Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modeling of the boost power factor correction rectifier in mixed conduction mode using PWA approximation

PFC converters for higher power are commonly designed for continuous conduction mode (CCM). However, at light load, discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) will appear close to the crossover of the line voltage, causing the converter to switch between the two conduction modes. As a result, the converter dynamics change abruptly, producing input current distortion. In this article a piecewise affine approximation has been employed in modeling a boost power factor correction converter operated in the mixed conduction mode. This approach makes the new model very useful in large signal analysis of PFC rectifiers and design of controller. The results obtained from the proposed model are compared with those of linear approximation and the exact nonlinear model.
Un système de question-réponse dans le domaine médical : le système Esculape

Le domaine medical dispose aujourd'hui d'un tres grand volume de documents electroniques permettant ainsi la recherche d’une information medicale quelconque. Cependant, l'exploitation de cette grande quantite de donnees rend la recherche d’une information precise complexe et couteuse en termes de temps. Cette difficulte a motive le developpement de nouveaux outils de recherche adaptes, comme les systemes de question-reponse. En effet, ce type de systeme permet a un utilisateur de poser une question en langage naturel et de retourner une reponse precise a sa requete au lieu d'un ensemble de documents juges pertinents, comme c'est le cas des moteurs de recherche. Les questions soumises a un systeme de question-reponse portent generalement sur un type d’objet ou sur une relation entre objets. Dans le cas d’une question telle que « Qui a decouvert l’Amerique ? » par exemple, l’objet de la question est une personne. Dans des domaines plus specifiques, tel que le domaine medical, les types rencontres sont eux-memes plus specifiques. La question « Comment rechercher l'hematurie ? » appelle ainsi une reponse de type examen medical. L'objectif de ce travail est de mettre en place un systeme de question-reponse pour des medecins generalistes portant sur les bonnes pratiques medicales. Ce systeme permettra au medecin de consulter une base de connaissances lorsqu'il se trouve en consultation avec un patient. Ainsi, dans ce travail, nous presentons une strategie de recherche adaptee au domaine medical. Plus precisement, nous exposerons une methode pour l’analyse des questions medicales et l’approche adoptee pour trouver une reponse a une question posee. Cette approche consiste a rechercher en premier lieu une reponse dans une ontologie medicale construite a partir de essources semantiques disponibles pour la specialite. Si la reponse n’est pas trouvee, le systeme applique des patrons linguistiques appris automatiquement pour reperer la reponse recherchee dans une collection de documents candidats. L’interet de notre approche a ete illustre au travers du systeme de question-reponse « Esculape » qui a fait l’objet d’une evaluation montrant que la prise en compte explicite de connaissances medicales permet d’ameliorer les resultats des differents modules du processus de traitement
Dynamic range and linearity trade-off in detectors for

The dynamic range and error performance of the diode power detector used to denormalise the digital correlations in interferometric radiometers is analysed by means of a second-order model of the diode response. This gives an easy method to establish system dynamic range as a trade-off between both the error contribution of measurement uncertainty and diode nonlinearity. The method is illustrated by analysing the power measurement system of the MIRAS-SMOS instrument.
Use of Contextual Constraints in Recognition of Contour-Traced Handprinted Characters

A contour-tracing technique described in an earlier paper [9] was used along with monogram, bigram, and trigram contextual constraints to recognize handprinted characters. Error probabilities decreased by factors ranging from two to four over those which resulted when contextual constraints were ignored. A simple technique for searching over only the most probable bigrams and trigrams was used to significantly reduce the computation without reducing the recognition accuracy.
A NOVEL PDA TECHNIQUE WITH HYBRID BUCK BOOST CONVERTER USING FLYING CAPACITOR

