Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A single-stage bridgeless high efficiency ZVS hybrid-resonant off-road and neighborhood EV battery charger

This paper introduces a single-stage battery charger for neighborhood electric vehicles (NEVs) which has the following characteristics: i. operate in continuous-conduction-mode (CCM), ii. include bridgeless operation, iii. realize zero-voltage switching (ZVS) operation for all MOSFETs, iv. provide controlled di/dt turn-off of the output diodes, v. has symmetric operation. The proposed battery charger exhibited minimum number of semiconductor devices compare with state-of-the-art battery charger. The input-output isolation reduces the possibility of safety hazards. The proposed isolation transformer acts as an AC transformer which is much smaller in size and increase transformer efficiency. The symmetric operation of the proposed converter reduces the common-mode (CM) noise. In the paper, the operation of the proposed converter is explained in detail and a mathematical analysis of its steady-state operation is performed. The feasibility of the converter is confirmed by comparing an experimental prototype of the benchmark hard switched ac-dc current-fed push-pull converter and simulation work of the proposed converter. Through experimentation and analysis the proposed converter can achieve a total loss reduction of 20 %, at 70 kHz switching frequency, 120 V input, and 48 V/650 W output.
On the use of multiple surrogates within a differential evolution procedure for high-lift airfoil design

In this work a differential evolution (DE) algorithm is combined with two artificial neural networks (ANNs), which are used as surrogate models to decrease the computational effort of the optimisation procedure. The surrogate models can be used either separately or in combination, in an attempt to automatically select the most effective one in each generation of the evolutionary algorithm. Although the focus is on the use of ANNs as surrogate models, other types of models are also reviewed and their use in combination with evolutionary algorithms (EAs) is discussed. The proposed procedure is used to optimise the design of a high-lift, low Reynolds number airfoil, with respect to its performance in a wide range of different angles of attack. The candidate airfoil designs are automatically produced by deforming a reference airfoil, using the freeform deformation (FFD) procedure. The results of the optimisation procedure, with different combinations of the embedded surrogate models, are discussed, providing useful conclusions regarding the cooperation of multiple surrogates with EAs.
MONITORING TECHNIQUES AND SYNTHETIC ANAYSIS IN MECHATRONICS AND ENGINEERING EDUCATION

128 Abstract— Anxiety has become endemic by the 21st century, as all members of society are exposed to it irrespective of their age. It typically emerges at work or at school. Undoubtedly, performance at school is largely affected, especially by anxiety about Mathematics. Our study has focused on reasons triggering off anxiety in BSc and MSc students in a school of higher education. To evaluate the results of the research, statistics and main component analysis was used.
Functional Requirements of the Yellow Fever Virus Capsid Protein

Although it is known that the flavivirus capsid protein is essential for genome packaging and formation of infectious particles, the minimal requirements of the dimeric capsid protein for virus assembly/disassembly have not been characterized. By use of a trans-packaging system that involved packaging a yellow fever virus (YFV) replicon into pseudo-infectious particles by supplying the YFV structural proteins using a Sindbis virus helper construct, the functional elements within the YFV capsid protein (YFC) were characterized. Various N- and C-terminal truncations, internal deletions, and point mutations of YFC were analyzed for their ability to package the YFV replicon. Consistent with previous reports on the tick-borne encephalitis virus capsid protein, YFC demonstrates remarkable functional flexibility. Nearly 40 residues of YFC could be removed from the N terminus while the ability to package replicon RNA was retained. Additionally, YFC containing a deletion of approximately 27 residues of the C terminus, including a complete deletion of C-terminal helix 4, was functional. Internal deletions encompassing the internal hydrophobic sequence in YFC were, in general, tolerated to a lesser extent. Site-directed mutagenesis of helix 4 residues predicted to be involved in intermonomeric interactions were also analyzed, and although single mutations did not affect packaging, a YFC with the double mutation of leucine 81 and valine 88 was nonfunctional. The effects of mutations in YFC on the viability of YFV infection were also analyzed, and these results were similar to those obtained using the replicon packaging system, thus underscoring the flexibility of YFC with respect to the requirements for its functioning.
A feasibility study of adenosine triphosphate-based chemotherapy response assay (ATP-CRA) as a chemosensitivity test for lung cancer.

