Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Electrical Machines and Drives for Electric, Hybrid, and Fuel Cell Vehicles

This paper reviews the relative merits of induction, switched reluctance, and permanent-magnet (PM) brushless machines and drives for application in electric, hybrid, and fuel cell vehicles, with particular emphasis on PM brushless machines. The basic operational characteristics and design requirements, viz. a high torque/power density, high efficiency over a wide operating range, and a high maximum speed capability, as well as the latest developments, are described. Permanent-magnet brushless dc and ac machines and drives are compared in terms of their constant torque and constant power capabilities, and various PM machine topologies and their performance are reviewed. Finally, methods for enhancing the PM excitation torque and reluctance torque components and, thereby, improving the torque and power capability, are described
Photonic Microcantilevers With Interferometric Bragg Grating Interrogation

Germanosilicate glass microcantilevers are fabricated featuring an integrated Fabry-Pérot interferometer. Direct UV writing of single-mode planar waveguides and Bragg gratings is combined with physical micromachining, using a precision dicing saw, to realize glass microcantilevers on a silicon platform. The device presented here has a wavelength shift force sensitivity of 330 nm/N, which is calibrated using a surface profilometer measurement and is an order of magnitude better than current state-of-the-art Bragg-grating-based sensors. The device also shows an approximately tenfold increase in amplitude modulation compared with a similar device architecture utilizing a single Gaussian-apodized Bragg grating. By forming the Fabry-Pérot cavity around the point of greatest strain, we reduce the unwanted effects of grating chirp as the cantilever is deflected and relate the performance to a mechanical model that relates cavity phase shift to deflection.
Functional analysis of Na+/H+ exchanger 9 variants identified in patients with autism and epilepsy

Na+/H+ exchanger isoform 9, NHE9, finely tunes the pH within the endosomal lumen to regulate cargo trafficking and turnover. In patients with autism, genetic approaches have revealed deletions, truncations and missense mutations in the gene encoding NHE9 (SLC9A9). To help establish causality, functional evaluation is needed to distinguish pathogenic mutations from harmless polymorphisms. Here, we evaluated three previously uncharacterized NHE9 variants, P117T, D496N, and Q609K reported in patients with autism and epilepsy. We show that NHE9-DsRed localizes to recycling endosomes in HEK293 cells where it significantly alkalinizes luminal pH, and elevates accumulation of transferrin. All three NHE9 variants were expressed and localized to endosomal compartments, similar to wild-type NHE9. In contrast to previously characterized NHE9 variants, we observed no loss-of-function with respect to endosomal pH homeostasis and transferrin endocytosis. These findings suggest that the three NHE9 substitutions analyzed in our study are either benign polymorphisms or may have a cell-type specific or regulatory function not detected in our cell culture model. Our findings highlight the importance of combining the use of cellular studies of function with sequencing technologies that capture genomic variation in patients.
Obstacle avoidance during locomotion is unaffected in a patient with visual form agnosia

A patient (D.F.) who developed visual form agnosia following carbon monoxide-induced anoxia was assessed on three tests designed to measure her sensitivity to obstacle height in a locomotor task. Although her verbal estimates of the height of the obstacles were correlated with their actual height, the slope of the line relating estimated and actual obstacle height was much shallower than for control subjects. Similarly, when asked to estimate the height of the obstacle by raising one leg while standing nearby, the slope of line relating toe elevation and obstacle height was shallower than in control subjects. In contrast, D.F. was able to negotiate the same obstacles during locomotion as well as control subjects: toe elevation increased linearly as a function of obstacle height with similar slopes and correlation for the line relating toe elevation and obstacle height. These results provide additional support for the proposal by Goodale and Milner that the cortical pathways mediating the required transformations for the visual control of skilled actions are separate from those mediating experiential perception of the visual world.
Evaluation of Hybrid Encryption Technique to Secure Data during Transmission in Cloud Computing

