Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Design Aspects for Achieving High Bandwidth Series and Parallel Multicell Converters

Series and parallel multicell converters (SMCs and PMCs) have been conventionally used in high-voltage and high-power applications. Recently, due to the improved efficiency with the increase of the number of cells, they are also applied in small power converters with high power density. The higher the number of cells, the higher the apparent switching frequency, so the filter requirements are reduced, which means less energy is stored in the passive components. This potentially allows for faster dynamic responses in closed-loop operation, i.e., higher bandwidth of the converters. This article highlights the filter design and the importance of using an appropriate modulator for SMCs in order to reach high bandwidths, mainly when the number of cells increases. It is underlined, through a comparison with PMC, that SMC topologies are more sensitive to the modulation strategy. SMC and PMC performances of 2-kW converters are evaluated and compared through simulations implemented in software PLECS and validated using an experimental test bench.
Transcriptional Regulation of Metabolic and Cellular Processes in Durum Wheat (Triticum turgidum subsp. durum) in the Face of Temperature Increasing

The Yaqui Valley, Mexico, has been historically considered as an experimental field for semiarid regions worldwide since temperature is an important constraint affecting durum wheat cultivation. Here, we studied the transcriptional and morphometrical response of durum wheat at an increased temperature (+2 °C) for deciphering molecular mechanisms involved in the thermal adaptation by this crop. The morphometrical assay showed a significant decrease in almost all the evaluated traits (shoot/root length, biovolume index, and dry/shoot weight) except in the dry root weight and the root:shoot ratio. At the transcriptional level, 283 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained (False Discovery Rate (FDR) ≤ 0.05 and |log2 fold change| ≥ 1.3). From these, functional annotation with MapMan4 and a gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis with GOSeq were carried out to obtain 27 GO terms significantly enriched (overrepresented FDR ≤ 0.05). Overrepresented and functionally annotated genes belonged to ontologies associated with photosynthetic acclimation, respiration, changes in carbon balance, lipid biosynthesis, the regulation of reactive oxygen species, and the acceleration of physiological progression. These findings are the first insight into the regulation of the mechanism influenced by a temperature increase in durum wheat.
C incident prediction using a point-pattern-based density

Law enforcement agencies need crime forecasts to support their tactical operations; namely, predicted crime locations for next week based on data from the previous week. Current practice simply assumes that spatial clusters of crimes or ''hot spots'' observed in the previous week will persist to the next week. This paper introduces a multivariate prediction model for hot spots that relates the features in an area to the predicted occurrence of crimes through the preference structure of criminals. We use a point-pattern-based transition density model for space-time event prediction that relies on criminal preference discovery as observed in the features chosen for past crimes. The resultant model outperforms the current practices, as demonstrated statistically by an application to breaking and entering incidents in Richmond, VA.  2003 International Institute of Forecasters. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
High-speed 980nm VCSELs with integrated distributed losses for mode control

Single fundamental mode, oxide-confined, polyimide planarized 980nm vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) with a multi-oxide layer (MOL) structure to increase oxide aperture diameter and maintain single-mode operation are fabricated and characterized. VCSELs with an 8μm active diameter and 16 mode suppression layers maintained single transverse mode operation under continuous wave (CW) condition with a side-mode suppression ratio (SMSR) of more than 32 dB at current densities up to 20 times threshold, which is five times higher than the previously reported value for similar devices with only 3 mode suppression layers, and exhibited a maximum 3-dB modulation frequency bandwidth of 13GHz. The threshold current and voltage were as low as 260μA and 1.45V, respectively, with a maximum optical power and slope efficiency of 1mW and 0.31W/A, respectively.
Gastric Cancer and Associated Pathogens: Is There Any Association in Moroccan Region?

Purpose: Helicobacter pylori, Epstein-Barr virus and human papillomavirus are three pathogens associated with various human cancers. This study aimed to investigate the role of these pathogens in gastric cancer in Moroccan population Methods: For this, a retrospective study has been conducted on participants attending the gastroenterology department of Hassan II University Hospital of Fez. A total of 279 participants were enrolled. H. pylori, EBV and HPV were detected and genotyped by PCR.Results: A significant association has been established between H. pylori, EBV and gastric cancer. 93.4% and 43.3% of gastric cancer cases are related to H. pylori and EBV respectively (p≤0.01). H. pylori-EBV co-infection is responsible of 31.6% of gastric cancer cases (p<0.01). Correlation between pathogens genotypes and gastric cancer shows 55.6% of GC EBV positives are carrying the 30bp deletion in LMP1gene, while 16% of gastric cancers cases are carrying high-risk genotypes of HPV (p=0.21). Conclusion: The obtained results highlight the possible role of co-infection in gastric cancer development.
Won't Get Fooled Again: A Supervised Machine Learning Approach for Screening Gasoline Cartels