PURPOSE A chemosensitivity test can reflect the differences in responses of individual cancer patients to chemotherapeutic agents. The adenosine triphosphate-based chemotherapy response assay (ATP-CRA) is an accurate method, which does not require a large amount of tissue specimen. So far, no studies have evaluated the utility of the ATP-CRA in Korea. Therefore, we investigated the clinical usefulness of the ATP-CRA in 53 patients with lung cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS Tumor tissues were obtained from bronchoscopic biopsies or surgical resections. The validity of ATP-CRA was assessed focusing on the success rate, experimental error level (intraassay mean coefficient of variation [CV]) and reproducibility. RESULTS The overall success rate of ATP-CRA was 90.6% (48/53). Normal cells were effectively eliminated from the tumor tissues with the use of ficoll gradient centrifugation and immunomagnetic separation, which was confirmed using loss of heterozygosity analysis of the 3p deletion. The mean CV of ATP assays was 10.5+/-4.6%. The reproducibility of ATP assays was 94+/-3.8%. The results of the ATP assays were reported to physicians within 7 days of specimen collection. More than 6 anticancer drugs were tested on the tumor specimens obtained from bronchoscopic biopsies. CONCLUSION The ATP-CRA is a stable, accurate and potentially practical chemosensitivity test in patients with lung cancer.
Outcomes, utilization, and costs among thalassemia and sickle cell disease patients receiving deferoxamine therapy in the United States

Deferoxamine mesylate (DFO) reduces morbidity and mortality associated with transfusional iron overload. Data on the utilization and costs of care among U.S. patients receiving DFO in typical clinical practice are limited however. This was a retrospective study using a large U.S. health insurance claims database spanning 1/97–12/04 and representing 40 million members in >70 health plans. Study subjects (n = 145 total, 106 sickle cell disease [SCD], 39 thalassemia) included members with a diagnosis of thalassemia or SCD, one or more transfusions (whole blood or red blood cells), and one or more claims for DFO. Mean transfusion episodes were 12 per year. Estimated mean DFO use was 307 g/year. Central venous access devices were required by 20% of patients. Cardiac disease was observed in 16% of patients. Mean total medical costs were $59,233 per year including $10,899 for DFO and $8,722 for administration of chelation therapy. In multivariate analyses, potential complications of iron overload were associated with significantly higher medical care costs. In typical clinical practice, use of DFO in patients with thalassemia and SCD receiving transfusions is low. Administration costs represent a large proportion of the cost of chelation therapy. Potential complications of iron overload are associated with increased costs. Am. J. Hematol. , 2008. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
TorsinA and heat shock proteins act as molecular chaperones: suppression of α‐synuclein aggregation

TorsinA, a protein with homology to yeast heat shock protein104, has previously been demonstrated to colocalize with α‐synuclein in Lewy bodies, the pathological hallmark of Parkinson's disease. Heat shock proteins are a family of chaperones that are both constitutively expressed and induced by stressors, and that serve essential functions for protein refolding and/or degradation. Here, we demonstrate that, like torsinA, specific molecular chaperone heat shock proteins colocalize with α‐synuclein in Lewy bodies. In addition, using a cellular model of α‐synuclein aggregation, we demonstrate that torsinA and specific heat shock protein molecular chaperones colocalize with α‐synuclein immunopositive inclusions. Further, overexpression of torsinA and specific heat shock proteins suppress α‐synuclein aggregation in this cellular model, whereas mutant torsinA has no effect. These data suggest that torsinA has chaperone‐like activity and that the disease‐associated GAG deletion mutant has a loss‐of‐function phenotype. Moreover, these data support a role for chaperone proteins, including torsinA and heat shock proteins, in cellular responses to neurodegenerative inclusions.
The role of phylogeny and ecology in shaping morphology in 21 genera and 127 species of Australo‐Papuan myobatrachid frogs

