Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
RDFT based control of a 3-phase 4-leg shunt active power filter under unbalanced load and non-ideal mains voltage conditions

In this paper, a control algorithm based on Recursive Discrete Fourier Transform (RDFT) is proposed for 3-phase, 4-leg shunt active power filter (APF) to prevent harmonic currents, compensate reactive power and neutral line current and balance the load currents under unbalanced non-linear load and nonideal mains voltage conditions. The APF is composed of a 4-leg voltage source inverter (VSI) with a common DC-link capacitor and hysteresis band PWM current controller. The control algorithm takes advantage of a computationally efficient RDFT and it is based on extraction of the positive sequence component from the measured current with the Fortescue decomposition. The extraction of the positive sequence component guarantees the accurate computation of current components under both balanced and unbalanced line current conditions. The advantage of the proposed method to the common control techniques of the active filters falls in the fact that the proposed method extracts the harmonic and the fundamental components faster and with more accuracy and has a faster dynamic response. Simulation results indicates that the 4-leg APF with RDFT control algorithm, compensates harmonics and neutral currents and balances load currents under all non-ideal mains voltage conditions adequately.
Factors causing variation in urinary N‐nitrosamine levels in enterocystoplasties

Objective To establish the presence or absence of any diurnal or long‐term variation in N‐nitrosamine levels (which might be important in the development of cancer in enterocystoplasties) in enterocystoplasty urine, and to assess other factors that might alter enterocystoplasty N‐nitrosamine levels.
Re‐innervation of twitch and slow muscle fibres of the frog after crushing the motor nerves.

1. The conduction velocities of individual motor axons innervating twitch and slow muscle fibres of the frog were determined by intracellular recording of junctional potentials elicited by stimulating the motor nerves at two different points. 2. In normal pyriformis muscles twitch and slow fibres were found to be innervated by two distinct populations of motor axons. Twitch fibre axons conducted at 10‐18‐7 m/sec, while the conduction velocities of slow fibre axons ranged from 0‐5 to 5 m/sec (at 7‐9 degrees C). The thresholds for electrical stimulation were significantly lower in the fast than in the slow axons population. 3. Following denervation by crushing the sciatic nerve fast axons which re‐innervated the muscle had lower conduction velocities than normal but could still be identified. These lower conduction velocities were measured proximal to the site of the crush and did not recover over a period of 446 days. 4. Fast motor axons regenerated more quickly than slow axons and re‐innervated twitch as well as slow muscle fibres non‐selectively. About 1 month later slow axons re‐established synaptic contacts with slow (and some twitch) muscle fibres. Simultaneous re‐innervation by fast and slow motor axons was occasionally observed in slow muscle fibres. Finally, the slow muscle fibres were innervated by slow axons only, while synapses of fast axons could no longer be found in this type of muscle fibre. 5. Action potentials were observed in denervated as well as in re‐innervated slow muscle fibres; they disappeared as re‐innervation progressed. 6. It is concluded that non‐selective re‐innervation of slow muscle fibres is present in the frog; it is, however, a transient phenomenon followed by restoration of the original innervation pattern.
Essential role of DivIVA in polar growth and morphogenesis in Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2)

Streptomycetes grow by cell wall extension at hyphal tips. The molecular basis for such polar growth in prokaryotes is largely unknown. It is reported here that DivIVASC, the Streptomyces coelicolor homologue of the Bacillus subtilis protein DivIVA, is essential and directly involved in hyphal tip growth and morphogenesis. A DivIVASC‐EGFP hybrid was distinctively localized to hyphal tips and lateral branches. Reduction of divIVASC expression to about 10% of the normal level produced a phenotype strikingly similar to that of many tip growth mutants in fungi, including irregular curly hyphae and apical branching. Overexpression of the gene dramatically perturbed determination of cell shape at the growing tips. Furthermore, staining of nascent peptidoglycan with a fluorescent vancomycin conjugate revealed that induction of overexpression in normal hyphae disturbed tip growth, and gave rise to several new sites of cell wall assembly, effectively causing hyperbranching. The results show that DivIVASC is a novel bacterial morphogene, and it is localized at or very close to the apical sites of peptidoglycan assembly in Streptomyces hyphae.
Genetic structure of hull-less barley ( Hordeum vulgare L. subsp. vulgare ) landrace populations from North-western Indian Himalayas