In this article, we combine machine learning techniques with statistical moments of the gasoline price distribution. By doing so, we aim to detect and predict cartels in the Brazilian retail market. In addition to the traditional variance screen, we evaluate how the standard deviation, coefficient of variation, skewness, and kurtosis can be useful features in identifying anti-competitive market behavior. We complement our discussion with the so-called confusion matrix and discuss the trade-offs related to false-positive and false-negative predictions. Our results show that in some cases, false-negative outcomes critically increase when the main objective is to minimize false-positive predictions. We offer a discussion regarding the pros and cons of our approach for antitrust authorities aiming at detecting and avoiding gasoline cartels.
AVALIAÇÃO DO IMPACTO DA TEMPERATURA NO RENDIMENTO DA PRODUÇÃO DE ENERGIA FOTOVOLTAICA: ESTUDO DE CASO

Este artigo apresenta a comparação de desempenho de módulos fotovoltaicos em dois cenários em que as temperaturas de operação são diferentes. A temperatura de operação influencia na potência máxima alcançada pelos módulos durante sua atuação. A comparação foi feita utilizando-se as temperaturas médias de duas cidades do Estado de São Paulo (Brasil). A comparação mostra que locais mais quentes apresentam conssiderável redução no desempenho em geração fotovoltaica. A análise da comparação indica ser necessário levar esse problema em consideração na geração fotovoltaica em regiões quentes.
Multifrequency Wilkinson power divider using microstrip nonuniform transmission lines

A new idea is proposed to modify the conventional Wilkinson power dividers to operate at two or several desired frequencies. The proposed structure contains two Microstrip Nonuniform Transmission Lines (MNTLs) instead of two uniform ones with nearly the same length at the minimum frequency. The strip width of MNTLs is considered variable and is written as a truncated Fourier series. Three nonuniform power dividers are designed and one of them operating at frequencies 1.0, 2.8, and 4.5 GHz is fabricated and measured. The measured results of the fabricated diplexer have a good agreement with the theoretical results. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE, 2011.
Evaluation of pit dimensions and uptake of preservative solutions in wood after permeability improvement by bioincising

ABSTRACT Bioincising is a biotechnological process to improve the permeability of wood by biological organisms. In recent years, there has been a great interest to determine the changes in the anatomical structure of wood as a result of bioincising process. In this study, the effects of bioincising by Physisporinus vitreus on the pit structure and permeability of Picea orientalis L. sapwood and heartwood were studied. Bioincised and non-bioincised samples were then treated with micronized copper quaternary and Celcure AC-500 wood preservatives by either dipping or vacuum method. The copper distribution and amount of copper retained in treated wood were evaluated by SEM-EDX and ICP-OES, respectively. The area of copper fixation in treated wood was also measured by the ArcGIS software package. The effects of P. vitreus activity were examined in the wood microstructure after bioincising by light microscope and SEM analyses on radial sections. After the bioincising, a significant increase was observed in the uptake of wood preservatives by vacuum, particularly in heartwood. The measurements on bordered pit, crossfield pit, and ray tracheid bordered pit dimensions in the microstructure of wood indicated that the degradation of pits was the most important factor in improved penetration and uptake of preservative solutions employed.
The anatomy and function of the postrhinal cortex.

The parahippocampal cortex (PHC) in the primate brain is implicated in the medial temporal lobe (MTL) memory network for spatial and episodic memory, but the precise function of this region remains unclear. Importantly, the rodent postrhinal cortex (POR) provides a structural and connectional homolog to the primate PHC. This homology permits the use of the powerful tools available in rodent models to better understand the function of the PHC in the human and nonhuman primate brains. Although many articles have compared and dissociated the function of the rodent POR from other areas in the MTL implicated in learning, memory, and memory-guided behavior, there are no in-depth reviews, particularly covering the last two decades of research. Nor has there been a review of the literature on the potential role of the POR in attention. Here, we review the anatomical and functional connectivity of the POR in rats, examine the evidence for proposed behavioral functions of this region, and suggest a model that accounts for the array of observations. We propose that the rodent POR binds nonspatial information and spatial information to represent the current local physical environment or context, including the geometry of the space and the spatial layout of objects and features in the environment. The POR also automatically monitors the environment for changes and updates representations when changes occur. These representations of context are available to be used by multiple brain regions, including prefrontal, posterior cortical, and hippocampal areas, for context-guided behavior, associative learning, and episodic memory. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Acceleration of Actor-Critic Deep Reinforcement Learning for Visual Grasping by State Representation Learning Based on a Preprocessed Input Image

