Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Photovoltaic system based transient mitigation and frequency regulation

New grid codes demand contribution by Distributed Generation like photovoltaics, wind power and the like in frequency regulation. In this paper, contribution of a battery connected to standard nine bus system to provide primary control is studied. A photovoltaic system is simulated in which rather than using battery along with PV as is conventionally done, deloaded PVs are used to enhance the frequency regulation capability of the systems. Photovoltaic system is to operate at a point away from Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT). The case of frequency response under deloaded operation with frequency regulation is compared with the case when the photovoltaics are working at their MPPT point and thereby not contributing to frequency regulation. A microgrid with a conventional synchronous machine and six photovoltaic generators is considered for the simulation.
Chemotactic peptide receptor‐cytoskeletal interactions and functional correlations in differentiated HL‐60 cells and human polymorphonuclear leukocytes

We studied the chemotactic peptide receptor/cytoskeletal interactions in HL‐60 cells induced to differentiate with different agents and attempted to correlate these observations with the acquisition of different functional responses. Dibutyryl cyclic AMP‐treated cells showed rapid superoxide anion production in response to N‐formyl‐methionyl‐leucyl‐phenylalanine (FMLP) and slow, sustained response to phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). Retinoic acid‐induced cells showed a slow, sustained response to both FMLP and PMA. Interferon‐γ‐treated cells produced no superoxide anion on stimulation with FMLP, whereas tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐treated cells showed a slight response. Chemotactic peptide receptor association was the same in the HL‐60 cells treated with different agents, despite marked differences in the superoxide anion generation and actin polymerization responses to FMLP and PMA in these cells. In mature neutrophils chemotactic peptide receptor association with the cytoskeleton was not affected by either pertussis or cholera toxin. However, both toxins inhibited FMLP‐induced actin polymerization and superoxide anion generation. This suggested involvement of a G‐protein similar to Gt, rather than Gi or Gs. Neither toxin had any effect on PMA‐induced superoxide anion generation. These observations indicate that receptor association with the cytoskeleton may not have a significant role in affecting signal recognition and response. Among the several possible roles suggested, clearance of the occupied receptors may be the most important role of the cytoskeletal association. HL‐60 cells induced to differentiate with different agents (because of their varied functional responses) might prove very useful in dissecting the molecular mechanisms regulating stimulus‐induced activation of neutrophils.
The Monetary and Financial Powers of States: Theory, Dataset, and Observations on the Trajectory of American Dominance

ABSTRACT This project transforms international financial statistics into a form useful for global political analysis. The authors first theorise four distinct faces of a sovereign state's monetary and financial power resources: its international Creditor, Network, Currency, and Governance Capabilities. Each of these capabilities implies resources that incumbent political leaders potentially may employ to persuade, induce, or coerce others in pursuit of their larger foreign policy goals. They thus provide the means of international financial statecraft. The paper next summarises a new dataset, the Global Monetary and Financial Profiles of States (GMFPS), which creates measures for each of these concepts. Covering 180 countries from 1995–2013, the GMFPS dataset reports each state's annual shares of global totals for 25 indicators and 5 composites, each corresponding to a national financial characteristic that leaders may choose to manipulate politically – albeit not without paying some costs, economic and/or political. The paper concludes with an initial analysis of global trends, which tend to confirm the slow relative decline of the reigning financial hegemon, the United States. The data also provide suggestive evidence of a typical financial life-cycle for major states, although one that is voluntaristic, not inevitable.
Variation in genome size and karyotype among closely related aphid parasitoids (Hymenoptera, Aphelinidae)