The technology of Cloud computing is permit the subscribers to store their own data in its infrastructure. The subscribers will be able to use their stored data whenever they required. Since the data are stored outside their boundary, it needs to use a strong encryption during transmission process to be protected well. Thus, in this paper we have proposed a model to use a hybrid encryption and decryption process based on AES-128 and RSA algorithm. Furthermore, we used HMAC algorithm to ensure the integrity and authenticity of data. Our experiment work has been done to explain the time required, throughput and memory utilization for encryption and decryption based on different size of files.
Business Financial Structure and Asset Pricing in the Spanish Stock Market

The aim of this research is to analyze the implications of leverage and default as additional sources of systematic risk in the asset pricing process for the Spanish stock market over the years 1995-2010 employing two alternative methodologies based on Ferguson y Shockley (2003) y Vassalou y Xing (2004) respectively. Our results indicate that models which incorporate financial risks perform better than the traditional market model or the Fama and French (1993) model, both in time-series analyses and cross-sectionally. Finally, we observe that the market prices the leverage risk over the all sample while the default risk is only priced in recession and bear markets.
[An analysis of clinical features of celiac disease patients in different ethnic].

OBJECTIVE To summarize the clinical features of different racial patients with celiac disease (CD) and analyze the disease prevalence, diagnosis and treatment in Chinese population. METHODS All the patients were diagnosed as CD and enrolled in Beijing United Family Hospital between January 2005 and July 2015.Clinical data including nationality, age, symptoms, endoscopic and pathological findings, outcome were collected and compared in patients from different countries. RESULTS A total of 87 patients were enrolled including 63 Caucasians, 18 Asian patients and 6 Middle East patients.The peak age of disease onset was 40-60 years old.Patients with typical symptoms such as chronic diarrhea and weight loss only accounted for 20.7%(18/87) and 9.2%(8/87) respectively.Some patients presented with nonspecific symptoms such as abdominal pain and bloating [32.2%(28/87)], even constipation [5.7%(5/87)]. 13.8%(12/87) patients were previously diagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome.The incidence of abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea and constipation between Asians and Caucasians had no statistical significance (P>0.05); but the proportions of weight loss, growth retardation, iron deficiency anemia and dermatitis herpetiformis in Asian group were significantly higher than that in Caucasian group (P<0.05). IgA type of anti-gliadin antibody (AGA), endomysium antibody (EMA) and tissue transglutaminase antibody (tTGA) were dominant autoimmune antibodies in patients with CD, which accounted for 58.6%(51/87), 44.8%(39/87) and 36.8%(32/87) respectively.The endoscopy showed that the lesion of CD was mainly located in small intestine, with reducing severity from the proximal to the distal small intestine.The lesions of duodenal bulb and descending duodenum appeared more significant in Asian group.Accordingly pathological intestinal atrophy and the degree of intraepithelial lymphocytosis were more severe in Asian patients.All 87 cases took the gluten-free diet (GFD). Eighty-one cases received serological follow up and 8 with endoscopic intestinal biopsy.The celiac disease antibodies in 47 patients turned negative from 6-9 months after GFD treatment, while 34 patients turned negative from 12-18 months after GFD.All patients reported disease remission to some extent.After 1 year GFD treatment, the pathology of endoscopic intestinal biopsy in 8 patients showed significant improvement of villous atrophy and lymphocyte infiltration. CONCLUSIONS CD patients with typical clinical manifestations are not the majority.Serological celiac disease antibodies (AGA, EMA and tTGA) have a high diagnostic value.GFD treatment is effective on majority of celiac patients.Clinical manifestations, endoscopy, intestinal pathology, and response to GFD in Chinese patients are not the same as Caucasians.Clinicians need to pay attention to the differential diagnosis.
Measuring customer focus: an examination of the relationship between market orientation and brand valuation

