well as the first AFM scanning is shown.
Genetic testing for sporadic hearing loss using targeted massively parallel sequencing identifies 10 novel mutations

The genetic heterogeneity of non‐syndromic hearing loss (NSHL) has hampered the identification of its pathogenic mutations. Several recent studies applied targeted genome enrichment (TGE) and massively parallel sequencing (MPS) to simultaneously screen a large set of known hearing loss (HL) genes. However, most of these studies were focused on familial cases. To evaluate the effectiveness of TGE and MPS on screening sporadic NSHL patients, we recruited 63 unrelated sporadic NSHL probands, who had various levels of HL and were excluded for mutations in GJB2, MT‐RNR1, and SLC26A4 genes. TGE and MPS were performed on 131 known HL genes using the Human Deafness Panel oto‐DA3 (Otogenetics Corporation., Norcross, GA). We identified 14 pathogenic variants in STRC, CATSPER2, USH2A, TRIOBP, MYO15A, GPR98, and TMPRSS3 genes in eight patients (diagnostic rate = 12.7%). Among these variants, 10 were novel compound heterozygous mutations. The identification of pathogenic mutations could predict the progression of HL, and guide diagnosis and treatment of the disease.
Objects, Place and People: Community Organization in Southern Britain in the First Millennium bc

This paper seeks to understand how identity was constructed and communities were constituted in the Late Bronze Age and Iron Age of parts of central and southern Britain. A holistic approach is favoured, finding patterns within each period that cross different types of evidence. These patterns can be related to underlying social and conceptual logic systems. It is argued that in the Late Bronze Age communities were relatively fluid and lineage played only a minor role in defining identity. Early Iron Age society was more concerned with ancestral genealogy and inter-generational inheritance. By the Middle Iron Age, this developed to the stage where smaller groups displayed increasing autonomy from each other. These social differences can account for many of the dissimilarities in the archaeological records of the Late Bronze Age and Iron Age. Despite contrasting methods of community organization, assessing contiguous periods under the same theoretical and methodological frameworks has proved a useful analytical device.
Heavy Metal Resistance Patterns of Frankia Strains

ABSTRACT The sensitivity of 12 Frankia strains to heavy metals was determined by a growth inhibition assay. In general, all of the strains were sensitive to low concentrations (<0.5 mM) of Ag1+, AsO21−, Cd2+, SbO21−, and Ni2+, but most of the strains were less sensitive to Pb2+ (6 to 8 mM), CrO42− (1.0 to 1.75 mM), AsO43− (>50 mM), and SeO22− (1.5 to 3.5 mM). While most strains were sensitive to 0.1 mM Cu2+, four strains were resistant to elevated levels of Cu2+ (2 to 5 mM and concentrations as high as 20 mM). The mechanism of SeO22− resistance seems to involve reduction of the selenite oxyanion to insoluble elemental selenium, whereas Pb2+ resistance and Cu2+ resistance may involve sequestration or binding mechanisms. Indications of the resistance mechanisms for the other heavy metals were not as clear.
Sigara Dumanına Maruz Kalan Sıçanlarda Lipit Profili ve Karaciğer Fonksiyon Testleri Üzerine L -NAME ve Vitamin E' nin Etkileri