Abstract Genome sizes were measured and determined for the karyotypes of nine species of aphid parasitoids in the genus Aphelinus Dalman,1820. Large differences in genome size and karyotype were found between Aphelinus species, which is surprising given the similarity in their morphology and life history. Genome sizes estimated from flow cytometry were larger for species in the Aphelinus mali (Haldeman, 1851) complex than those for the species in the Aphelinus daucicola Kurdjumov, 1913 and Aphelinus varipes (Förster,1841) complexes. Haploid karyotypes of the Aphelinus daucicola and Aphelinus mali complexes comprised five metacentric chromosomes of similar size, whereas those of the Aphelinus varipes complex had four chromosomes, including a larger and a smaller metacentric chromosome and two small acrocentric chromosomes or a large metacentric and three smaller acrocentric chromosomes. Total lengths of female haploid chromosome sets correlated with genome sizes estimated from flow cytometry. Phylogenetic analysis of karyotypic variation revealed a chromosomal fusion together with pericentric inversions in the common ancestor of the Aphelinus varipes complex and further pericentric inversions in the clade comprising Aphelinus kurdjumovi Mercet, 1930 and Aphelinus hordei Kurdjumov, 1913. Fluorescence in situ hybridization with a 28S ribosomal DNA probe revealed a single site on chromosomes of the haploid karyotype of Aphelinus coreae Hopper & Woolley, 2012. The differences in genome size and total chromosome length between species complexes matched the phylogenetic divergence between them.
Routine chest radiography for the evaluation of febrile neutropenic patients after autologous stem cell transplantation

Chest radiographs are routinely obtained for diagnostic evaluation of neutropenic febrile patients. We investigated the frequency of chest radiographic abnormalities during febrile episodes after autologous PBSC transplants and assessed the relationship of these abnormalities to past history of pulmonary disease, pre‐transplant chest radiographic abnormalities, and pulmonary signs or symptoms at time of fever. We also studied the impact of chest radiographic findings on patient management. Sixty‐one consecutive adult autologous PBSC transplant recipients were studied. Fifty‐two (85%) developed fever, and 20 (38%) of these showed new chest radiographic abnormalities suggestive of pulmonary infection. Patients with pre‐transplant chest radiographic abnormalities were more likely to develop additional abnormalities with fever post‐transplant. Pulmonary symptoms or signs had low sensitivity or specificity for predicting radiographic abnormalities. Only 40% of patients with pulmonary symptoms or signs had an abnormal chest radiograph. Twenty‐six percent of patients with abnormal chest radiographs had no clinical findings suggestive of pulmonary infection. The identification of chest radiographic abnormality did not change empiric antibiotic treatment in any patient. The role of routine chest radiography for diagnostic evaluation of febrile autologous PBSC transplant patients should be re‐evaluated. Am. J. Hematol. 64:170–174, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Multistage Epilepsy Surgery: Safety, Efficacy, and Utility of a Novel Approach in Pediatric Extratemporal Epilepsy

OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the safety, efficacy, and utility of a novel surgical strategy consisting of multiple (more than two) operative stages performed during the same hospital admission with subdural grid and strip electrodes in selected pediatric extratemporal epilepsy. METHODS:Subdural grid and strip electrodes were used for multistage chronic electroencephalographic monitoring in 15 pediatric patients (age, <19 yr) with refractory localization-related epilepsy and poor surgical prognostic factors. Initial resective surgery and/or multiple subpial transections were performed, followed by further monitoring and additional resection and/or multiple subpial transections. RESULTS:Mean patient age was 9.7 years. Mean duration of total invasive monitoring was 10.5 days (range, 8–14 d). The first monitoring period averaged 6.5 days, and the second averaged 3.9 days. Additional surgery was performed in 13 of 15 patients. Two patients who did not undergo additional surgery had a Class I outcome. Rationales for reinvestigation included incomplete localization, multifocality, and proximity to eloquent cortex. Complications were minimal, including two transfusions. There were no cases of wound infection, cerebral edema, hemorrhage, or major permanent neurological deficit. Minimum duration of follow-up was 31 months. Outcomes were 60% Engel Class I (9 of 15 patients), 27% Class III (4 of 15 patients), and 13% Class IV (2 of 15 patients). CONCLUSION:In a very select group of pediatric patients with poor surgical prognostic factors, the multistage approach can be beneficial. After failed epilepsy surgery, subsequent reoperation with additional intracranial investigation traditionally is used when a single residual focus is suspected. Our results, however, support the contention that multistage epilepsy surgery is safe, effective, and useful in a challenging and select pediatric population with extratemporal medically refractory epilepsy.
Evaluation of three immunoassays for detection of Chlamydia trachomatis in urine specimens from asymptomatic males