A buck–boost converter with high effectiveness and small output current to include the battery life of manageable devices. likewise, the hybrid buck–boost feed forward (HBBFF) technique is collective in this converter to achieve the fast line response. The new control topology minimizes the switching and transmission losses at the same time even when four switches are used. Therefore, over a wide input voltage range, the proposed buck–boost converter with minimizes switching loss akin to the buck or boost converter can reduce the transmission loss during the use of the reduced average inductor current (RAIC) technique. in addition, the proposed display utilizes pseudo current dynamic acceleration (PDA) techniques, to realize fast fleeting response when load changes between heavy load and light load. The switching frequency of the proposed converter is 1 MHz for 3.3-V input and 1.0–4.5-V output range application.
Deleterious effects of β‐branched residues in the S1 specificity pocket of Streptomyces griseus proteinase B (SGPB): Crystal structures of the turkey ovomucoid third domain variants Ile18I, Val18I, Thr18I, and Ser18I in complex with SGPB

Turkey ovomucoid third domain (OMTKY3) is a canonical inhibitor of serine proteinases. Upon complex formation, the inhibitors fully exposed P1 residue becomes fully buried in the preformed cavity of the enzyme. All 20 P1 variants of OMTKY3 have been obtained by recombinant DNA technology and their equilibrium association constants have been measured with six serine proteinases. To rationalize the trends observed in this data set, high resolution crystal structures have been determined for OMTKY3 P1 variants in complex with the bacterial serine proteinase, Streptomyces griseus proteinase B (SGPB). Four high resolution complex structures are being reported in this paper; the three β‐branched variants, Ile18I, Val18I, and Thr18I, determined to 2.1, 1.6, and 1.7 Å resolution, respectively, and the structure of the Ser18I variant complex, determined to 1.9 Å resolution. Models of the Cys18I, Hse18I, and Ape18I variant complexes are also discussed. The β‐branched side chains are not complementary to the shape of the S1 binding pocket in SGPB, in contrast to that of the wild‐type γ‐branched P1 residue for OMTKY3, Leu18I. X1 angles of approximately 40° are imposed on the side chains of Ile18I, Val18I, and Thr18I within the S1 pocket. Dihedral angles of +60°, ‐60°, or 180° are more commonly observed but 40° is not unfavorable for the β‐branched side chains. Thr18I Oγ1 also forms a hydrogen bond with Ser195 Oγ in this orientation. The Ser18I side chain adopts two alternate conformations within the S1 pocket of SGPB, suggesting that the side chain is not stable in either conformation.
The changing nature of the Brucella‐containing vacuole

Bacteria of the genus Brucella are intracellular vacuolar pathogens of mammals that cause the worldwide zoonosis brucellosis, and reside within phagocytes of infected hosts to promote their survival, persistence and proliferation. These traits are essential to the bacterium's ability to cause disease and have been the subject of much investigation to gain an understanding of Brucella pathogenic mechanisms. Although the endoplasmic reticulum‐derived nature of the Brucella replicative niche has been long known, major strides have recently been made in deciphering the molecular mechanisms of its biogenesis, including the identification of bacterial determinants and host cellular pathways involved in this process. Here I will review and discuss the most recent advances in our knowledge of Brucella intracellular pathogenesis, with an emphasis on bacterial exploitation of the host endoplasmic reticulum‐associated functions, and how autophagy‐related processes contribute to the bacterium's intracellular cycle.
What Have We Missed When Examining Twitter as a Communication Medium During Disasters