A market orientation approach is the ultimate expression of a focus on customer value. Although measuring market orientation is an ideal means of assessing changes in customer value, more directly quantifiable measures are often necessary. In response to the challenges associated with managing an intangible and the need to construct a mechanism for measuring customer value, brand valuation has emerged as a viable tool to assist in these processes. For companies with strong brands, brand valuation is an effective measurement for helping to achieve a market orientation strategy that is focused on the customer. This research investigates a sample of companies with strong brands to provide the first evidence of a relationship between market orientation and brand valuation. The study results indicate support for the proposition that companies with strong brands which pursue market orientation are more likely to use brand valuation. In addition, support is provided for the positive effect of a market orientation on organizational performance. Importantly, this effect is found in a sample of firms rather than in business units within a single company. The results also indicate that companies with strong brands pursing a market orientation strategy are less likely to have a short-term orientation which focuses on immediate sales rather than long-term brand development.
Mobility of Edge Dislocations in the Basal-Slip System of Zinc *

The authors wish to thank the following people for their help: Dr. J. S. Mendousse for discussing an application of elasticity theory; C. M. Williams and T. J. McCartney for evaporating the films; Mrs. Janet P. Mason for programming the solution of a cubic equation; E. J. Brooks and 0. R. Gates for the x-ray fluorescent and wet chemical analysis of the film composition; Carl Vold for determining the orientation of the single-crystal quartz substrate; C. M. Herbert for cutting the substrates; and Dr. P. R. Malmberg and W. H. Jones for helping with the Van de Graaff irradiations.
Software Services Industry Context and Performance Management

Performance management as a process raises several issues related to its effectiveness and contribution to organizational performance. Particularly, in context of software services industry difficulties inherent in managing employee performance seem to grow. This article discusses the research conducted in software services industry with the purpose of understanding industry context and its relationship with performance management. Results of this study indicate that software service sector was unique with respect to its nature, that is, knowledge intensive and dynamic, resulting in far greater complexity for performance management. The nature of this industry rendered uniqueness to individual performance context and underscored the role of line managers in performance management. The article also sheds light on issues regarding expatriate performance management, competency assessment and expectations of software professionals from the performance management system. Findings of this study have implications for facilitating greater alignment between software service industry context and performance management in the achievement of organizational objectives and goals.
Effect of lipopolysaccharide and cytokines on oxidative metabolism in neonatal rat hepatocytes.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and cytokines produced during neonatal sepsis trigger free radical production, which eventually results in inhibition of liver metabolism. Studies in adults have indicated a hypermetabolic response to sepsis; however, evidence for a hypermetabolic response in neonates is equivocal. This study was carried out to determine whether LPS and cytokines can cause liver hypermetabolism in neonates. METHODS The initial bacterial insult and cytokine cascade were mimicked by the addition of lipopolysaccharide (Escherichia coli 055:B5), tumour necrosis factor (TNF-alpha), and interleukin-6 (IL6) during the isolation of hepatocytes by collagenase digestion from 11- to 13-day-old Wistar rats. Hepatocyte oxygen consumption was measured polarographically with cells respiring on palmitate (0.5 mmol/L). Myxothiazol, a specific inhibitor of mitochondrial respiration, was used to distinguish extra- and intramitochondrial oxygen consumption. Morphologic changes were assessed by electron microscopy. RESULTS The addition of LPS, TNF-alpha and IL6 during hepatocyte isolation resulted in a 10% decrease in cell yield (P <.05) compared with untreated controls; however, cell viability was unchanged (n = 31). Both total and extramitochondrial oxygen consumption were significantly greater in treated cells compared with untreated controls (P <.05, Student's t test). Electron microscopy indicated that LPS, TNF-alpha, and IL6 did not cause ultrastructural changes to hepatocytes. CONCLUSIONS The increase in oxygen consumption was predominantly extramitochondrial and likely to be caused by increased oxygen requirement for cytosolic detoxification and repair purposes. This study shows that liver hypermetabolism metabolism can occur in response to LPS and cytokines. However, during in vivo neonatal sepsis, additional free radical damage may blunt this hypermetabolic response.
Ongoing myocardial damage in chronic heart failure is related to activated tumor necrosis factor and Fas/Fas ligand system.