Seven STMS primers were used to analyse 20 individuals each of 15 populations of North-western Indian Himalayan hull-less barley landraces. A total of 96 alleles were detected of which 40 were common and 56 were rare. Administrative regionwise, highest allelic richness was revealed by populations from Himachal Pradesh (10.71 alleles/locus) followed by Jammu & Kashmir (8.86 alleles/locus) and Uttarakhand (8.43 alleles/locus). Greater heterozygosity measures for populations from Himachal Pradesh followed by Jammu & Kashmir and Uttarakhand were also revealed. Population differentiation, based on F ST measures, was moderate to high for Uttarakhand accessions (0.43) followed by Himachal Pradesh (0.35) and Jammu & Kashmir (0.20). A total of 24 unique alleles were present in 15 barley landrace populations. A maximum of 10 unique alleles were present in populations from Himachal Pradesh followed by 8 in populations from Jammu & Kashmir and the least 6 in populations from Uttarakhand. Of the common localized alleles representing certain specific adaptations, a maximum of 5 alleles were present in populations from Jammu and Kashmir followed by 4 in populations from Himachal Pradesh and 2 in populations from Uttarakhand. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed maximum percentage of variation (56.38%) within populations followed by 42.36% among populations within group and a marginal 1.26% among groups. The UPGMA dendrogram revealed that 5 landraces from Jammu and Kashmir formed 1 tight and geographically distinct group at sub-cluster level whereas no such association was found for populations from Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
Fluorine‐18‐labeled tropane analogs for PET imaging studies of the dopamine transporter

A series of PET imaging studies were conducted with two fluorine‐18‐labeled tropane analoges, [18F](+)‐FTT and [18F](+)‐FCT. Both compounds possessed a high affinity and selectivity for the dopamine transporter and had a higher accumulation in the basal ganglia, a brain region having a high density of the dopamine transporter (DAT) than the cerebellum, a reference region devoid of dopaminergic terminals. [18F](+)‐FCT had a higher brain uptake and more suitable basal ganglia:cerebellum (BG:Cb) ratio than [18F](+)‐FTT. [18F](+)‐FCT also displayed reversible binding kinetics in vivo, indicating that the measurement of DAT density in vivo with PET will be relatively insensitive to changes in cerebral blood flow that can occur as a consequence of disease or prolonged cocaine abuse. The uptake of [18F](+)‐FCT was also displaced by an intravenous injection of cocaine (1.0 mg/kg), which is consistent with the labeling of the DAT in vivo by this radiotracer. These data suggest that [18F](+)‐FCT may be a suitable radiotracer for studying DAT function in vivo with PET. Synapse 37:109–117, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Five Years Later: Language in School-Age Internationally Adopted Children

This study followed a cohort of 46 school-age children adopted from Eastern Europe who were originally studied by Glennen and Masters up through age 2 or 3. Five years later, the children were 6 to 9 years of age. Data on their school-age abilities were collected through surveys of parents and teachers. Parents indicated that 17.4% of the children were receiving classroom accommodations or special education programs and 54.5% had one or more diagnoses. The most common diagnosis was attention deficit disorder/attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD), occurring in 25% of the children, primarily boys. Learning disability and speech language impairment were each noted in 11.4% of the children. Language and Social Skill profiles on the Children's Communication Checklist-2 and Social Skills Rating Scale (SSRS) indicated that structural and meaning-based language abilities were areas of strength. Measures of pragmatic use of language (i.e., Use of Context, Social Relations, Nonverbal Communication) were relative weaknesses. Behavior profiles on the SSRS indicated higher than average levels of hyperactivity. The profile of Language and Social Skills strengths and weaknesses was similar to patterns observed in children with ADD/ADHD. Age of adoption was not predictive of school-age outcomes on these measures, but the children's expressive vocabulary when they were 2 to 3 years of age predicted SSRS outcomes for Social Skills and Problem Behaviors.
Genetic analysis of nicotine-induced seizures and hippocampal nicotinic receptors in the mouse.

A classical F2 and backcross genetic design was used to examine the relationship between sensitivity to nicotine-induced seizures and hippocampal nicotinic receptors. Nicotine was administered by i.v. infusion through cannulas implanted in the right jugular veins of mice from the C3H and DBA mouse strains and their derived F1, F2 and backcross (F1 X C3H and F1 X DBA) generations. Nicotine-induced seizure sensitivity was assessed by infusing nicotine at a 2.0 mg/kg/min concentration until the onset of a clonic seizure. After seizure testing, mice were sacrificed and the binding of alpha-bungarotoxin (BTX) was determined in three brain regions: cortex, midbrain and hippocampus. The pattern of results for the six generations for seizure sensitivity was similar to that observed for hippocampal BTX binding. Genetic analyses indicate that receptor concentrations in the hippocampus and seizure sensitivity are both influenced by a relatively simple genetic system which involves one or more genes acting in an additive fashion. In addition, the genetic correlation which is indicative of the extent to which two characters are influenced by the same genes, supports the relationship between nicotine-induced seizure sensitivity and hippocampal BTX binding. The results suggest that those animals which are sensitive to nicotine-induced seizures have a greater concentration of nicotinic receptors as determined by the binding of BTX than animals which are less sensitive to the convulsant effects of nicotine.
Strategies to Promote Neural Repair and Regeneration After Spinal Cord Injury

