Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Oligonucleotide probes for speci ® c detection of Giardia lamblia cysts by ̄ uorescent in situ hybridization

M.R. DORSCH AND D.A . VEAL. 2001. Aims: Our study focused on the design of oligonucleotide probes and a suitable hybridization protocol that would allow rapid and speci®c identi®cation of potentially viable cysts of the waterborne parasite Giardia lamblia. Methods and Results: Comparative analysis of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequences of Giardia lamblia and a number of closely and more distantly related species identi®ed six regions that appear to be speci®c for the G. lamblia 16S rRNA. Fluorescently labelled probes targeting these regions were produced and employed in ̄uorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) experiments. Two of the six probes tested successfully. Conclusions: Our study provides the ®rst reported probes for speci®c FISH detection of G. lamblia. The method depends on suf®cient amounts of intact rRNA in the target organism, which is unlikely to be present in nonviable cysts that have been exposed to the environment for a prolonged period. Signi®cance and Impact of the Study: Currently, detection of G. lamblia cysts is largely based on immuno ̄uorescence assays (IFA) targeting cyst wall surface antigens. These assays lack speci®city and will detect species others than G. lamblia. Further, IFA will detect nonviable cysts and cyst wall fragments that do not pose a public health risk. In contrast, FISH probes allow speci®c detection and are likely to only detect viable, infectious cysts.
Complementary impact of copepods and cladocerans on phytoplankton

The differences in the impact of two major groups of herbivorous zooplankton (Cladocera and Copepoda) on summer phytoplankton in a mesotrophic lake were studied. Field experiments were performed in which phytoplankton were exposed to different densities of two major types of herbivorous zooplankton, cladocerans and copepods. Contrary to expectation, neither of the two zooplankton groups significantly reduced phytoplankton biomass. However, there were strong and contrasting impacts on phytoplankton size structure and on individual taxa. Cladocerans suppressed small phytoplankton, while copepods suppressed large phytoplankton. The unaffected size classes compensated for the loss of those affected by enhanced growth. After contamination of the copepod mesocosms with the cladoceran Daphnia, the combined impact of both zooplankton groups caused a decline in total phytoplankton biomass.
Phenolic compounds in basil, oregano and thyme.

Among various abundant sources of phenolic compounds are spices such as oregano, thyme and basil. The aim of this research was to determine phenolic compounds in oregano, thyme, basil. In spices six phenolic compounds were identified – caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid, eriodyctiol, luteolin, naringenin, apigenin. The main phenolic compound in spices was rosmarinic acid, other compounds were present in less than 4% (from total phenolics). Caffeic acid was identified only in thyme. Compounds from two flavonoid classes were identified in spices: flavons (apigenin, luteolin) and flavonons (eriodictyol, naringenin). Apigenin and luteolin were detected in oregano and thyme. Eridyctiol was present in all spices, with the highest concentration determined in oregano, while naringenin was present in oregano and thyme. Flavonons eriodyctiol and naringenin were present in spices in higher concentrations compared to flavons apigenin and luteolin. Total amount of identified phenolic compounds was the highest in thyme.
Model reference adaptive sliding surface design for nonlinear systems

In this study, a new model reference adaptive sliding surface (MRASS) design algorithm is proposed for a general class of nonlinear systems. The proposed MRASS methodology generates a nonlinear sliding surface for a given nonlinear plant dynamics by using a model reference sliding surface. Before the adaptation process, a model reference sliding surface is designed for a reference nonlinear system by using the State Dependent Riccati Equation (SDRE) techniques. The designed sliding surface for the reference nonlinear model is then adapted for a given nonlinear plant dynamics. The sliding mode controller for the nonlinear plant is then designed by using the adaptive sliding surfaces. The proposed method is illustrated with an autopilot design for a missile model.
HF test current injection based self-sensing control of PMSM for low and zero speed range using Two-Degree-of-Freedom current control

This paper deals with an innovative self-sensing control scheme based on test current instead of voltage injection. Using Two-Degree-of-Freedom current control one can overcome the bandwidth limitations which made test current injection unattractive during the last 20 years. The Two-Degree-of-Freedom control scheme consists of a model based dynamic feed forward control to set the reference response and model reference tracking controllers providing disturbance rejection and the position error signals for self-sensing control. Since Two-Degree-of-Freedom control is a model based control scheme the compensation for secondary saliencies is inherently included in the pre-control. It is shown analytically that in case of test current instead of voltage injection just the precise knowledge of the current and position dependent inductance mqdHF is needed in case of inductance saliency based sensorless control. The effectiveness of the proposed method is proven by experimental results.
The management of Bhawal National Park, Bangladesh by the local community for resource protection and ecotourism

