Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparative Analysis of Boost and Hybrid Boost Converters

Context: In power electronics applications, it is important to make comparisons between converters to choose the device that best suits a particular application. This paper compares the Boost converter and the hybrid Boost converter. The operating models of both converters under study are developed and explained in detail to allow for a proper comparison and analysis. Method: Using the passive sign law, the differential equations that govern the behavior of each converter are determined upon the basis of their switching states. Then, circuit simulations are performed by using the OpenModelica software to analyze the output signals of both converters with the same input parameters. Results: Comparisons of voltage and current gains, current and voltage time response, and ripple were obtained. Additionally, the efficiency was analyzed by adding resistive losses in each passive element of both converters. Conclusions: For high duties, the hybrid Boost converter has a greater capacity to increase the output voltage than the Boost converter. It was also found that the hybrid Boost converter has a low overshoot and a low ripple in the time response of its output signals. However, this converter is less efficient.
Bounds on diffusivities in momentum dissipating holography

Systems not conserving the total momentum have both extrinsic, momentum-dissipating and intrin- sic, momentum-conserving interactions. Inspired by a recently conjectured universal bound for thermo- electric diffusion constants in critical incoherent strongly coupled systems and relying on holographic analytical computations, we obtain Planckian bounds for the diffusion constants in different holographic models featuring momentum dissipation. In particular, the model-independence of the bounds on the in- trinsic contributions suggests a possible universal relevance of the result within, and possibly beyond, the gauge/gravity context. Introduction. - The description of universal behaviors of strongly correlated systems despite the differences in their microscopic structure is challenging and of high physi- cal relevance. One of the best known examples is the linear in temperature resistivity regime shared by many apparently very different materials like cuprates, heavy fermions, pnictides, ruthenates and fullurenes (1). In re- cent times, a great effort has been put into characterizing the universal behavior of these materials by determining bounds on appropriate physical quantities. The reason why this approach is promising is twofold: first, a bound can be formulated independently of the microscopic detail of the system and can therefore aspire to be universal; sec- ondly, in an incoherent quantum critical regime, the sys- tem equilibrates on a time scale independent of any mi- croscopic energy scale and just determined by the tem- perature. Therefore, as a consequence of the insensitiv- ity to energy scales other than the temperature, strongly correlated systems tend to saturate general temperature- dependent bounds. Strongly correlated models amenable to quantitative the- oretical control are extremely rare. In this respect, the gauge/gravity duality is very useful since it provides a dual description for some strongly interacting quantum field theories where equilibrium and transport properties can be computed. Actually, one of the most celebrated results ob- tained through holography is the evidence of a universal bound on the momentum diffusion rate which is approx- imatively saturated by strongly interacting systems. This bound was originally conjectured in (2) in terms of the ra- tio of the shear viscosity to the entropy density, namely =s h=(4k B). The approximate saturation of the vis- cosity bound has been subsequently observed in the quark gluon plasma created at the heavy ion colliders, as well as in the unitary fermionic cold atom gas (3). Moreover, re- cent experimental ARPES measurements on an optimally doped cuprate show that, also in this case, the ratio =s due to the intrinsic electronic contribution is close to sat- urate the afore mentioned bound (4), strongly suggesting that the transport properties of the strange metals due to the
Biosynthesized nanoparticles: a novel approach for cancer therapeutics

Nanotechnology has become one of the most rapid, innovative, and adaptable sciences in modern science and cancer therapy. Traditional chemotherapy has limits owing to its non-specific nature and adverse side effects on healthy cells, and it remains a serious worldwide health issue. Because of their capacity to specifically target cancer cells and deliver therapeutic chemicals directly to them, nanoparticles have emerged as a viable strategy for cancer therapies. Nanomaterials disclose novel properties based on size, distribution, and shape. Biosynthesized or biogenic nanoparticles are a novel technique with anti-cancer capabilities, such as triggering apoptosis in cancer cells and slowing tumour growth. They may be configured to deliver medications or other therapies to specific cancer cells or tumour markers. Despite their potential, biosynthesized nanoparticles confront development obstacles such as a lack of standardisation in their synthesis and characterization, the possibility of toxicity, and their efficiency against various forms of cancer. The effectiveness and safety of biosynthesized nanoparticles must be further investigated, as well as the types of cancer they are most successful against. This review discusses the promise of biosynthesized nanoparticles as a novel approach for cancer therapeutics, as well as their mode of action and present barriers to their development.
The Trade-Offs of Counterterrorism Policies