Study Design. Retrospective review of current literature regarding neuroprotection and axonal regeneration therapies for acute spinal cord injury. Objectives. To provide an update for spine clinicians of the emerging therapeutic strategies for promoting neural repair and regeneration after spinal cord injury. Summary of Background Data. The neuroscientific community has generated a number of novel potential treatments for spinal injuries, some of which have entered clinical trials. Clinicians who manage spinal cord trauma are likely to encounter patients and their families who have questions or wish to be involved in these emerging treatments. Methods. Literature review, with particular focus on currently used medications that may have neuroprotective potential in spinal cord injury, and axonal regeneration strategies that are emerging in preliminary human clinical trials. Results. A number of medications such as erythropoietin and minocycline have demonstrated neuroprotective properties in animal models of spinal cord injury, and their long-established safety in humans make them appealing candidates for clinical trials. Human experience with novel neuroprotective and axonal regeneration strategies is growing around the world, and the peer-reviewed reporting of this is anxiously awaited. Conclusions. The initiation of human clinical trials for spinal cord-injured patients heralds great hope that effective therapies will be forthcoming, although a great deal remains to be learned. Clinicians must provide leadership in the epidemiologic design and rigor of these initial forays into human evaluation.
Mobile robot mapping with geometrically inconsistent measurements in dynamic environments

Given a set of sensor data acquired by a mobile robot, we address a problem of evaluating degree of geometrical consistency between every datapair. Recently, such problems of consistency evaluation (or consistency matrix construction) have been increasingly important for mobile robot mapping systems to handle a geometrically inconsistent set of sensor data. In this paper, we focus on the application to 2D laser SLAM, and consider the consistency evaluation problem on a set of local maps acquired in dynamic environments. A computational difficulty arises from the need to perform a map-matching process for every mappair. To deal with the multiple map-matching processes, allocation of the limited computational resources among individual processes is an important planning problem. We show such a framework of multiple mappairs matching can be obtained as an extension of our previously published framework of single mappair matching, called incremental RANSAC. The methods have been applied to our SLAM system and experimentally evaluated in dynamic environments.
Vitrification preserves proliferation capacity in human spermatogonia.

STUDY QUESTION Does vitrification of human immature testicular tissue (ITT) have potential benefits for future fertility preservation? Does vitrification of human ITT have potential benefits in an in vivo murine xenotransplantation model? SUMMARY ANSWER Vitrification is able to maintain proliferation capacity in spermatogonial cells after 6 months of xenografting. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Controlled slow-freezing is the procedure currently applied for ITT cryobanking in clinical practice. Vitrification has been proposed as a promising technique for long-term storage of ITT, with a view to preserving spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) for future fertility restoration in young boys suffering from cancer. After vitrification of ITT, in vitro survival of SSCs was demonstrated, but their functionality was not evaluated. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION Ten ITT pieces issuing from 10 patients aged 2-12 years were used. Fragments of fresh tissue (serving as controls) and fresh, frozen-thawed and vitrified-warmed testicular pieces xenografted to the scrotum of nude mice for 6 months were compared. MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Upon graft removal, histological and immunohistochemical analyses were performed to evaluate spermatogonia (SG) (MAGE-A4), intratubular proliferation (Ki67), proliferating SG and Leydig cells (3β-HSD). The entire piece of grafted tissue was assessed in each case. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Seminiferous tubules showed good integrity after cryopreservation and xenografting for 6 months in all three groups. Survival of SG and their ability to proliferate was observed by immunohistochemistry in all grafted groups. SG were able to initiate spermatogenesis, but blockage at the pachytene stage was observed. The recovery rate of SG was 3.4 ± 3.8, 4.1 ± 7.3 and 7.3 ± 6.3%, respectively, for fresh, slow-frozen and vitrified-warmed tissue after 6 months of xenografting. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION The study is limited by the low availability of ITT samples of human origin. The mouse xenotransplantation model needs to be refined to study human spermatogenesis. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS The findings of the present study have potential implications for cryobanking of ITT and fertility preservation. Spermatogonial loss recorded after fresh ITT transplantation indicates that the avascular grafting technique needs to be optimized. There are so far no convincing data justifying modification of current clinical practice for ITT storage with slow-freezing, but this study demonstrates that it is worth pursuing optimization of ITT vitrification as an alternative for preservation of SSCs. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) The present study was supported by a grant from the Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique de Belgique (grant Télévie N° 7. 4.572.09.F). The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.
A Reliability Model for Gracefully Degrading and Standby-Sparing Systems