Sigara milyonlarca insan tarafindan kullanilmakta olup cevreye ve diger canlilara dogrudan zarar verir. Icindeki binlerce zararli madde nedeniyle farkli metabolizmalar uzerinden karaciger, kalp ve akciger gibi bircok organi tahrip eder. Bu calismada ticari sigaradan elde edilen sigara dumanina inhalasyon yoluyla maruz kalmadan kaynaklanan oksidatif stres sonucunda degisen bazi kan parametresi duzeylerinin Vitamin E ve L-NAME uygulamasi ile degerlendirmesi amaclanmistir. Calismada, 45 erkek Wistar albino sican, her grupta 9 sican olmak uzere bes gruba ayrildi. Sigara dumani ozel kafeslerde inhalasyon ile saglanirken, 200 mg/kg vucut agirligi (VA) Vitamin E ve 50 mg/kg VA L-NAME intraperitoneal olarak 42 gun boyunca uygulandi. 43. gunde, sicanlardan kan ornekleri alindi. Kan orneklerinde uygun islemlerden sonra alanin aminotransferaz (ALT), aspartat aminotransferaz (AST), trigliserit, yuksek yogunluklu lipoprotein kolesterol (HDL-C), dusuk yogunluklu lipoprotein kolesterol (LDL-C) ve kolesterol duzeyleri incelendi. Sigara dumani grubunda; ALT, AST, trigliserid, kolesterol ve LDL-C duzeylerinde kontrol grubuna gore anlamli duzeyde artis gozlenirken (p<0.05), HDL-C duzeyinde ise anlamli derecede dusus gozlendi (p<0.05). Tedavide gruplari degerlendirildiginde ALT, AST, trigliserit, total kolesterol ve LDL-C duzeylerinin azaldigi ve HDL-C duzeylerinin ise arttigi sonucuna varilmistir (p<0,05). Bu calismanin sonucunda, sigara dumanina maruz kalmanin bazi kan parametrelerinde olumsuz degisikliklere neden oldugu bulunmustur. Bu olumsuz degisikliklerin ise L-NAME ve Vitamin E uygulamasi ile normallestirilebilecegi gozlendi.
A man with a chronic painful perianal ulcer.

Diagnosis: Perianal amebiasis cutis (Entamoeba histolytica). Examination of biopsy specimens from the perianal ulcer revealed the presence of invasive E. histolytica (figures 1-3). Concurrent colonoscopy findings and examination of rectal biopsy specimens also showed focal proctitis with invasive amebic parasites. No pathologic evidence of Crohn disease or ulcerative colitis was seen. Tests for HIV, Neisseria gonorrhea, Chlamydia trachomatis (including lymphogranuloma venereum serovars), Treponema pallidum, and Herpes simplexhad negative results. The patient's ulcer and symptoms rapidly resolved with a 2-week course of metronidazole. Because the patient was lost to follow-up, he did not receive paromomycin at the end of
Arabidopsis Stomatal Initiation Is Controlled by MAPK-Mediated Regulation of the bHLH SPEECHLESS

Stomata, epidermal structures that modulate gas exchange between plants and the atmosphere, play critical roles in primary productivity and the global climate. Positively acting transcription factors and negatively acting mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling control stomatal development in Arabidopsis; however, it is not known how the opposing activities of these regulators are integrated. We found that a unique domain in a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) stomatal initiating factor, SPEECHLESS, renders it a MAPK phosphorylation target in vitro and modulates its function in vivo. MAPK cascades modulate a diverse set of activities including development, cell proliferation, and response to external stresses. The coupling of MAPK signaling to SPEECHLESS activity provides cell type specificity for MAPK output while allowing the integration of multiple developmental and environmental signals into the production and spacing of stomata.
Age-related changes to speech breathing with increased vocal loudness.

PURPOSE The present study examines the effect of normal aging on respiratory support for speech when utterance length is controlled. METHOD Fifteen women (M = 71 years of age) and 10 men (M = 73 years of age) produced 2 sentences of different lengths in 4 loudness conditions while respiratory kinematics were measured. Measures included those related to lung volume and chest wall movements. RESULTS Data from the older adults were compared with previously published data from 30 young adults. A significant Age x Sex effect was demonstrated. Older men produced speech at higher lung volumes than younger men. No significant differences existed between older and younger women. Older adults tended to use more abdominal movement in loud speech than younger adults, especially when talking in noise. Some of the mechanisms used by the older adults to support increased loudness in response to the cues differed from those used by the younger adults. Age-related differences were larger when participants produced the longer utterance as compared with the shorter one. CONCLUSIONS Reduced chest wall compliance, pulmonary elastic recoil, and laryngeal closure may explain the findings. These data can be used to help distinguish normal age-related changes from disease-related changes.
INHIBITORY EFFECT OF HEPARIN ON HERPES SIMPLEX VIRUS