Information dearth is a central issue during disasters, such as floods, earthquakes, and hurricanes, when the rapid dissemination of up-to-date, localized information is considered critical. Twitter, a social media platform for sharing short messages of 140 characters or fewer, has emerged as a critical tool in disseminating timely information to a large audience at great speed through tweeting and retweeting. However, the character limit may not allow a tweet to clearly express its main message, especially when Twitter users (or twitterers) pack several topics into a single tweet. We theorize that message clarity in tweets is related to seeking additional information, which in turn affects the dissemination of information. That is, when twitterers receive tweets with insufficient message clarity, they may find additional information to have a better understanding of these tweets before retweeting, resulting in fewer retweets overall. In this study, we introduce a way to quantify message clarity in a tweet based on each tweet’s number of topics and the entropy measure. Using tweets collected during the 2011 Queensland and the 2013 Colorado floods, we examine how a tweet’s message clarity influences its retweet frequency, which hence serves as an indicator for information dissemination. Our findings confirm that a decrease in message clarity lowers retweet frequency, and this relationship is moderated by supplemental information, such as Twitter URLs. By enhancing the understanding of the relationship between message clarity and its influence on information dissemination, our study contributes to IS research on the role of Twitter, and of social media generally, in emergency communication.
Characterization of a UWB transceiver for mining applications

Ultra wideband (UWB) transceivers have become available relatively recently for use in high accuracy Real Time Location Systems (RTLS). They have potential for locating and tracking people and equipment in mining contexts. These devices operate in an unlicensed region of the microwave spectrum; from 3-10 GHz. Range is measured between a pair of transceivers and resolutions of the order of millimetres have been achieved. We describe the advantages of these systems and present measurements obtained with a commercially available transceiver.
Guidelines for creation, selection, and registration of an Autonomous System (AS)

This memo discusses when it is appropriate to register and utilize an Autonomous System (AS), and lists criteria for such. ASes are the unit of routing policy in the modern world of exterior routing, and are specifically applicable to protocols like EGP (Exterior Gateway Protocol, now at historical status; see [EGP]), BGP (Border Gateway Protocol, the current de facto standard for inter-AS routing; see [BGP-4]), and IDRP (The OSI Inter-Domain Routing Protocol, which the Internet is expected to adopt when BGP becomes obsolete; see [IDRP]). It should be noted that the IDRP equivalent of an AS is the RDI, or Routing Domain Identifier.
Comprehending Technology Attachment In The Case Of Smart Phone-Applications: An Empirical Study

The purpose of this paper is to comprehend the causes and outcomes of smart phone application retention. To address this question, the authors propose a construct called app attachment and establish antecedents and consequences of the same. This study conceptualizes attachment with smart phone application as app attachment from a brand attachment perspective. Accordingly, app attachment is viewed as a two-dimensional construct composing of two measurement constructs namely app-self connection and app-prominence. Based on insights from information technology literature and marketing perspectives, antecedents, and consequents of app attachment are identified. Structural equation modeling was used for confirming the relationship of app attachment with proposed antecedents and consequences. On the managerial front, this paper explicates various strategies that a manager should adopt to improve app retention amongst its targeted users.
An Impact Study on Job Satisfaction of Private Hospital Nurses in Erode District

In India, the medical industry has been developing through the services and patient treatments of doctors and nurses. The hospitals are safeguarding the people from the critical illness and varied diseases. It contains more specialized doctors, physicians, health practitioners and well trained nurses in the health centres. Many nurses offers care within the scope of general practitioner and this usual role has formed the public representation of nurses as care providers. The private hospitals have been providing crucial services to the patients and protecting their health. The nurses are an important element in hospital and giving better services. They are facing more problems and having more obstacles in their personal life. The investigator has tried to analyze their job satisfaction level of nurses in the private hospitals of Erode. They are facing more problems and having more obstacles in their personal life. So, the investigator has tried to analyze their job satisfaction level and changes of nurses in the private hospitals of Erode. The current research has adopted 100 private hospital nurses as sample respondents in the study. The study has taken empirical research design and convenience sampling adopted for the sample selection. The primary data utilized for the data collection with the help of questionnaire. The period of the crucial study has taken 1 year from September 2017 to September 2018. The percentage analysis and ANOVA test utilized for the analysis. The study has indicated that the private hospital nurses have highly satisfied in the present study.
Angle-constrained manipulation for cubic B-spline with cusp and its applications

An efficient algorithm for generating cusped B-spline curves and cusped-edge B-spline surfaces with a specific angle constraint at the cusp is presented. The proposed method is based on the multiplicity property of knots. A required point of the original B-spline curve (boundary) is transformed from C2 into G2 continuity. The angle constraints are satisfied by modifying the control points. The cusped edge is presented on the original surface without trimming. Thus, the method offers a direct way of designing surfaces which can be applied in computer-aided design tools. A specific angle is given to control the sharpness of the cusp in a B-spline curve (boundary). This approach is widely applicable to general B-spline surfaces.
Hidden by HIPAA: the costs of cure.