A model for analyzing the reliability of gracefully degrading and standby-sparing computer systems is developed. The basis of the model is the identification of four distinct causes of crashes: time-domain multiple faults, resource exhaustion, space-domain multiple faults, and solitary faults. Expressions are developed for each of these crash-causing mechanisms and for their interrelationship. The model is then demonstrated by using it to analyze the reliability of a gracefully degrading computer system called PRIME.
Contrast-Sensitivity Loss in a Group of Former Microelectronics Workers with Normal Visual Acuity

The measurement of contrast sensitivity at varying grating frequencies is used increasingly to study visual and neural disorders. It provides more information than conventional acuity measures. Refractive errors initially affect high spatial frequencies, whereas lower spatial frequencies are affected only when these errors are pronounced. Neurophysiological alterations are reflected by depressed sensitivity to coarse gratings. Visual dysfunction has been associated with workplace exposures to a wide range of organic solvents. In microelectronics assembly where large quantities of organic solvents are used in many aspects of the work processes, visual deficits have been observed. The objective of the present study was to compare contrast sensitivity among former microelectronics assembly workers, with normal far and near visual acuity, and a reference group from the same region, with similar acuity. No significant differences were observed between scores at the two ends of the contrast sensitivity curves; however, at the intermediate spatial frequencies, the former microelectronics workers' scores were significantly lower (Student's t-test; p<0.05). For the microelectronics workers, no relation was observed between age and contrast sensitivity at any spatial frequency, whereas for the reference group, contrast sensitivity scores were progressively lower with age at spatial frequencies >6.0 cpd (r2=0.15 at 6 cpd to r2=0.45 at 18.0 cpd), suggesting that for the former there is some form of interference with the expected contrast sensitivity loss with age. Lower contrast sensitivity scores in intermediate spatial frequencies, observed among the former microelectronics workers, possibly reflect neural alterations, which may have resulted from exposure to neurotoxic substances. These findings suggest the need for further studies on visual functions in microelectronics workers.
Treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus by inhibition of T cell costimulation with anti-CD154: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the safety and efficacy of a humanized monoclonal antibody against CD154 (IDEC-131) in patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS In this phase II, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multiple-center, multiple-dose study, 85 patients with mild-to-moderately active SLE were randomized to receive 6 infusions of IDEC-131, ranging from 2.5 mg/kg to 10.0 mg/kg, or placebo over 16 weeks. Efficacy was assessed at week 20, primarily by the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) and secondarily, by multiple measures of disease activity. Safety was assessed through week 28 by clinical and laboratory evaluation. Immunogenicity studies were also performed. RESULTS SLEDAI scores improved from the baseline levels of disease activity in all groups, including the placebo group. However, these scores were not statistically different among the IDEC-131 treatment and placebo groups at week 20. Evaluations of secondary variables did not indicate significant differences between the IDEC-131 treatment and placebo groups. The type and frequency of adverse events were similar between the IDEC-131 and placebo groups. CONCLUSION IDEC-131 administered at doses ranging 2.5-10.0 mg/kg over 16 weeks was safe and well tolerated in patients with SLE. Efficacy of the drug compared with placebo was not demonstrated. There were statistically significant improvements from baseline in all groups, including the placebo group.
A fast dynamic 64-bit comparator with small transistor count

In this paper, we propose a 64-bit fast dynamic CMOS comparator with a small transistor count. Major features of the proposed comparator are the rearrangement and re-ordering of transistors in the evaluation block of a dynamic cell, and the insertion of a weak n feedback inverter, which helps the pull-down operation to ground. The simulation results given by prelayout tools, e.g., HSPICE, and post-layout tools, e.g., TimeMill reveal that the delay is around 2.5 ns while the operating clock rate reaches 100 MHz.
Postherpetic trigeminal neuralgia.

THE PAIN which may follow herpes zoster may be so severe as to lead to suicide (Forget 1 ). William Bowman 2 wrote (1867): "I wish I could state anything very satisfactory as to the treatment of the after-pains, which are sometimes so severe as to make the patient weary of existence. " In 1901 Mules 3 reported a case in which the pains were so violent that the patient applied carriage varnish and liniment to the scalp; this caused severe dermatitis and eventual sloughing of the skin of the forehead down to the pericranium. When the man recovered, his pain had disappeared. It is common for pain to precede the outbreak of the vesicles which appear at the terminal ramifications of the sensory nerves in herpes zoster. It is usual for the pain to disappear at this time, or to linger on during the course of the eruption for a while,