This article provides a modern overview of counterterrorism tools and their trade-offs for curbing terrorist attacks and their consequences. Defensive and proactive countermeasures constitute two main classes of counterterror tools deployed by targeted governments. The primary drawback of defensive actions, which make terrorist attacks more costly and less apt to succeed, is attack transference that shifts the mode, venue, or target of attacks to those less protected. In contrast, offensive proactive measures, which confront the terrorists directly, may result in backlash as terrorist sympathizers, the public, and state sponsors augment their terrorist support resulting in more recruitment and attacks. Other essential trade-offs are identified and discussed. Additionally, we formulate a two-stage canonical game-theoretic model involving a targeted government and a terrorist group adversary. This model accounts for defensive and proactive policies but also myriad scenarios. As such, it serves as a foundation to explain the modern counterterrorism literature as illustrated by a discussion of iconic contributions to the study of counterterrorism. JEL
Motor Memory Consolidation Deficits in Parkinson’s Disease: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis

Background: The ability to encode and consolidate motor memories is essential for persons with Parkinson’s disease (PD), who usually experience a progressive loss of motor function. Deficits in memory encoding, usually expressed as poorer rates of skill improvement during motor practice, have been reported in these patients. Whether motor memory consolidation (i.e., motor skill retention) is also impaired is unknown. Objective: To determine whether motor memory consolidation is impaired in PD compared to neurologically intact individuals. Methods: We conducted a pre-registered systematic review (PROSPERO: CRD42020222433) following PRISMA guidelines that included 46 studies. Results: Meta-analyses revealed that persons with PD have deficits in retaining motor skills (SMD = –0.17; 95% CI = –0.32, –0.02; p = 0.0225). However, these deficits are task-specific, affecting sensory motor (SMD = –0.31; 95% CI –0.47, –0.15; p = 0.0002) and visuomotor adaptation (SMD = –1.55; 95% CI = –2.32, –0.79; p = 0.0001) tasks, but not sequential fine motor (SMD = 0.17; 95% CI = –0.05, 0.39; p = 0.1292) and gross motor tasks (SMD = 0.04; 95% CI = –0.25, 0.33; p = 0.7771). Importantly, deficits became non-significant when augmented feedback during practice was provided, and additional motor practice sessions reduced deficits in sensory motor tasks. Meta-regression analyses confirmed that deficits were independent of performance during encoding, as well as disease duration and severity. Conclusion: Our results align with the neurodegenerative models of PD progression and motor learning frameworks and emphasize the importance of developing targeted interventions to enhance motor memory consolidation in PD.
A Preliminary Study on the Potential Protective Role of the Antioxidative Stress Markers of Cognitive Impairment: Glutathione and Glutathione Reductase

Objective To investigate the relationship between reduced glutathione (GSH), a key molecule of the antioxidant defense system in the blood, and glutathione reductase (GR), which reduces oxidized glutathione (glutathione disulfide [GSSG]) to GSH and maintains the redox balance, with the prevalence of Alzheimer’s dementia and cognitive decline. Results The higher the level of GR, the greater the possibility of having normal cognition than of developing Alzheimer’s dementia. Additionally, the higher the level of GR, the higher the neurocognitive test scores. However, this association was not significant for GSH. After 6 years, the conversion rate from normal cognition to cognitive impairment was significantly higher in the lower 50th percentile of the GR group than in the upper 50th percentile. Conclusion The higher the GR, the lower the prevalence of Alzheimer’s dementia and incidence of cognitive impairment and the higher the cognitive test scores. Therefore, GR is a potential protective biomarker against Alzheimer’s dementia and cognitive decline.
Post-traumatic olfactory dysfunction: a scoping review of assessment and rehabilitation approaches