In the second half of the last century, there were dramatic improvements in the management of advanced cancers of the genitourinary tract, with particular progress in the management of germ cell tumors. The management of metastatic testicular germ cell tumors has become one of the paradigms of successful cancer treatment, reflecting progress in the development of chemotherapy and an improved understanding of the principles of tumor biology, and of the importance of multidisciplinary management. Withincreasingexperience,wehavecometorecognizethat theseapproachestotreatmenthavesomeflaws,particularly with respect to the creation of late iatrogenic effects, and this has become the focus of intense scrutiny. An increased understanding of risk factors has allowed us to tailor our treatments to the level of risk, such as reducing the number of cycles of chemotherapy required for good-risk metastatic disease, based on randomized trial data. We have attempted to avoid some of the late complications of treatment by modifying some treatment approaches. However, some of these attempts to improve treatmentoutcomesbyreducingtoxicityhavefailed,largely becauseofareductionintheinitialcurerate—forexample, the attempt to avoid the nephrotoxicity of cisplatin by the
RLIP 76 and Cancer

RLIP76 is a multifunctional membrane protein that transports glutathione conjugates of electrophilic compounds and other xenobiotics including chemotherapy agents out of cells.The protein is overexpressed in lung carcinomas, ovarian carcinomas, and melanomas.The protein also binds Ral and participates in mitotic spindle function, clathrin-dependent endocytosis, and triggers GTPase-activating protein activity. It is found throughout the cell, in membrane, cytosol, and the nucleus, and is known to shift between these compartments in response to stress. Loss of RLIP76 by antibody or antisense therapy is associated with increased sensitivity to radiation and chemotherapy. Conversely, liposomally delivered RLIP may treat poisoning and wounds.
A role for lymphotoxin in the acquisition of Ly49 receptors during NK cell development

NK cells lyse tumor, virus‐infected and allogeneic cells through a recognition system involving inhibitory and activating receptors, among which are the Ly49 molecules that recognize MHC class I proteins. To date, little is known about the regulation of Ly49 expression during NK cell development. In this study we report that the acquisition of Ly49 receptors by NK cells is significantly reduced in lymphotoxin (LT) α‐deficient mice, whereas it is increased in LTα transgenic mice. Treating normal mice with LTβR‐Ig fusion protein reduced Ly49 expression, indicating that regulation of Ly49 receptor expression occurs through the engagement of membrane LT to LTβR, and not soluble LT to TNFR. In addition, when LTα–/– mice were treated exogenously with recombinant IL‐15, NK cell numbers as well as Ly49 acquisition were restored to wild‐type levels. Finally, using real‐time PCR analyses of bone marrow cells obtained from LT‐deficient or transgenic mice, we show a direct correlation between LTβR activation and increased IL‐15 transcription. These data suggest that LTβR‐mediated signals regulate Ly49 expression at least in part through the activation of IL‐15.
Pain in patients with multiple sclerosis: a population-based study.