Local community participation in ecotourism activities and resource protection and in protected areas can be pursued through collaborative management At present, the natural resources of the park are degrading due to indiscriminate use by the locals and visitors mainly in the form of encroachment and tourism incompatible activities. The local community was left out in decision making process where the core problem still not addressed. This study investigates the problems that affected natural resources and local community involvement in management to mitigate such problem. A survey was conducted in Bhawal National Park (BNP), Bangladesh in December 2006 to February 2007 involved 215 respondents comprising of personnel of the National Park and local community. The respondents include nature guides, food and transportation providers. It is administered by using structured interview questionnaires to elicit opinions from the respondents based on convenient sampling technique. Various statistical analysis namely Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA), Descriptive statistics, Chi-square (χ²), Mann-Whitney test and Kruskal-Wallis test (non-parametric) were used for data analysis. Results showed that the relationship between the local community and park administration is not significant where their participation in the management is minimal. In overall the study provides the premises where the local community supported their participation in the decision making process and participate in management for a better stewardship of the park.
Minimum flying capacitor for N-level capacitor DC/DC boost converter

This paper proposes a Flying Capacitor DC/DC Boost Converter (FCBC) with a small capacitance of the flying capacitor. As a result the size and weight of the proposed converter can be reduced. The capacitance of the flying capacitor is designed based on switching device voltage rating and regardless of the output voltage ripple influences. Moreover, the achieved maximum efficiency of the designed 3-level FCBC is 98.5% at the output power of 1 kW. Finally, the effectiveness of small capacitances of the flying capacitor in the 3-level and 5-level FCBCs are investigated. The characteristics of the distorted voltage across an input voltage source and an input inductor and the distorted current to the output side which is an output capacitor and a load are investigated with several capacitances of the flying capacitors for 3-level and 5-level FCBCs. As a result, it is experimentally confirmed that the distortion of the voltage across the input voltage source and the input inductor is drastically reduced by increasing the number of level. On the other hand, the distortion of the current to the output side which is the output capacitor and the load is almost same even the number of level is increased. Therefore, the experimental results show that small capacitance of the flying capacitor can be used in the n-level FCBC.
Importance of Arterial Conduit Function Assessment in Chronic Congestive Heart Failure: Predictors of True Circulatory Decompensation for Optimal Timing of Mechanical Circulatory Support

Circulatory failure with no reaction to medical treatment requires urgent mechanical circulatory support to save the patient’s life and to open up the way for broader medical options. When ventricular assist devices (VAD) must be urgently implanted in patients suffering not only from hemodynamic shock but from the disastrous consequences of prolonged hypoperfusinon of vital organs, they are associated with high mortality. Good early and late outcome can be anticipated by the principle “good patient, good outcome. ” In this sense a “good patient” for assist device implantation is one in whom the surgical procedure is undertaken in optimal time and not after the “zone of death” is reached, when the patient is suffering from multiorgan failure. Unfortunately optimal means of prognostic assessment of patients suffering from chronic circulatory failure are lacking. The available clinical guidelines are rather opened as a “road map” for the treatment until the treatment response is blunted and it is necessary to turn to the next step on this road. From our viewpoint it is necessary to distinguish between diagnostic means of helping to assess or even predict the transition from chronic compensated to acutely decompensated heart failure and the assessment of various factors as predictors of mortality. In other words acute precipitants such as rising left ventricular filling pressure, pulmonary rales etc. and physical signs[1] of congestive heart failure or even precipitants reflecting the conversion from a chronic compensated to a decompensated pathophysiological state do not necessarily help to set the indication for assist device implantation. These established factors today still lack reliability. The decompensation which “suddenly appears easy to treat” indicates that even acute worsening of chronic heart failure can be managed successfully by medical means. The important issue is to predict the risk of “true decompensation” (decompensation resistant to conventional treatment). The assessment of such factors is very valuable for estimating the optimal time-point for the implantation of mechanical circulatory support. Finding the optimal time also means that univentricular (usually left ventricular) support
Electronic and photocatalytic properties of transition metal decorated molybdenum disulfide

This thesis is dedicated to realizations and physical understanding of electronic and photocatalytic properties after decorating transition metals to the semiconducting molybdenum disulfide. Synthesized via facile wet chemical methods, the MoS2-Au, MoS2-Au-Ni and MoS2-Ag-Ni composites were formed as binary or ternary compounds. The Au nanoparticles are stably joined to the MoS2 matrix without deteriorating layered structures of the host. After introducing the Au nanoglue as a common buffer, a metallic contact is reached between Ni and MoS2, and attributed to new electron migration channel via MoS2 edge contact. Adapting the Ag as the buffer element can attach the Ni to the basal plane of the MoS2 beside edge contact. The NiAg-MoS2 composite effectively splits water under visible light irradiation and produce hydrogen. The excellent photocatalytic activity is attributed to effective charge migration through dangling bonds at the MoS2-Ag-Ni alloy interface and the activation of MoS2 basal planes.
Kinematic Analysis of a 5-DOF Upper-Limb Exoskeleton With a Tilted and Vertically Translating Shoulder Joint