The performances of three commercially available immunoassays (Chlamydiazyme/Antibody Blocking Assay [Abbott Diagnostics, Abbott Park, Ill.], IDEIA [Analytab Products, Plainview, N.Y.], and Microtrak EIA [Syva Co. Palo Alto, Calif.]) were evaluated for the detection of Chlamydia trachomatis in urine specimens from asymptomatic males. Assay results were compared with direct specimen immunofluorescence (DFA) analysis of urine sediment (Syva Microtrak; Syva Co.), which was chosen as the study confirmation assay. An overall Chlamydia prevalence of 7% (24 of 340) was found in our study population, with peak incidences occurring in the adolescent (8 of 93 specimens) and young adult (11 of 146 specimens) age groups. Sensitivity and specificity data among the Chlamydiazyme, IDEIA, and Microtrak enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) were determined to be 79.1 and 99%, 91.7 and 98%, and 95.8 and 99%, respectively. The Microtrak EIA and IDEIA products demonstrated sensitivities and specificities equal to or greater than those claimed for urine specimens. The diagnostic accuracies of these assays on asymptomatic subjects, along with the ease of this collection method, suggest a role for these products as screening tools. The sensitivity of the Chlamydiazyme assay was lower than that claimed previously in symptomatic patients, with 5 of 24 positive specimens demonstrating false-negative results. In those cases, centrifugation of the original immunoassay aliquot material and then DFA examination confirmed specimen positivity. Urine immunoassay screening in combination with DFA confirmation (which was chosen because it has antibody epitopic specificity different from that of the primary assay) provides a high degree of diagnostic precision. The use of noninvasive collection methods could result in greater testing compliance among asymptomatic males and, subsequently, could reduce the incidences of both symptomatic and silent chlamydial infections.
3D High‐definition anorectal manometry: Values obtained in asymptomatic volunteers, fecal incontinence and chronic constipation. Results of a prospective multicenter study (NOMAD)

3D‐high definition anorectal manometry (3DARM) may aid the diagnosis of functional anorectal disorders, but data comparing asymptomatic and symptomatic subjects are scarce. We aimed to describe 3DARM values in asymptomatic volunteers and those with fecal incontinence (FI) or chronic constipation (CC), and identify which variables differentiate best these groups.
Human CD56bright and CD56dim Natural Killer Cell Subsets Respond Differentially to Direct Stimulation with Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette‐Guérin

Mycobacterium bovis bacillus Calmette‐Guérin (BCG) is capable of directly stimulating several effector functions of human natural killer (NK) cells in the absence of interleukin‐12 and professional antigen presenting cells. To assess the contribution of two main human NK‐cell subsets (CD56dim and CD56bright) to the overall in vitro NK‐cell response to BCG, peripheral blood mononuclear cells depleted of nylon wool‐adherent cells or purified NK cells were stimulated with live BCG. By combining intranuclear bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) staining and analysis of CD56 marker intensity, statistically higher percentages of BrdU+ cells were found among the CD56bright subset than the CD56dim subset after 6 days of stimulation with BCG. Similarly, evaluation of intracellular interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ) revealed that CD56bright cells were those mainly involved in IFN‐γ production in response to BCG. In contrast, the CD56dim subset contained higher levels of perforin and granzyme A, two key molecules for exocytosis‐mediated cytotoxicity, than the CD56bright subset. Although 16–20‐h stimulation with BCG did not substantially alter the expression of cytotoxic molecules by the two subsets, a decrease in perforin content was observed in the CD56dim, but not in the CD56bright subset, following 4‐h incubation with the NK‐sensitive target K562 cell line. This decrease in perforin content correlated with the induction by BCG‐stimulated NK cells, of early markers of apoptosis on target cells to a greater extent than unstimulated cells suggesting a major role for the CD56dim subset in cytotoxic activity in response to BCG. Taken together, these results demonstrate that CD56bright and CD56dim human NK‐cell subsets exert different functional activities in response to a live bacterial pathogen.
Erosion and Subsequent Transport State of Escherichia coli from Cowpats