Nahmias, André J. (Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Mass.), and Sidney Kibrick. Inhibitory effect of heparin on herpes simplex virus. J. Bacteriol. 87:1060–1066. 1964. —A substance inhibitory to herpes simplex virus was observed during experiments with leukocyte cultures. The component in the cultures responsible for this inhibition was identified as heparin. The minimal inhibitory concentration required to inhibit 30 to 300 tcd50 of the virus in human amnion tissue culture was found to be 1 to 2 units per ml (10 to 20 μg/ml). This effect was confirmed with other strains of herpes simplex virus, other tissue-culture systems, and other media. The inhibitory activity of the heparin was found to be related to the sulfate groupings on the molecule. The effect of heparin appears to be on the virus, rather than on the cell. The virus is not inactivated, however, and the heparin-virus “complex” is readily dissociable on dilution. Heparin was shown to affect viral infection in its earliest phase, probably at the primary electrostatic attachment of virus to cell. The import of these and related observations on common virological laboratory procedures and the possible biological significance of our findings are discussed.
Topical corticosteroid phobia in patients with atopic eczema

Topical corticosteroids are widely prescribed by dermatologists caring for patients with atopic eczema. Patients’ fears about using topical corticosteroids may have important implications for compliance with treatment. We carried out a questionnaire‐based study of 200 dermatology outpatients with atopic eczema (age range 4 months−67·8 years) to assess the prevalence and source of topical corticosteroid phobia. We also questioned patients on their knowledge of the potencies of different topical corticosteroids. Overall, 72·5% of people worried about using topical corticosteroids on their own or their child’s skin. Twenty‐four per cent of people admitted to having been non‐compliant with topical corticosteroid treatment because of these worries. The most frequent cause for concern was the perceived risk of skin thinning (34·5%). In addition, 9·5% of patients worried about systemic absorption leading to effects on growth and development. The most commonly used topical corticosteroid was hydrocortisone, yet 31% of patients who used this preparation classified it as either strong, very strong or did not know the potency. Only 62·5% of the 48 patients who had used both Dermovate® (Glaxo) and hydrocortisone in the past were able to correctly grade Dermovate® as being more potent than hydrocortisone. The most common source of patient information regarding topical corticosteroid safety was the general practitioner. Although skin thinning and systemic effects can develop very occasionally in people using topical corticosteroids, the concern expressed by people using them seems out of proportion in relation to the evidence of harm. This study highlights the need for provision of better information and education to patients and possibly general practitioners regarding the safety, potency and appropriate use of topical corticosteroids.
Pathogenesis of Essential Hypertension A Link Between Dietary Salt and High Blood Pressure

The critical importance of sodium and the key role of the kidneys in the pathogenesis of hypertension are widely recognized. Excessive dietary salt may not play an etiologic role in all individuals with essential hypertension, but a majority of patients with this disease, especially those with low plasma renin levels, respond to reduced dietary sodium, natriuretic drugs, or both. Despite these well-established observations, however, the relation between sodium and hypertension still is vigorously debated because the precise pathogenic mechanisms are not resolved. The plasma membrane of vascular smooth muscle cells, as in many other types of cells, contains a Ca transport system, the Na-Ca exchanger, that serves as a unique link between Na metabolism and vascular contractility.It seems logical to consider the possibility that this exchanger plays a central role in the elevation of blood pressure under conditions of altered Na metabolism. Until recently, however, a critical link in the chain that apparently leads from salt retention to elevated blood pressure, namely, an endogenous digitalislike substance (EDLS), was missing. Now that such a substance has been purified and characterized,it is appropriate to reexamine the hypothesis that the EDLS and Na-Ca exchange are intimately involved in the pathogenesis of at least some forms of essential hypertension. This article describes the hypothesis and the evidence that has accrued to support it.
Processor-in-the-loop and hardware-in-the-loop simulation of electric systems based in FPGA

Processor-in-the-loop (PIL) is a test technique that allows designers to evaluate a controller, running in a dedicated processor, of a plant which runs in an offline simulation platform. By the other side, Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) is an approach to test a plant or controller running in a digital platform which interacts with the real controller or plant. Here we present how to implement PIL and the preliminaries to HIL of electronic/electric systems with easy access technology through a code generation tool called Xilinx System Generator, a FPGA device and a personal computer. Two systems with different dynamics, a dc-dc buck converter and a dc motor, are selected in order to illustrate the FPGA based PIL and HIL implementation. For every system its model synthetization as well as its corresponding settings is carried out and tested.
Electro spinning under sub critical voltage