Body shape is predicted to differ among species for functional reasons and in relation to environmental niche and phylogenetic history. We quantified morphological differences in shape and size among 98.5% of the 129 species and all 21 genera of the Australo‐Papuan endemic myobatrachid frogs to test the hypothesis that habitat type predicts body shape in this radiation. We tested this hypothesis in a phylogenetic context at two taxonomic levels: across the entire radiation and within the four largest genera. Thirty‐four external measurements were taken on 623 museum specimens representing 127 species. Data for seven key environmental variables relevant to anurans were assembled for all Australian‐distributed species based on species' distributions and 131,306 locality records. The Australo‐Papuan myobatrachid radiation showed high diversity in adult body size, ranging from minute (15 mm snout–vent length) to very large species (92 mm), and shape, particularly sin relative limb length. Five main morphological and environmental summary variables displayed strong phylogenetic signal. There was no clear relationship between body size and environmental niche, and this result persisted following phylogenetic correction. For most species, there was a better match between environment/habitat and body shape, but this relationship did not persist following phylogenetic correction. At a broad level, species fell into three broad groups based on environmental niche and body shape: 1) species in wet habitats with relatively long limbs, 2) species in arid environments with relatively short limbs (many of which are forward or backward burrowers) and 3) habitat generalist species with a conservative body shape. However, these patterns were not repeated within the four largest genera − Crinia, Limnodynastes, Pseudophryne and Uperoleia. Each of these genera displayed a highly conservative anuran body shape, yet individual species were distributed across the full spectrum of Australian environments. Our results suggest that phylogenetic legacy is important in the evolution of body size and shape in Australian anurans, but also that the conservative body plan of many frogs works well in a wide variety of habitats.
Cytosolic NAD(P)H:(Quinone‐acceptor)oxidoreductase in human normal and tumor tissue: Effects of cigarette smoking and alcohol

NAD(P)H:(quinone‐acceptor)oxidoreductase (QAO), previously known as DT‐diaphorase, catalyzes the reduction of qui‐nones to hydroquinones. Enhanced activity of the enzyme has been suggested to protect cells against the cellular toxicity and carcinogenicity of quinones, but may activate some cyto‐toxic anti‐tumor quinones. Cytosolic levels of QAO, carbonyl reductase (CR) and total quinone reductase activity have been measured in normal and tumorous human tissues. QAO was the major component of the total cytosolic quinone reductase activity in all the tissues investigated. CR represented 10 to 28% of the total cytosolic quinone reductase activity in normal tissue. Normal tissue QAO was high in the stomach and kidney, and lower in the lung, liver, colon and breast. Primary tumor from lung, liver, colon and breast had elevated levels of QAO compared to normal tissue, while tumor from kidney and stomach had lower levels. CR was not significantly altered in tumor tissue, except in the case of lung and colon tumor which showed an increase compared to normal tissue. A major determinant of the variability of human lung tumor QAO was the cigarette‐smoking history of the donor. Non‐smokers and past smokers had high levels of tumor QAO compared to normal tissue. Smokers had levels of tumor QAO that were not significantly different from those of normal tissue QAO. Smokers had a small increase in normal lung QAO compared to non‐smokers. Alcohol use was associated with an increase in lung tumor QAO but had no effect on QAO in normal lung. The function of QAO in tumors is not known but the elevated activity of QAO in some tumors and the apparent depressant effect of smoking could influence the response of these tumors to quinone drugs or toxic agents that are metabolized by QAO.
Information Management & Computer Security Strategic Information Systems Planning : Its Adoption and Use

Users who downloaded this article also downloaded: Colin Leek, (1997),"Information systems frameworks and strategy", Industrial Management &amp; Data Systems, Vol. 97 Iss 3 pp. 86-89 http://dx.doi. org/10.1108/02635579710173149 Ramaraj Palanisamy, (2005),"Strategic information systems planning model for building flexibility and success", Industrial Management &amp; Data Systems, Vol. 105 Iss 1 pp. 63-81 http://dx.doi. org/10.1108/02635570510575199 Sotiris Karababas, Harold Cather, (1994),"Developing Strategic Information Systems", Integrated Manufacturing Systems, Vol. 5 Iss 2 pp. 4-11 http://dx.doi. org/10.1108/09576069410056714
Identification of Long Intergenic Repeat Sequences Associated with DNA Methylation Sites in Caulobacter crescentus and Other α-Proteobacteria

