Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adaptive control of a PFC batteries charger

This paper develops the design of a batteries charger. This charger works as power factor correction and delivers a DC voltage to the battery. To this, a bridgeless boost topology is used, this and the battery are modeled and then, an adaptive control strategy is developed. This have into account the battery changes to tune the controller and keep sinusoidal the input current and keep it in phase with the main. Furthermore, the output voltage is controlled to a constant value with a suitable ripple to charge the battery. The outcomes of the simulation of this development are presented, where the average total harmonic distortion and power factor were 4.78 % and 0.9877 respectively. Finally, the conclusions are presented.
Spectroscopic identification of individual fluorophores using photoluminescence excitation spectra

The identity of a fluorophore can be ambiguous if other fluorophores or nonspecific fluorescent impurities have overlapping emission spectra. The presence of overlapping spectra makes it difficult to differentiate fluorescent species using discrete detection channels and unmixing of spectra. The unique absorption and emission signatures of fluorophores provide an opportunity for spectroscopic identification. However, absorption spectroscopy may be affected by scattering, whereas fluorescence emission spectroscopy suffers from signal loss by gratings or other dispersive optics. Photoluminescence excitation spectra, where excitation is varied and emission is detected at a fixed wavelength, allows hyperspectral imaging with a single emission filter for high signal‐to‐background ratio without any moving optics on the emission side. We report a high throughput method for measuring the photoluminescence excitation spectra of individual fluorophores using a tunable supercontinuum laser and prism‐type total internal reflection fluorescence microscope. We used the system to measure and sort the photoluminescence excitation spectra of individual Alexa dyes, fluorescent nanodiamonds (FNDs), and fluorescent polystyrene beads. We used a Gaussian mixture model with maximum likelihood estimation to objectively separate the spectra. Finally, we spectroscopically identified different species of fluorescent nanodiamonds with overlapping spectra and characterized the heterogeneity of fluorescent nanodiamonds of varying size.
A Special Fondness for Lactobacilli

John B. S. Haldane (1892-1964), noted British geneticist, physiologist, and popularizer of science, established new paths of research in population genetics and evolution. Emphasizing the immensity of the Milky Way in the night sky and the fact that there were 400,000 species of beetles but only 8,
Automating Test Case Selection in Model-Based Software Product Line Development

We address the problem of how to select test cases for products in a controlled model-based software product line development process. CVL, the common variability language, gives a framework for materialisation of product models from a given base model, variability model and resolution model. From such product models, software products can be derived. In practise, test case development for the product line often is independent from the product development. Therefore, the problem arises which test cases can be applied to which products. In particular, the question is whether a test case for one specific product can be also used for a “similar” product. In this paper, we show how the expected outcome of a test case to a product in a model-based software product line development can be determined. That is, we give a procedure for assigning the outcome of a given test case on an arbitrary member of a software product line. We recall the relevant definitions for software product line engineering, describe our approach, and demonstrate it with the example of a product line of super-automatic espresso machines.
Synthesis of Maximum-Efficiency Beam Arrays via Convex Programming and Compressive Sensing

The power synthesis of maximally sparse arrays such to maximize the beam efficiency over a target region <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\Omega $</tex-math></inline-formula> is addressed. In particular, <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\Omega $</tex-math></inline-formula> is the unique input parameter of the proposed design procedure, and once it has been fixed, the approach allows identifying the minimum number of elements required to achieve inside it a beam efficiency close to the theoretical maximum. The problem is cast as a convex programming one that exploits at best the compressive sensing theory. Comparisons to state-of-the-art methods are provided.
Excitonic and free-carrier polarizations of bulk GaAs studied by femtosecond coherent spectroscopy.

The transient third-order polarization at the band gap of undoped and p-doped GaAs is investigated by spectrally and temporally resolved four-wave mixing. Excitonic and free-carrier contributions simultaneously excited within the bandwidth of the 100-fs pulses are clearly distinguished by their different spectral envelopes. The excitonic part dominates at carrier densities below ${10}^{16}$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}3}$ and shows a time evolution governed by exciton--free-carrier scattering and by many-body effects. At higher density, the free-carrier polarization has a strength similar to the exciton contribution and exhibits a spectrum resonant to the femtosecond pulses with a photon-echo-like temporal behavior. The data are analyzed by a numerical solution of the semiconductor Bloch equations including an ensemble Monte Carlo simulation of the scattering dynamics of the carriers. The theoretical model is in good agreement with the experimental results.
trkB, a novel tyrosine protein kinase receptor expressed during mouse neural development.