In this paper, an upper-limb exoskeleton with a tilted and vertically movable shoulder joint is proposed. By analyzing the biomechanics of the shoulder, the upper limb for the shoulder and the elbow was approximated to five degrees of freedom (DOFs) by including the vertical translation of the glenohumeral joint of the shoulder, in addition to the 3 DOFs of the shoulder and 1 DOF of the elbow, which are conventionally used to analyze the motion of the shoulder. The shoulder joint was tilted to avoid singularity problems in the workspace, i.e., by tilting the shoulder joint, the singularity position was placed outside of the normal range of motion. This configuration was analyzed using forward and inverse kinematics methods. Because the shoulder elevation affects all of the joint angles, the angles were calculated by applying an inverse kinematics method in an iterative manner. The performance of the proposed upper-limb exoskeleton and analysis methods was verified by simulations and experiments.
African Natural Products with Potential Anti-trypanosomal Properties: A Review

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Africa is considered to be the cradle of mankind with a rich biological and cultural diversity marked regional difference in healing practices. Natural product of Africa represents a constant interest as sources of health remedies, nutrition and cosmetic formulations. African trypanosomiasis is one of the neglected tropical diseases caused by fly-borne protozoa known as trypanosomes that affect both human and livestock with devastating consequences. Chemotherapy of African trypanosomiasis is unsatisfactory for various reasons including unacceptable toxicity, poor efficacy, undesirable route of administration and drug Review Article Bashir et al.; IJBcRR, 7(2): 45-79, 2015; Article no.IJBcRR. 2015.056 46 resistance. In this regards, the last few decades have witnessed a surfeit of investigations which have been geared to investigate the effect of common traditionally-used medicinal plants/insect in alleviating the cellular changes produced during trypanosome infection. Major Objective: This review presents the profiles of African natural product (plants and insect) with anti-trypanosomal properties, reported in the literature. Methodology: Literature was collected from published articles (through electronic search), thesis, Proceedings as well as book of abstract that report on the in vitro or in vivo anti-trypanosomal activity of plants, insects and their products. Results: A total of 215 plants pecies from 82 families were found. While two herbal formulation and three insect/there product were reviewed for invivo anti-trypanosomal activity Furthermore, some of the plants were investigated for possible ameliorative effects on the trypanosome-induced pathological changes. Phytochemistry studies of the anti-trypanosomal plants led to the isolation of 96 specific bioactive anti-trypanosomal compounds from different parts of the plants Conclusion: It is clear that these reviews provide strong evidence of the potential beneficial effects of phytotherapy in the traditional management of trypanosomiasis, which could be subsequently developed into a cost effective alternative medicine to complement treatment of trypanosomiasis.
On Limits

SFI WORKING PAPER: 1994-10-056 SFI Working Papers contain accounts of scientific work of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the Santa Fe Institute. We accept papers intended for publication in peer-reviewed journals or proceedings volumes, but not papers that have already appeared in print. Except for papers by our external faculty, papers must be based on work done at SFI, inspired by an invited visit to or collaboration at SFI, or funded by an SFI grant. ©NOTICE: This working paper is included by permission of the contributing author(s) as a means to ensure timely distribution of the scholarly and technical work on a non-commercial basis. Copyright and all rights therein are maintained by the author(s). It is understood that all persons copying this information will adhere to the terms and constraints invoked by each author's copyright. These works may be reposted only with the explicit permission of the copyright holder. www.santafe. edu
On achievable rate regions for the Gaussian interference channel

This paper analyzes achievable rate regions for the Gaussian IFC (interference channel). The achievable rate region is based on reducing one user's transmit power to a point such that its message is decodeable to both receivers. The second receiver then does interference reduction. The main point of the paper is that the time-sharing of Sato's region exceeds the convex closure of a sub-region of Han and Kobayashi for symmetric interference channel under moderate interference, and also the achievable rate region by TDM/ FDM. It follows that on degraded Gaussian IFC, the sum-capacity is achieved with the stronger user transmitting at its maximum rate (ignoring the interference), while the weaker user treats the stronger user as interference. For a one-sided Gaussian IFC with weak or moderate interference, the sum-capacity is achieved if the transmitter, which is not interfered sends its data at the maximal achievable rate of a single-user, and the second transmitter sends its data at the maximal possible rate where the interfering signal is treated as an additive Gaussian noise. We show that the sum-capacity of a one-sided Gaussian IFC implies the upper bound on the sum-capacity of a two-user Gaussian IFC.
Anti-Obesity Effects of Androgens, Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and Testosterone