For robotic grasping tasks with diverse target objects, some deep learning-based methods have achieved state-of-the-art results using direct visual input. In contrast, actor-critic deep reinforcement learning (RL) methods typically perform very poorly when applied to grasp diverse objects, especially when learning from raw images and sparse rewards. To render these RL techniques feasible for vision-based grasping tasks, we used state representation learning (SRL), in which we encode essential information for subsequent use in RL. However, typical representation learning procedures are unsuitable for extracting pertinent information for learning grasping skills owing to the high complexity of visual inputs for representation learning, in which a robot attempts to grasp a target object. We found that the proposed preprocessed input image is the key to capturing effectively a compact representation. This enables deep RL to learn robotic grasping skills from highly varied and diverse visual inputs. Further, we demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach with varying levels of preprocessing in a realistic simulated environment. We also describe how the resulting model can be transferred to a real-world robot and also demonstrate a 68% success rate on real-world grasp attempts.
Exploring ERP Success from an End-User Perspective

The objective of this study is to evaluate the applicability and effectiveness of the End-User Computing Satisfaction (EUCS) measure by Doll and Torkzadeh (1988) and to assess the role of user training and knowledge for ERP system success. The significance of this work to the research community is that it represents a first effort to empirically assess the concept of user satisfaction in ERP success and determine if the EUCS instrument can be used in conjunction with ERP systems.
Atmospheric boundary layer monitoring complex

The remote sensing complex for monitoring the atmospheric surface layer includes a temperature and wind profilers, a radiometer for the total vapor content and a weather station. The complex provides continuous measurement of vertical profiles of air temperature, wind speed and direction at heights up to 1000 m with a vertical resolution of 10 to 100 m and a measurement period of 10 minutes. Surface parameters – air temperature and humidity, pressure, type and intensity of precipitation – are also recorded. The complex is designed for studying processes in the surface layer, the formation and forecasting of dangerous phenomena.
Methods to Measure the Transfer Properties of Mortars

The search for techniques and materials able to improve structure quality and durability has lead to research some methods that are able to measure the transfer properties of composites. Cement type has an important influence on mortar performance, and chemical and physical deteriorations modify microstructure, and thereby transfer properties. The aim of this work is to evaluate two methods which can measure the transfer properties of cement based materials: capillary absorption and air permeability tests in mortars produced with blastfurnace slag Portland cement. The relationship between these two methods was investigated. The mortars were submitted to steam curing (60 °C) and standard curing. Results show that steam curing improved initial compressive strength. At 28 days all mortars had the same performance. Water absorption coefficient and air permeability was higher for steam cured mortars. There was a significant correlation between both tests results.
TRPM7 Ion Channel: Oncogenic Roles and Therapeutic Potential in Breast Cancer

Simple Summary Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed malignant tumor and the second leading cause of cancer death in women worldwide. The risk of developing breast cancer is 12.8%, i.e., 1 in 8 people, and a woman’s risk of dying is approximately 1 in 39. Calcium signals play an important role in various cancers and transport calcium ions may have altered expression in breast cancer, such as the TRPM7 calcium permeant ion channel, where overexpression may be associated with a poor prognosis. This review focuses on the TRPM7 channel, and the oncogenic roles studied so far in breast cancer. The TRPM7 ion channel is suggested as a potential and prospective target in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. Abstract The transient receptor potential melastatin-subfamily member 7 (TRPM7) is a divalent cations permeant channel but also has intrinsic serine/threonine kinase activity. It is ubiquitously expressed in normal tissues and studies have indicated that it participates in important physiological and pharmacological processes through its channel-kinase activity, such as calcium/magnesium homeostasis, phosphorylation of proteins involved in embryogenesis or the cellular process. Accumulating evidence has shown that TRPM7 is overexpressed in human pathologies including breast cancer. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women with an incidence rate increase of around 0.5% per year since 2004. The overexpression of TRPM7 may be associated with a poor prognosis in breast cancer patients, so more efforts are needed to research a new therapeutic target. TRPM7 regulates the levels of Ca2+, which can alter the signaling pathways involved in survival, cell cycle progression, proliferation, growth, migration, invasion, epithelial-mesenchymal transition and thus determines cell behavior, promoting tumor development. This work provides a complete overview of the TRPM7 ion channel and its main involvements in breast cancer. Special consideration is given to the modulation of the channel as a potential target in breast cancer treatment by inhibition of proliferation, migration and invasion. Taken together, these data suggest the potential exploitation of TRPM7 channel-kinase as a therapeutic target and a diagnostic biomarker.
Highly nonlinear bismuth oxide-based glass fibres for all-optical signal processing

A highly nonlinear bismuth oxide (Bi/sub 2/O/sub 3/)-based glass fibre aiming at applications to all-optical signal processing is reported. This fibre features a high nonlinear coefficient /spl gamma/ of 64.2 W/sup -1/ km/sup -1/, low propagation loss of a=0.8 dB/m, low splicing loss of 0.48 dB, and high mechanical and chemical durability.
Calls to Action for Health Educators: Applying a Social-Ecological Framework for Patients with Limited English Proficiency