ABSTRACT Processes by which fecal bacteria enter overland flow and their transportation state to surface waters are poorly understood, making the effectiveness of measures designed to intercept this pathway, such as vegetated buffer strips, difficult to predict. Freshly made and aged (up to 30 days) cowpats were exposed to simulated rainfall, and samples of the cowpat material and runoff were collected. Escherichia coli in the runoff samples were separated into attached (to particles) and unattached fractions, and the unattached fraction was analyzed to determine if the cells were clumped. Within cowpats, E. coli grew for 6 to 14 days, rather than following a typical logarithmic die-off curve. E. coli numbers in the runoff correlated with numbers inside the cowpat. Most of the E. coli organisms eroded from the cowpats were transported as single cells, and only a small percentage (about 8%) attached to particles. The erosion of E. coli from cowpats and the state in which the cells were transported did not vary with time within a single rainfall event or over time as the cowpats aged and dried out. These findings indicate that cowpats can remain a significant source of E. coli in overland flow for more than 30 days. As well, most of the E. coli organisms eroded from cowpats will occur as readily transportable single cells.
Room Temperature Sensing of Magnetic Fields Using Magnetoelectric Thin Films

We present the design, characterization, and fabrication of a sensing device for measuring low-frequency ac magnetic field variations using a single-phase magnetoelectric (ME) thin film. This ME device is fabricated using SrCo2Ti2Fe8O19 and deposited on a 500-nm-thick Indium Tin Oxide layer. The ME film is then deposited on a silicon substrate using a pulsed laser deposition technique. The device size (volume) is 0.02 cm3, and its overall power consumption is 14W. We also show that this sensing device can be used to detect low ac and dc magnetic fields. In this experiment, we employ a modified Wheatstone bridge circuit as an alternative approach to detect the change in capacitance of the ME film when an external field ${\rm{H}}_{{\rm{ext}}}$ is applied. The circuit uses a combination of an ac input source and a variable capacitor to balance the bridge when the external field is zero. The experimental results demonstrate that the ME device can detect both ac and dc magnetic fields (up to 0.3T) and is particularly sensitive for ac field sensing. Since the ME device employs a single-phase material, it is not only relatively simple to fabricate but also capable of operating at very low voltages and, therefore, suited for planar integration and compatibility with other integrated circuits.
Deaths and injuries due to the earthquake in Armenia: a cohort approach.

BACKGROUND This is the first population-based study of earthquake injuries and deaths that uses a cohort approach to identify factors of high risk. As part of a special project that collected data about the population in the aftermath of the earthquake that hit Northern Armenia on 7 December 1988, employees of the Ministry of Health working in the earthquake zone on 7 December 1988, and their families, were studied as a cohort to assess the short and long term impact of the disaster. The current analysis assesses short term outcomes of injuries and deaths as a direct result of the earthquake. METHODS From an unduplicated list of 9017 employees, it was possible to contact and interview 7016 employees or their families over a period extending from April 1990 to December 1992. The current analysis presents the determinants of 831 deaths and 1454 injuries that resulted directly from the earthquake in our study population of 32,743 people (employees and their families). RESULTS Geographical location, being inside a building during the earthquake, height of the building, and location within the upper floors of the building were risk factors for injury and death in the univariate analyses. However, multivariate analyses, using different models, revealed that being in the Spitak region (odds ratio [OR] = 80.9, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 55.5-118.1) and in the city of Gumri (OR = 30.7, 95% CI: 21.4-44.2) and inside a building at the moment of the earthquake (OR = 10.1, 95% CI: 6.5-15.9) were the strongest predictors for death. Although of smaller magnitude, the same factors had significant OR for injuries. Building height was more important as a factor in predicting death than the location of the individual on various floors of the building except for being on the ground floor of the building which was protective. CONCLUSIONS Considering that most of the high rise buildings destroyed in this earthquake were built using standard techniques, the most effective preventive effort for this disaster would have been appropriate structural approaches prior to the earthquake.
Differential expression of VirB9 and VirB6 during the life cycle of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in human leucocytes is associated with differential binding and avoidance of lysosome pathway