Despite considerable research, the relationships between obesity and metabolic disorders have yet to be fully understood. Recent evidence has revealed that fat depots, rather than the volume of fat, are essential in determining systemic insulin sensitivity. Adipose tissue is classified into visceral adipose tissue, including epididymal, mesenteric and perirenal fat, and subcutaneous adipose tissue according to its anatomical location. Increases in visceral adipose tissue are considered to be linked to insulin resistance [1, 2]. Especially, mesenteric fat is postulated to relate more closely to metabolic disorders, as mesenteric fat secretes free fatty acids and other substances directly into the portal vein [3]. Although the mechanisms regulating fat distribu‐ tion remain obscure, sex hormones are unquestionably one of the determinants.
Core Capacity Region of Portable Wireless Networks

We analyze the core capacity region of portable wireless networks under a concave utility model for a heterogeneous collection of asynchronous applications such as email and file transfers. We prove that the core capacity region is non-empty under the concave utility model. We show that there is no relaying among portable users in the core capacity region under the many-to-one traffic model for a single type of traffic. However, heterogeneous traffic induces cooperation when the channel conditions are matched to the type of traffic delivered. We demonstrate that each node can increase its utility by allocating its energy across different portable network configurations. The results motivate the use of energy-limited relays in next-generation wireless LAN systems.
Investigation of a Five-Phase E-Core Hybrid-Excitation Flux-Switching Machine for EV and HEV Applications

In this paper, to improve flux-regulation and constant-power speed range, a 10-stator-pole/18-rotor-pole five-phase hybrid-excitation flux-switching (HEFS) machine with “E”-core stator cell is proposed and analyzed. The topology and operation principle are investigated first. Then, the different armature winding connection methods are evaluated to reduce the total harmonic distortions of phase permanent magnet (PM) flux linkages. Furthermore, based on a simplified magnetic circuit, the analytical power-sizing equations are derived to determine the main design dimensions and parameters of E-core HEFS machines with given performance specifications. The electromagnetic performance, including the conventional static characteristics, such as phase PM flux, back electro-motive-force, cogging torque, electromagnetic torque, and flux-regulation capability, is analyzed by means of two-dimensional (2-D) and 3-D finite-element analysis to take end effect into account. The predicted results indicate that the proposed five-phase E-core HEFS machine exhibits improved flux-regulation capacity and wide range of speed regulation. The performances of HEFS machine are verified by experimental results on a prototype machine. Therefore, the HEFS machine is a promising candidate for electric vehicle and hybrid electric vehicle applications especially for direct-driven systems where the wide range of speed regulation and high-efficiency performance are crucial.
A Regenerative Variable Optical Buffer for NRZ and RZ Packets

We demonstrate a regenerative variable optical buffer suitable for both non-return-to-zero and return-to-zero intensity-modulated packets. The buffer is based on a re-circulating fiber loop that exploits a regenerative amplification stage based on cross-gain-compression in a semiconductor optical amplifier. This buffer does not suffer from any transient effect at the packets' edges, and due to its working principle, can be used for packets of different length. We report experimental results showing the buffering operation of 1-s long 10-Gbps packets up to 100 circulations (making possible a maximum buffering time of 130 s) with a bit error rate showing 0.5 dB power penalty every 10 rounds. The case of the buffering of noisy packets is also investigated. We find that because of the regenerative feature of the amplification stage, packets with different input noise levels show a similar quality at the output. In particular, signal regeneration is possible up to certain buffering times and depends on the input noise values.
A Technical Note : The Single-Period Stochastic-Demand Inventory Model under Human Learning

We consider the inventory model under the environment of the worker learning, single period, and stochastic demand with the research objective of proposing the cost-minimization order policy. Our work differs from the classical Newsvendor Model in that we incorporate the human factor (specifically worker learning) and its influence over the costs of processing units into the model. We found a number of important characteristics related to the expected cost function and its derivatives; we then used them in formulating the optimal ordering policy. Our research results could be helpful for the analysis of the supply chain coordination and the extension of a periodic review inventory system for similar problems.
Low Voltage CMOS Fully Differential Current Feedback Amplifier with Controllable 3-dB Bandwidth

This paper presents a CMOS fully differential current feedback operational amplifier with controllable 3-dB bandwidth. The FDCFOA has the advantage of a wide range controllable 3-dB bandwidth (~57 MHz to 500 MHz) without changing the feedback resistance. The FDCFOA has a standby current of 320 ¿A. PSpice simulations of the FDCFOA block were given using 0.25 ¿m CMOS technology from AMI MOSIS and dual supply voltages ±0.75 V.