ABSTRACT Individuals with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) are disproportionately affected by disparities in the United States (U.S.) healthcare system due to medical miscommunications, misdiagnoses, and treatment errors. The purpose of this commentary is to provide an overarching social-ecological perspective on how to enhance patient-centered communication for patients who have LEP. Based on the social-ecological model and the responsibilities and competencies for health education specialists, we propose five multi-level calls to action that health education specialists can work toward over the next decade: (1) develop easy-to-understand print and multimedia materials and signage for adults who have LEP; (2) provide language assistance from trained medical interpreters through in-person, telephonic, and/or telemedicine support; (3) apply culturally inclusive pedagogical practices within all healthcare systems; (4) plan, implement, and evaluate community health information interpretation services; and (5) advocate for policies that support no-cost medical language assistance for all patients who have LEP. By embracing these calls to action, health education specialists will better address unique patient-provider communication barriers that disproportionately affect U.S. patients with LEP.
The Role of Network Learning Capability in the Relationship between Open Mindedness and Innovation Performance

Learning, which is the main key of innovation, is an indispensable element for companies to gain sustainable competitive advantage. Although not being adequately studied in management literature, network learning capability, a type of organizational learning ability, is a determining factor in the innovation process. Likewise, open-mindedness is a component that accelerates the creation of knowledge in the organization as well as encouraging the organization to be open towards new opportunities and to value different opinions. In this study, a model including these variables was designed and the mediator role of network learning in the relationship between open-mindedness and innovation performance was explored. It is suggested that open-mindedness has a positive effect on innovation performance and that network learning capability possesses a mediator role in this relationship. The data were collected through surveys answered by the middle and senior managers of Turkey’s leading companies. As a result, it is pointed out that there is a positive and significant relationship between open-mindedness and innovation performance, and that network learning has a mediator effect on this relationship. This study adds value to the management literature by highlighting the momentousness of network learning capability in the innovation process as well as offering several avenues of future studies and implications for different stakeholders.
The potential geographical accessibility to public hospitals for the population in Bucharest’ proximity

Access to health services is essential for ensuring a fundamental human right: the right to health care. Traditional accessibility methods do not consider traffic changes and possible infrastructure works and do not always reflect the actual travel time to the nearest hospital. This study tries to measure the potential access to hospitals of the population from the proximity of Bucharest, an area overlapping Ilfov County, using API (Application Program Interface). Two scenarios were considered. The first represents accessibility in the morning, an interval with heavy traffic, and the second represents accessibility in the evening, an interval without heavy traffic. The results confirm that Ilfov County has good accessibility to public hospitals, with over 60% of the population travelling less than 30 minutes to the nearest hospital. The proximity of Bucharest makes it possible for residents to access hospitals in that area quickly. The findings provide a scientific basis for local authorities to optimize access to hospitals and planning resources.
Studies on a New Concept of 3D Data Integration about Reaches and Forces of a Disabled Person on a Wheelchair (CAD Methods in Car and Market Ergonomics)

The article presents a new concept of combining the three dimensions (3D) of a person's manipulation space. The data concern information about the reach of the arms and biomechanical data about limiting the load of a disabled person sitting in a wheelchair. Measurement data were acquired empirically, on original measuring station. The data included, respectively, arms' reach (static and dynamic) or, alternatively, measurements of limiting forces. The obtained data were processed into virtual 3D surfaces of arms' reach and forces. These surfaces provide the required graphic model of anthropotechnical and biomechanical data. Developed model was utilized to perform a virtual analysis of the accessibility of a disabled person to technical means: in a market sale space and in the ergonomic analysis into the space of a personal car. The presented method of 3D graphic modeling of anthropometrical and biomechanical data can be universally applied in ergonomic designing of work stations not only for disabled persons. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A new electronically-commutated doubly-salient permanent-magnet small motor

It is aim of the present paper to describe a novel form of electronically commutated small doubly-salient permanent magnet (DSPM) motor for household appliance applications. Its basic structure is similar to that of a switched reluctance motor, except for the presence of a high-energy PM inside the rotor poles. Electromagnetic torque is thereby developed in much the same way as in PM brushless DC motors, but with an important cogging torque component required for holding the rotor stationary when the power supply is switched off. Therefore the motor, even when loaded, is not in danger of being accidentally moved to a new position. It is expected that, by fully exploiting the doubly-salient topology and modern high-energy PM materials, this new small DSPM motor can offer good performance in terms of torque density, efficiency, torque-to-current ratio etc., while retaining a simple, rugged structure amenable to automatic manufacture.