We have isolated a novel member of the tyrosine protein kinase family of cell surface receptors. This gene, designated trkB, is highly related to the human trk proto‐oncogene. At the amino acid level, their respective products share a 57% homology in their extracellular regions including 9 of the 11 cysteines present in the trk proto‐oncogene. This homology increases to 88% within their respective tyrosine kinase catalytic domains. Both trk and trkB are equally distantly related to the other members of this gene family of receptors. A biologically active cDNA clone of trkB can direct the synthesis of gp145trkB, a glycoprotein of 145 kd of which only 93 kd correspond to its polypeptide backbone. In adult mice, trkB is preferentially expressed in brain tissue, although significant levels of trkB RNA have also been observed in lung, muscle and ovaries. In addition, trkB transcripts can be detected in mid and late gestation embryos. The trkB locus exhibits a complex pattern of transcription. At least seven RNA species ranging in size from approximately 9 kb to 2 kb have been identified in brain. However, only a subset of these transcripts appears to be expressed in the other tissues. In situ hybridization analysis of 14 and 18 day old mouse embryos indicates that trkB transcripts are localized in the central (CNS) and peripheral (PNS) nervous systems, including brain, spinal cord, spinal and cranial ganglia, paravertebral trunk of the sympathetic nervous system and various innervation pathways. These results suggest that trkB may code for a novel cell surface receptor involved in neurogenesis.
The Gap between Free Market and Social Optimum in the Location Decision of Economic Activity

This article presents a simplified model for comparison of the spatial distribution (core—periphery) of economic activity resulting from free market conditions, with the distribution that would lead to a social optimum. It further examines the public policy measures required to lead the economy towards the optimal distribution. Simulations are conducted to illustrate the mechanism of intervention of public policy and to test the feasibility of various measures. An important conclusion is that public investment in the creation of competitive ability in the periphery may provide the solution to market failure and therefore lead to the achievement of a social optimum greater than the free market optimum. Another preliminary conclusion is that public policy should consider a combination of measures (such as improving both regional infrastructure and the quality of the labour force), since focusing on a single measure may not be sufficient to achieve a social optimum.
Supply-Noise Interactions Among Submodules Inside a Charge-Pump PLL

Behavioral models are necessary to shorten the design turn-around time of phase-locked loops (PLLs). For general cases in a system-on-chip, the PLL can resist the supply noise from other modules by a low-dropout regulator. Therefore, interactions among the supply ports of PLL submodules play a much more important part in the overall noise performance. In this brief, we propose a time-domain charge-pump PLL model including supply-noise interactions inside PLL. Described by Verilog-A, the behavioral results are compared with the simulated results of transistor circuits. It can be seen that the proposed model has reduced the simulation time to about 1.7% when compared with transistor-level simulating by SpectreRF. Under a nonideal power grid, our model can improve the jitter simulation accuracy when compared with the conventional model, e.g., simulated jitter error is lowered by 52.6% under a power grid with 8-Ω power-line segment and 1-pF decoupling capacitance.
The Possibilities and Limitations of Teaching Through Multi User Virtual Environments

The use of computers has grown immensely in the last decades and the possibility to teach through them has grown as well. Various computer applications, games and forums have been created as tools of teaching and learning. This research project contains a summary of various works created within the E-learning area and their results. The virtual world Second Life is tested and some of the research in the literature review will be visited and examined. The research focuses on the feasibility to create scenarios for nursing students to practice patient care and handling, in addition to collaborative qualities that online virtual worlds offer. The conclusion taken from this research is that the possibilities far outweigh the limitations and that learning through virtual worlds should be further explored and developed.
Impact studies in continuing education for health professions: Update

Introduction: This article critiques the questions asked and methods used in research syntheses in continuing education (CE) in the health professions, summarizes the findings of the syntheses, and makes recommendations for future CE research and practice. Methods: We identified 15 research syntheses published after 1993 in which primary CE studies were reviewed and the performance (behavior) of health professionals and/or patient health outcomes were examined. Results: The syntheses were categorized by the research questions they asked using a wave metaphor. Wave One (n = 3) syntheses sought to establish a general descriptive causal connection between CE and impact variables, asking. “Is CE effective, and for what outcomes? ” Wave Two syntheses (n = 12) sought to explain the relationship between CE and impacts by identifying causal moderators, asking, “What kinds of CE are effective? ” Discussion: Wave One findings confirm previous research that CE can improve knowledge, skills, attitudes, behavior, and patient health outcomes. Wave Two syntheses show that CE, which is ongoing, interactive, contextually relevant, and based on needs assessment, can improve knowledge, skills, attitudes, behavior, and health care outcomes. The most important implication of the present review is that there are differential impacts of CE programs, and the reasons for those impacts cannot be fully understood unless the context of the program is considered.
Effect of stress on the voluntary intake of a sweetened ethanol solution in pair-housed adolescent and adult rats.