ABSTRACT A systematic search for motifs associated with CcrM DNA methylation sites revealed four long (>100-bp) motifs (CIR sequences) present in up to 21 copies in Caulobacter crescentus. The CIR1 and CIR2 motifs exhibit a conserved inverted repeat organization, with a CcrM site in the center of one of the repeats.
Application of Bacteriocins in the Control of Foodborne Pathogenic and Spoilage Bacteria

Bacteriocins are antimicrobial peptides or proteins produced by strains of diverse bacterial species. The antimicrobial activity of this group of natural substances against foodborne pathogenic, as well as spoilage bacteria, has raised considerable interest for their application in food preservation. Application of bacteriocins may help reduce the use of chemical preservatives and/or the intensity of heat and other physical treatments, satisfying the demands of consumers for foods that are fresh tasting, ready to eat, and lightly preserved. In recent years, considerable effort has been made to develop food applications for many different bacteriocins and bacteriocinogenic strains. Depending on the raw materials, processing conditions, distribution, and consumption, the different types of foods offer a great variety of scenarios where food poisoning, pathogenic, or spoilage bacteria may proliferate. Therefore, the effectiveness of bacteriocins requires careful testing in the food systems for which they are intended to be applied against the selected target bacteria. This and other issues on application of bacteriocins in foods of dairy, meat, seafood, and vegetable origins are addressed in this review.
Experimental Video Analysis of Eye Blink Reflex in a Primate Model

Background The establishment of reliable methods for functional assessment in experimental models of peripheral nerve regeneration is crucial. Methods We present a straightforward method for video analysis of the eye blink reflex in a model of facial nerve damage in a nonhuman primate (Callithrix sp.). Results Our 6-level dynamic analysis demonstrated good reproducibility between independent observers, as measured by Cohen’s kappa index. Our static analysis, which was based on 4 semiautomated metric parameters, showed low correlation during the early stage of facial movement recovery (the first and second weeks), but the correlation was excellent during the later stage of recovery (the third and fourth weeks). Conclusion Altogether, our results establish a viable and readily accessible method with good reproducibility and correlation for the analysis of functional facial nerve recovery in an experimental model and based on video images of the eye blink reflex.
Two-loop large top mass corrections to electroweak parameters: Analytic results valid for arbitrary Higgs boson mass.

We present analytic results for the two-loop leading heavy top-quark contributions as required for precise predictions of electroweak observables. The Higgs boson mass is kept arbitrary. We discuss a set of recurrence relations for diagrams with three masses at zero momentum, which allow one to reduce the calculation to a few master integrals. Simple analytic expressions are obtained for the [rho] parameter and for the [ital Zb[bar b]] vertex. Results are pesented for the on-shell and the M[bar S] definition of the top quark mass. We explicitly discuss and verify the validity of Ward-Takahashi identities and check that the use of an anticommuting [gamma][sub 5] preserves the latter.
9G4+ autoantibodies are an important source of apoptotic cell reactivity associated with high levels of disease activity in systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence of anti-apoptotic cell (anti-AC) antibodies with the 9G4 idiotype (9G4+) and the relationship between this and other known 9G4+ specificities and disease activity in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS Serum samples from 60 SLE patients and 40 healthy donors were incubated with apoptotic Jurkat cells and assayed by flow cytometry for the binding of 9G4+ antibodies. The samples were also tested for 9G4+ reactivity against naive B cells and total IgG and IgM anti-AC antibody reactivity. RESULTS The 9G4+ antibodies bound late ACs in sera from a majority of the SLE patients (60%) but in sera from only 2 healthy control subjects. Among samples with global IgM or IgG anti-AC antibodies, those with 9G4+ anti-AC antibodies predominated. Patients with high levels of 9G4+ anti-AC antibodies were more likely to have active disease. This was the case even in patients with IgG anti-AC antibodies or anti-double-stranded DNA antibodies. Patients with lupus nephritis were also more likely to have 9G4+ anti-AC antibodies. While 9G4+ reactivity to ACs often coincided with anti-B cell reactivity, some samples had distinct anti-AC or anti-B cell reactivity. CONCLUSION The 9G4+ antibody represents a major species of anti-AC antibody in SLE serum, and this autoreactivity is associated with disease activity. The anti-AC reactivity of 9G4+ antibodies can be separated from the germline VH4-34-encoded anti-B cell autoreactivity. Our results indicate that ACs are an important antigenic source in SLE that positively selects B cells with intrinsic autoreactivity against other self antigens. This selection of 9G4+ B cells by ACs may represent an important step in disease progression.
K2P Potassium Channels, Mysterious and Paradoxically Exciting