BACKGROUND Elevated concentrations of cardiac troponin T and heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP) identify patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and ongoing myocardial damage (OMD) who are at increased risk for future cardiac events. Cardiomyocyte necrosis and/or apoptosis via activated tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and the Fas/Fas ligand (FasL) system may be related to the development of OMD. METHODS AND RESULTS The serum concentrations of H-FABP, a sensitive marker of membrane damage of cardiomyocytes, soluble Fas (sFas) and TNF-alpha were measured in 38 patients with CHF. The concentrations of H-FABP, TNF-alpha and s-Fas in patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) III + IV were all significantly higher than in those patients in NYHA II (H-FABP; III + IV 9.3+/-5.9 vs II 5.1+/-1.8 ng/ml, p=0.003, TNF-alpha; III + IV 10.5+/-3.8 vs II 8.0+/-2.7 pg/ml, p=0.02, sFas; III + IV 3.36+/-1.37 vs II 2.58 +/-0.84 ng/ml, p=0.03). Increased concentrations of H-FABP significantly correlated with the concentrations of TNF- alpha (r=0.57, p=0.0001) and sFas (r=0.69, p<0.0001), independent of renal function. CONCLUSION OMD detected by H-FABP, a marker of membrane damage, is related to activated TNF and the Fas/FasL system, which suggests a pathophysiological role of cardiomyocyte necrosis and/or apoptosis in patients with worsening heart failure.
Genetic susceptibility to death from coronary heart disease in a study of twins.

BACKGROUND A family history of premature coronary heart disease has long been thought to be a risk factor for coronary heart disease. Using data from 26 years of follow-up of 21,004 Swedish twins born between 1886 and 1925, we investigated this issue further by assessing the risk of death from coronary heart disease in pairs of monozygotic and dizygotic twins. METHODS The study population consisted of 3298 monozygotic and 5964 dizygotic male twins and 4012 monozygotic and 7730 dizygotic female twins. The age at which one twin died of coronary heart disease was used as the primary independent variable to predict the risk of death from coronary heart disease in the other twin. Information about other risk factors was obtained from questionnaires administered in 1961 and 1963. Actuarial life-table analysis was used to estimate the cumulative probability of death from coronary heart disease. Relative-hazard estimates were obtained from a multivariate survival analysis. RESULTS Among the men, the relative hazard of death from coronary heart disease when one's twin died of coronary heart disease before the age of 55 years, as compared with the hazard when one's twin did not die before 55, was 8.1 (95 percent confidence interval, 2.7 to 24.5) for monozygotic twins and 3.8 (1.4 to 10.5) for dizygotic twins. Among the women, when one's twin died of coronary heart disease before the age of 65 years, the relative hazard was 15.0 (95 percent confidence interval, 7.1 to 31.9) for monozygotic twins and 2.6 (1.0 to 7.1) for dizygotic twins. Among both the men and the women, whether monozygotic or dizygotic twins, the magnitude of the relative hazard decreased as the age at which one's twin died of coronary heart disease increased. The ratio of the relative-hazard estimate for the monozygotic twins to the estimate for the dizygotic twins approached 1 with increasing age. These relative hazards were little influenced by other risk factors for coronary heart disease. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that at younger ages, death from coronary heart disease is influenced by genetic factors in both women and men. The results also imply that the genetic effect decreases at older ages.
Usefulness of Electrical Auditory Brainstem Responses to Assess the Functionality of the Cochlear Nerve Using an Intracochlear Test Electrode.