Anaplasma phagocytophilum, an obligate intracellular bacterium, is the aetiologic agent of human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA). A. phagocytophilum virB/D operons encoding type IV secretion system are expressed in cell culture and in the blood of HGA patients. In the present study, their expression across the A. phagocytophilum intracellular developmental cycle was investigated. We found that mRNA levels of both virB9 and virB6 were upregulated during infection of human neutrophils in vitro. The antibody against the recombinant VirB9 protein was prepared and immunogold and immunofluorescence labelling were used to determine the VirB9 protein expression by individual organisms. Majority of A. phagocytophilum spontaneously released from the infected host cells poorly expressed VirB9. At 1 h post infection, VirB9 was not detectable on most bacteria associated with neutrophils. However, VirB9 was strongly expressed by A. phagocytophilum during proliferation in neutrophils. In contrast, with HL‐60 cells, approximately 80% of A. phagocytophilum organisms associated at 1 h post infection expressed VirB9 protein and were colocalized with lysosome‐associated membrane protein‐1 (LAMP‐1), whereas, VirB9‐undetectable bacteria were not colocalized with LAMP‐1. These results indicate developmental regulation of expression of components of type IV secretion system during A. phagocytophilum intracellular life cycle and suggest that bacterial developmental stages influence the nature of binding to the hosts and early avoidance of late endosome‐lysosome pathway.
The PHARAOH procedure execution architecture for autonomous robots or collaborative human-robot teams

As robotic systems grow in complexity and autonomy, the need for effective and intuitive operator interfaces and task programming tools becomes more acute. The operator must be able to preview, verify, adjust, and observe the robot's plans and actions, and make system-level decisions about the appropriate level of shared autonomy-both before and during a mission. Operator interfaces must be usable by non-experts, even in the presence of degraded situational awareness and environmental uncertainty. Indeed, when used in mission-critical domains such as space or other hazardous environments, these tools must engender confidence that tasks will be performed safely and effectively by providing transparency into the robot's decision-making processes. In this paper, we introduce the PHARAOH system for robot operation. PHARAOH integrates the PRIDE electronic procedure software developed by TRACLabs for NASA field operations with the affordance template visual task programming framework developed to command remote robot systems performing manipulation tasks with varying levels of autonomy. Together, these tools enable an operator to define and follow task procedures while providing access to state-of-the-art robot operation tools as necessary. This blending of human and robot capabilities in a well-defined architecture, covering levels of abstraction from teleoperation to autonomous execution, provides enormous flexibility for mission planners and operators, and represents a significant new tool for robot operation in the field.
Indispensable function for embryogenesis, expression and regulation of the nonspecific form of the 5‐aminolevulinate synthase gene in mouse

The first step of heme biosynthesis in animals is catalyzed by 5‐aminolevulinate synthase (ALAS), which controls heme supply in various tissues. To clarify the roles that the nonspecific isoform of ALAS (ALAS‐N) plays in vivo, we prepared a green fluorescent protein (GFP) knock‐in mouse line in which the Alas1 gene (encoding ALAS‐N) is replaced with a gfp gene. We found that mice bearing a homozygous knock‐in allele (Alas1GFP/GFP) were lethal by embryonic day 8.5, demonstrating that ALAS‐N is essential for early embryogenesis. Fluorescence microscopic and flow cytometric analyses of heterozygous mouse (Alas1+/GFP) tissues showed that the Alas1 expression level differs substantially in tissues; Alas1 is highly expressed in testis Leydig cells, exocrine glands (including submandibular and parotid glands), endocrine glands (such as adrenal and thyroid glands) and hematopoietic lineage cells (including neutrophils and eosinophils). Quantitative analyses of GFP mRNA and ALAS‐N mRNA in various tissues of Alas1+/GFP mice suggested that the destabilization of ALAS‐N mRNA was not uniform in the various tissues. These results thus lay bare that elaborate control of the endogenous heme supply operates in various mouse tissues through regulation of the ALAS‐N expression level and that this control is essential for heme homeostasis in animals.