K2P potassium channels become permeable to Na+ with low extracellular K+ concentrations and may increase the risk for cardiac arrhythmias. New evidence reveals that the common electrolyte disorder hypokalemia can induce K2P1 channels that are normally selective for K+ to break the rules and conduct Na+. This defiant behavior leads to paradoxical depolarization of many cells in the heart, increasing the risk for lethal arrhythmia. The new research resolves a mystery uncovered 50 years ago and bestows an array of new riddles. Here, I discuss how K2P1 might achieve this alchemy—through stable residence of the K+ selectivity filter in a Na+-conductive state between its open and C-inactive configurations—and predict that other K+ channels and environmental stimuli will be discovered to produce the same excitatory misconduct.
Information via parallel and antiparallel quantum states

We investigate the properties of two particular sets of separable two-qubit states with maximally mixed marginals, named parallel states and antiparallel states respectively. Although these two sets of states are prepared by the same type of quantum operations acting on classically correlated states with equal classical correlations, they share different properties. By comparing two fundamental figures of merit based on quantum correlations and quantum Fisher information for accessing information quality, the superiority of parallel states over antiparallel ones is investigated. This is different from the previous results that antiparallel state turns out to be more effective in the tasks such as sending unknown direction information. The amount of the information that can be extracted from the local measurements is also presented, which turns out to be the same for these two states. This work reveals new aspects of information encoding and extraction problem.
A Neural Network Approach for Hand Gesture Recognition in Virtual Reality Driving Training System of SPG

The recognition of hand gestures is a challenging task for the high degrees of freedom of hand motion. We develop a virtual reality based driving training system of self-propelled gun (SPG). For this system, a dataglove with 18 sensors is employed to perform some driving tasks such as pressing switches, manipulating steering wheel, changing gears, etc. To accomplish these tasks, some hand gestures must be defined from the dataglove sensors data. A feedforward neural network can represent an arbitrary functional mapping so it is possible to map raw data directly to the required hand gestures. This paper uses BP neural network to recognize the hand patterns which exist in the raw sensor data of the dataglove. A pattern set of 300 hand gestures is used to train and test the neural network. The recognition system achieves good performance. It can be effectively used in our virtual reality training system of SPG to perform various manipulating tasks in a more fast, precise, and natural way
The Wind at Our Backs

This article examines the design and operation of a cross section of electricity markets in the United States. Experience with the evolution of such markets in the recent past to accommodate limited amounts of variable renewable energy is discussed. Based on this experience, insights into what is necessary for these markets to be able to accommodate significantly higher levels of variable renewable energy generation in the future are provided.
IL-21 Induces the Apoptosis of Resting and Activated Primary B Cells1

Cytokines play an important role in regulating the development and homeostasis of B cells by controlling their viability. In this study, we show that the recently described T cell-derived cytokine IL-21 induces the apoptosis of resting primary murine B cells. In addition, the activation of primary B cells with IL-4, LPS, or anti-CD40 Ab does not prevent IL-21-mediated apoptosis. The induction of apoptosis by IL-21 correlates with a down-regulation in the expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL, two antiapoptotic members of the Bcl-2 family. Furthermore, the reconstitution of Bcl-xL or Bcl-2 expression protects primary B cells from IL-21-induced apoptosis. In addition, a short-term preactivation of B cells with anti-CD40 Ab confers protection from IL-21-mediated apoptosis through the up-regulation of Bcl-xL. These studies reveal a novel pathway that mediates B cell apoptosis via the IL-21R and suggest that IL-21 may play a role in regulating B cell homeostasis.