A simple method was proposed to reduce the critical voltage of electrospinning and gain finer nanofiber. Beside the collector, a ground inducing plate was introduced into the electrospinning experiment setup. , and the distance between spinneret and inducing plate can be adjusted. Under the same applied voltage, the electrical field strenght around the spinneret increase as the distance between spinneret and inducing plate decreases. When inducing plate moved nearly to the spinneret (the distance is about 1.5~2cm), a charged jet would be leaded out from the Taylor cone due to the higher electrical field strenght. An interesting phenomenon was found that electrospinning keep on running, when inducing plate moved away. Therefore, with the help of inducing plate, electrospinning can run under the applied voltage that smaller than critical voltage required in the conventional electrospinning. Bending instability of charged jet would be weaken by the lower applied, and finer nanofiber can be gained by this method. The diameter of nanofiber increase from 141nm to 162nm, when the subcritical voltage increasing from 3.75kV to 4.5Kv. This method would inmprove the precise position deposition and diameter controlling of nanofiber.
The Sec7 N-terminal regulatory domains facilitate membrane-proximal activation of the Arf1 GTPase

The Golgi complex is the central sorting compartment of eukaryotic cells. Arf guanine nucleotide exchange factors (Arf-GEFs) regulate virtually all traffic through the Golgi by activating Arf GTPase trafficking pathways. The Golgi Arf-GEFs contain multiple autoregulatory domains, but the precise mechanisms underlying their function remain largely undefined. We report a crystal structure revealing that the N-terminal DCB and HUS regulatory domains of the Arf-GEF Sec7 form a single structural unit. We demonstrate that the established role of the N-terminal region in dimerization is not conserved; instead, a C-terminal autoinhibitory domain is responsible for dimerization of Sec7. We find that the DCB/HUS domain amplifies the ability of Sec7 to activate Arf1 on the membrane surface by facilitating membrane insertion of the Arf1 amphipathic helix. This enhancing function of the Sec7 N-terminal domains is consistent with the high rate of Arf1-dependent trafficking to the plasma membrane necessary for maximal cell growth. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.7554/eLife.12411. 001
Childhood Maltreatment and Aggressive Behaviour in Violent Offenders with Psychopathy

Objective: To document experiences of childhood maltreatment among violent offenders with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) distinguishing between those with and without the syndrome of psychopathy (+P and –P), and to determine whether maltreatment is associated with proactive and reactive aggression. Method: The sample included 10 violent offenders with ASPD+P, 15 violent offenders with ASPD-P, and 15 nonoffenders. All participants completed interviews with the same forensic psychiatrist focusing on physical, sexual, and emotional abuse prior to age 18 using the Early Trauma Inventory. Aggression was assessed using the Reactive-Proactive Questionnaire. Results: Violent offenders with ASPD+P reported significantly more severe childhood physical abuse, but not more sexual or emotional abuse, than violent offenders with ASPD-P and nonoffenders. Psychopathy Checklist—Revised (PCL-R) scores, but not childhood physical abuse, were associated with proactive aggression. Childhood physical abuse was associated with reactive aggression, as was an interaction term indicating that when both PCL-R scores and childhood physical abuse were high, so was reactive aggression. Conclusions: Among violent offenders, PCL-R scores were positively associated with proactive aggression, while experiences of childhood maltreatment were not. This finding concurs with previous studies of children and adults and suggests that proactive aggression may be a behavioural marker of psychopathic traits. By contrast, childhood physical abuse was associated with reactive aggression, even among violent offenders with high PCL-R scores. This latter finding suggests a strong influence of childhood physical abuse on the development of reactive aggression that persists over the lifespan.
An algorithm for detecting overlapping community structure in complex networks

It is a general problem in the data mining field to detect the overlapping community structure in a complex network. A novel approach is presented in this paper to identify communities based on core vertices and shared neighbors, which can find both separate and overlapping community structures in networks. Experimental results on synthetic and real-world networks show that the new algorithm is effective and efficient in identification of communities and it can find overlapping and bridge vertices.