BACKGROUND Data regarding the effects of stressors on ethanol intake are mixed. Previous experiments reporting greater voluntary intake of ethanol in adolescent than adult rats have examined intake in isolate-housed animals. Given that the stress of isolate housing may differ ontogenetically as well as confound interpretation of other stressor effects, the present study examined stressor/ethanol interactions among pair-housed adolescent and adult rats. METHODS Sprague-Dawley male rats were implanted with identification tags that allowed individual monitoring of home cage intake of water and either a 10% (v/v) ethanol solution containing 0.1% (w/v) saccharin or saccharin alone over a 14-day access period. Animals were given zero, one, or eight daily 15-min footshock sessions, with shock-induced freezing and pre-, post-, and recovery corticosterone levels determined on the first and last footshock exposure days. After the access period, withdrawal was assessed with a plus maze, and tolerance to ethanol-induced loss of righting reflex was examined. RESULTS Nonstressed adolescents drank considerably more sweetened ethanol than did adults, with chronic stress suppressing this adolescent consumption. Ethanol access in adolescents disrupted within-session adaptation to footshock in terms of freezing behavior, although no such disruption was evident at either age when indexed hormonally. Despite relatively high ethanol intakes (up to 6 g/kg/day in the adolescents), no evidence for withdrawal-associated anxiogenesis emerged. Evidence for tolerance was mixed and, to the extent that it was present, was metabolic in nature. CONCLUSIONS Previous reports of heightened voluntary ethanol intake among adolescent rats are not a function of isolate stress but are evident in pair-housed animals. Adolescents were more sensitive to ethanol/stress interactions than were adults, with the elevated ethanol intake of pair-housed adolescents selectively disrupted by chronic stress, a stress-induced disruption not evident in adults. Likewise, ethanol disrupted behavioral adaptation to the footshock stressor among adolescents but not adults.
Tutorial on Using Regression Models with Count Outcomes Using R.

Education researchers often study count variables, such as times a student reached a goal, discipline referrals, and absences. Most researchers that study these variables use typical regression methods (i.e., ordinary least-squares) either with or without transforming the count variables. In either case, using typical regression for count data can produce parameter estimates that are biased, thus diminishing any inferences made from such data. As count-variable regression models are seldom taught in training programs, we present a tutorial to help educational researchers use such methods in their own research. We demonstrate analyzing and interpreting count data using Poisson, negative binomial, zero-inflated Poisson, and zero-inflated negative binomial regression models. The count regression methods are introduced through an example using the number of times students skipped class. The data for this example are freely available and the R syntax used run the example analyses are included in the Appendix. Count variables such as number of times a student reached a goal, discipline referrals, and absences are ubiquitous in school settings. After a review of published single-case design studies Shadish and Sullivan (2011) recently concluded that nearly all outcome variables were some form of a count. Yet, most analyses they reviewed used traditional data analysis methods designed for normally-distributed continuous data.
Dead time effect in two-level space vector PWM voltage source inverters with large current ripple

The analysis of the effect of dead time in a PWM inverter is important to realize its impact on the low frequency harmonics in the inverter and for appropriate dead time compensator design. This paper analyzes the dead-time effect in space-vector PWM (SVM) inverters considering various SVM schemes that include some non-conventional SVMs and even hybrid SVMs. Also, the effect of the current zero-crossing zone in applications with large current ripple is considered in the analysis and it has been found that this inclusion is important. Experimental results are presented that agree with the analysis.
Virtual Inhibitory Quotient Predicts Response to Ritonavir Boosting of Indinavir-Based Therapy in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Patients with Ongoing Viremia

ABSTRACT Depending on the degree of underlying resistance present, optimization of the pharmacokinetics of protease inhibitors may result in improved virologic suppression. Thirty-seven human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected subjects who had chronic detectable viremia and who were receiving 800 mg of indinavir three times a day (TID) were switched to 400 mg of indinavir BID with 400 mg of ritonavir two times a day (BID) for 48 weeks. Full pharmacokinetic evaluations were obtained for 12 subjects before the switch and 3 weeks after the switch. Combination therapy increased the indinavir predose concentrations in plasma by 6.47-fold, increased the minimum concentration in serum by 3.41-fold, and reduced the maximum concentration in serum by 57% without significantly changing the area under the plasma concentration-time curve at 24 h. At week 3, 58% (21 of 36) of the subjects for whom postbaseline measurements were available achieved a viral load in plasma of <50 copies/ml or a reduction from the baseline load of ≥0.5 log10 copies/ml. Of these subjects, 82% (14 of 17) whose viruses had three or fewer protease inhibitor mutations and 88% (14 of 16) whose viruses had an indinavir virtual phenotypic susceptibility test of more than sixfold less than that for the baseline isolate were considered virologic responders. The indinavir virtual inhibitory quotient, which is a function of baseline indinavir phenotypic resistance (estimated by virtual phenotype) and the indinavir predose concentration in plasma achieved with indinavir-ritonavir combination therapy, was the best predictor of a viral load reduction. Sixteen subjects discontinued the study by week 48 due to adverse events, predominantly related to hyperlipidemia. Pharmacokinetic intensification of indinavir-based therapy with ritonavir reduced the viral loads in subjects but added toxicity. The virtual inhibitory quotient, which incorporates both baseline viral resistance and the level of drug exposure in plasma, was superior to either baseline resistance or drug exposure alone in predicting the virologic response.
Understanding disability