BACKGROUND Pain is an important symptom in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The estimated pain prevalence varies between 30% and 90%. To our knowledge, previous studies do not include a whole population sample of patients with MS. OBJECTIVE To assess pain prevalence and its clinical characteristics and impact on daily life in a population sample of MS patients and in a reference group. DESIGN Postal survey. SETTING Aarhus County, Denmark. PARTICIPANTS The population of patients with definite MS in Aarhus County (n = 771) and a sex- and age-stratified reference group from the general population (n = 769). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Pain prevalence, intensity, and treatment requirement; and the impact of pain on daily life. RESULTS Response rates for MS patients and reference subjects were 81.3% and 63.3%, respectively. Pain in the month preceding assessment occurred in 79.4% of MS patients and in 74.7% of reference subjects (prevalence proportion ratio, 1.06; 95% confidence interval, 0.99-1.13). Patients with MS had a higher pain intensity ("when pain is at its least" median visual analog scale score, 20.0 vs 11.0 mm [P<.01];and "when pain is at its worst" median visual analog scale score, 68.0 vs 55.0 mm [P<.01]). Daily intake of analgesics occurred in 24.4% of MS patients and 9.0% of reference subjects (prevalence proportion ratio, 2.7; 95% confidence interval, 2.0-3.6). Patients with MS more often reported that pain interfered with daily life "most of the time" or "all the time. " CONCLUSIONS The frequency of reported pain in MS patients was not higher than in the background population. However, pain intensity, the need for analgesic treatment, and the impact of pain on daily life were higher in MS patients.
Impact of computational resource reservation to the communication performance in the hypercluster environment

Emerging grid computing enables researchers, scientists and engineers to build so called hypercluster, cluster of cluster, from the available resources of the grid. However, hypercluster building from the resources of the grid inherits the unpredictable resource behaviors, which result in variable performance, even using the same set of the resources but in different time. This paper proposes a design of a reservation aware operating system, RAOS, which is able to stabilize the performance of applications running on the unpredictable grid environment. We show this by stabilizing the communication cost (connection setup time, message packing time), which is one of the important parameters required to optimize in parallel applications and distributed applications, under the loaded computation node in a cluster computer.
Economic Research Service: Specialized Agency Functions and Public Goods’ Provision

Through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service (ERS), the nation invests $87 million to support decision-making in the agriculture, food and related sectors. This capability is critically important to these sectors, which comprise 5.5 percent of U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) and have significant impact on 46 million rural Americans and the more than half of the country’s land and resource base that is used for agriculture. ERS is a research agency with outsized impact that serves the public goals of USDA programs and contributes to the practice of agricultural and applied economics. This report summarizes intramural and extramural research and outlines how results are used to fulfill its role as a designated statistical agency and to provide market situation and outlook information. This report also summarizes the synergies created by current programs.
Congenital cytomegalovirus infection: a fifteen year perspective.

In any discussion that attempts to place congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in proper perspective, it is necessary to distinguish between data obtained from retrospective studies and the more recent prospective data that is just now emanating from several laboratories. This is not to say that the retrospective studies have not been valuable. If they had not been done, there would have been little incentive to undertake the formidably large-scale surveys necessary to identify all infected infants at birth. The obvious disadvantage of these retrospective studies is that they tend to polarize the clinical spectrum toward the more severely ill infant who most closely fits the prevailing concept of cytomegalic inclusion disease (CID). These studies cannot provide accurate data on the frequency, or clinical variations, nor can they tell us whether asymptomatic newborns
INVESTISSEMENTS DIRECTS ETRANGERS ET POLITIQUE D’ATTRACTIVITE AU MAROC : UNE VUE GLOBALE

Foreign direct investments are concidered (FDI) as the most important attribute of globalization. They hold an envinable position in many countries around the world as a result of the convergence of two preoccupations: the one which concerns companies seeking the internationalisme and that of governements seeking to attract more foreign capital. The multinational firms are established where it is more likely to find the best resources and benefits. Their decision to invest in a country which can be motivated by several determinants: size of market, cost of factors of production, availability of qualified human resources, the number of successful local businesses while their contribution is essential for economic growth, employment, balance of payments and technology transfer. The FDI has become an issue of national economic policies in line with this observation, Morocco which aspires to attracts FDI, must make this attractiveness policy a fundamental element to improve and strengthen the competitiveness of its economy.