OBJECTIVE To use an intracochlear test electrode to assess the integrity and the functionality of the auditory nerve in cochlear implant (CI) recipients and to compare electrical auditory brainstem responses (eABR) via the test electrode with the eABR responses with the CI. SETTING Otolaryngology department, tertiary referral hospital. PATIENTS Ten subjects (age at implantation 55 yr, range, 19-72) were subsequently implanted with a MED-EL CONCERTO CI on the side without any useful residual hearing. INTERVENTIONS Following identification of the round window (RW), the test electrode was inserted in the cochlea previous to cochlear implantation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES To assess the quality of an eABR waveform, scoring criteria from Walton et al. (2008) were chosen. The waveforms in each session were classified by detecting waves III and V by the algorithm and visual assessment of the waveform. Speech performance was evaluated with monosyllables, disyllables, and sentence recognition tests. RESULTS It was possible to evoke electrical stimulation responses along with both the test electrode and the CI in all subjects. No significant differences in latencies or amplitudes after stimulation were found between the test electrode and the CI. All subjects obtained useful hearing with their CI and use their implants daily. CONCLUSIONS The intracochlear test electrode may be suitable to test the integrity of the auditory nerve by recording eABR signals. This allows for further research on the status of the auditory nerve after tumor removal and correlation with auditory performance.
Examining the contributions of a community coalition in addressing urban health determinants

ABSTRACT Community coalitions facilitate changes in community outcomes and conditions by addressing issues and determinants of health and well-being. The purpose of the present study was to examine the process of a community coalition, the Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council (INC), in addressing community-prioritized urban health determinants aimed at improving living conditions in a neighborhood in Kansas City, Missouri. Using an empirical case study design, the implementation of the community change framework supported through the Kauffman Neighborhood Initiative is examined. The results suggest that the INC was effective in implementing 117 community changes, and these changes were associated with modest improvements in targeted outcomes related to housing and crime. A 10 year follow-up probe indicates that the majority of recurring community changes were sustained. The results indicate that the comprehensive community initiative was important in facilitating community change that may have contributed to improvements in addressing urban health determinants.
Seasonal cycle of N2O: Analysis of data

We carried out a systematic study of the seasonal cycle and its latitudinal variation in the nitrous oxide (N2O) data collected by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration–Global Monitoring Division (NOAA‐GMD) and the Advanced Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment (AGAGE). In order to confirm the weak seasonal signal in the observations, we applied the multitaper method for the spectrum analysis and studied the stations with significant seasonal cycle. In addition, the measurement errors must be small compared with the seasonal cycle. The N2O seasonal cycles from seven stations satisfied these criteria and were analyzed in detail. The stations are Alert (82°N, 62°W), Barrow (71°N, 157°W), Mace Head (53°N, 10°W), Cape Kumukahi (19°N, 155°W), Cape Matatula (14°S, 171°W), Cape Grim (41°S, 145°E) and South Pole (90°S, 102°W). The amplitude (peak to peak) of the seasonal cycle of N2O varies from 0.29 ppb (parts‐per‐billion by mole fraction in dry air) at the South Pole to 1.15 ppb at Alert. The month at which the seasonal cycle is at a minimum varies monotonically from April (South Pole) to September (Alert). The seasonal cycle in the Northern Hemisphere shows the influence of the stratosphere; the seasonal cycle of N2O in the Southern Hemisphere suggests greater influence from surface sources. Preliminary estimates are obtained for the magnitude of the seasonally varying sources needed to account for the observations.
Limits of internationalization theories in an unlimited world

This paper proffers the viewpoint that existing theory in internationalization is insufficient to explain the currently observed behaviors of firms in the international business marketplace. It examines the impact of the global economy, the service economy, the new economy, the high technology and connected knowledge/network economy, and the value economy on the changing shape of international business behavior. Drawbacks to traditional theories are explored in terms of the speed of internationalization, the limits of psychic distance, the range of entry modes accommodated, the unit of analysis used, the absence of portfolio logic, experiential learning, manufacturing focus, undervaluing managers and incorporating customer value, while encouraging theorists to both adapt current models and develop new ones.