department of rheumatology at the University of Leiden have contributed to our understanding of the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of specific rehabilitation interventions 2 and the provision of comprehensive care for patients with rheumatoid arthritis. 4 4a The most recent study by van den Hout et al, published in this issue of the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, found that compared with inpatient and day patient team care, clinical nurse specialist care provides equivalent quality of life and utility, at lower costs. This result challenges the current but largely unproven assumption that multidisciplinary team care is both necessary and superior. The objective of this editorial is to discuss some conceptual and methodological issues relevant to the interpretation of this result and to draw some conclusions for the design of future studies examining the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of multidisciplinary care.
Color Texture Histograms for Natural Images Interpretation

This paper presents a recognition method for natural images based on color texture histograms in the context of image interpretation and scene modeling. A color histogram of sums and differences is proposed to obtain texture features which are faster to compute than correlograms ( i.e., colored version of co-occurrence matrices) and improving substantially object recognition. Outdoor natural images are generally affected by color casting artifacts which can affect object recognition. Therefore, an on-line color balancing algorithm based on chromatic adaptation models, eliminates these color deviations. The proposed approach globally involves functions as color segmentation, histogram texture analysis and a region recognition step. Our approach has been extensively tested and validated to obtain an accurate 2D scene interpretation from natural images. This technique may be used in robot navigation by identifying navigable regions ( e.g., roads or fairly flat surfaces) on natural scenes, scene modeling and image categorization.
Metamaterial inspired multiband slotted antenna for application in IOT band

This paper proposes a compact microstrip patch metamaterial inspired antenna having FR4 epoxy substrate with split ring resonator loaded ground plane. Return loss is improved by introducing split ring resonator on the ground plane. The substrate has dielectric constant of 4.4 having dimensions 30×34×1.6 mm3. The impedance bandwidth of 100MHZ (returnloss<−10db) spanning from 5.7GHz to 5.9GHz that covers IOT band applications is obtained. The proposed antenna has a good radiation pattern, low return loss of −32db,VSWR of 1.264 at resonance frequency of 5.8GHz.
Lipids and lipoprotein subfractions in women with PCOS: relationship to metabolic and endocrine parameters

OBJECTIVE Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) exhibit an abnormal lipoprotein profile, characterized by raised concentrations of plasma triglyceride, marginally elevated low density lipoprotein (LDL)‐cholesterol, and reduced high density lipoprotein (HDL)‐cholesterol. However, a normal LDL‐cholesterol level may be misleading since LDL exists as subpopulations of particles differing in size and atherogenic potential. Smaller LDL particles are more atherogenic and high concentrations often occur in association with elevated circulating triglyceride concentrations (but frequently normal total LDL‐cholesterol), increased hepatic lipase activity (HL) and insulin resistance. Information on LDL subclasses and HL activity in women with PCOS is sparse. The aim of this study was to determine the concentrations of small, dense LDL (LDL‐III) in women with PCOS relative to body mass index (BMI)‐matched controls. We also examined the association of lipoprotein subfraction concentrations with endogenous sex hormone concentrations, since existing literature suggested that androgens up‐regulate and oestrogens down‐regulate HL activity, a key determinant of LDL subfraction distribution.
On the spectrum discreteness of the quantum graph Hamiltonian with δ-coupling

The condition on the potential ensuring the discreteness of the spectrum of infinite quantum graph Hamiltonian is considered. The corresponding necessary and sufficient condition was obtained by Molchanov 50 years ago. In the present paper, the analogous condition is obtained for a quantum graph. A quantum graph with infinite leads (edges) or/and infinite chains of vertices such that neighbor ones are connected by finite number of edges and with δ-type conditions at the graph vertices is suggested. The Molchanov-type theorem for the quantum graph Hamiltonian spectrum discreteness is proved.
Comparative Study of Various Mac Protocols for Wireless Sensor Networks

The wireless sensor network (WSN) was primarily developed as a military application to survey a battlefield. However, now a WSN is commonly used in many other industrial and commercial applications to monitor environmental conditions, health care applications and traffic controls. There are many different kinds of wireless sensor networks, however; they all normally come equipped with a radio transceiver or a wireless communication device or a power source. In this paper, we describe several MAC protocols proposed for sensor networks emphasizing their strengths and weaknesses.