Post-traumatic Olfactory Dysfunction (PTOD) consists of a complete or partial loss of olfactory function that may occur after a traumatic brain injury (TBI). PTOD may be linked to some neuropsychiatric features, such as social, cognitive and executive dysfunction, as well as behavioral symptoms, especially when TBI involves the orbito-frontal cortex. The diagnosis of PTOD is based on medical history and clinical data and it is supported by psychometric tests (i.e., subjective tools) as well as electrophysiological and neuroimaging measures (i.e., objective methods). The assessment methods allow monitoring the changes in olfactory function over time and help to establish the right therapeutic and rehabilitative approach. In this context, the use of the olfactory training (OT), which is a non-pharmacological and non-invasive treatment option, could promote olfactory function through top-down (central) and bottom-up (peripheral) processes. To better manage patients with TBI, PTOD should be detected early and properly treated using the various therapeutic rehabilitative possibilities, both conventional and advanced, also taking into consideration the emerging neuromodulation approach.
Prevention of Inflammatory Bowel Disease by Broccoli-sourced and Microbially-produced Bioactives

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) are chronic, reoccurring, and debilitating conditions characterized by inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract, some of which can lead to more systemic complications and can include autoimmune dysfunction, a change in the taxonomic and functional structure of microbial communities in the gut, and complicated burdens in a person’s daily life. Like many diseases based in chronic inflammation, research on IBD has pointed towards a multifactorial origin involving factors of the host’s lifestyle, immune system, associated microbial communities, and environmental conditions. Treatment currently exists only as palliative care, and seeks to disrupt the feedback loop of symptoms by reducing inflammation and allowing as much of a return to homeostasis as possible. Various anti-inflammatory options have been explored, and this review focuses on the use of diet as a holistic means of improving gut health. Specifically, we highlight the connection between the role of sulforaphane from cruciferous vegetables in regulating inflammation and in modifying microbial communities, and to break down the role they play in IBD.
Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells Alleviated Bleomycin-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis in Mice

: Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) on bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice. Methods: Pulmonary fibrosis model in mice was established by bleomycin (BLM) induction. This study was divided into 7 groups, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) as the treatment measure in 4 groups, the saline and pirfenidone as other 2 groups. The body weight of mice after BLM modeling was measured. The content of hydroxyproline (HYP) and collagen 1 (COL1) in lung tissue were determined by kits. Pathological changes of lung tissue were observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. The levels of cytokines in serum and lung tissue of mice were detected by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) kits. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of collagen-1 and α-SMA protein in lung tissue of mice. The levels of TGF-β/smad-3 and NLRP3/NF-κB signal pathway in lung was detected by western blotting. Results: BMSCs significantly decreased the content of HYP and COL1 in lung tissue of mice. BMSCs significantly decreased cytokines in serum and lung tissue. Immunohistochemistry results shown BMSCs significantly decreased the levels of collagen-1 and α-SMA in lung tissue. In addition, BMSCs significantly inhibited TGF-β/smad-3 and NLRP3/NF-κB signal pathway in lung tissue. Conclusions: BMSCs effectively inhibited bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice, and its mechanism may be related to inhibiting the activation of TGF-β/smad-3 and NLRP3/NF-κB signal pathway.
Research on Crop 3D Model Reconstruction Based on RGB-D Binocular Vision

Taking maize seedlings as the object, the implementation of crops 3D reconstruction based on RGB-D binocular vision and the selection of some key parameters are investigated in this research. First, multiple images are taken from different angles around the target. By mapping the maize seedling region coordinate values after the Otsu algorithm and global threshold segmentation to the corresponding depth image, the depth data of the maize seedling region can be obtained accurately. An improved mean filter is proposed to adaptively fill the holes in the depth image. Then, the different point clouds with the fixed step angle of the maize seedling are registered and fuzed. Finally, after the fusion point cloud is simplified, the 3D model of crops can be reconstructed. Experimental results show that the simplification effect of the octree algorithm is better than that of the voxel grid filter. Among all the step angles, the reconstruction error of the step angle with 60° is the smallest. Under this condition, the height error between the model and the maize seedling is 2.22%, and the error in stem diameter is 11.67%.
Testing additive assumptions on means of regular monitoring data: a multivariate nonstationary time series approach

In the analysis of surface meteorological data, observations are usually recorded regularly and frequently in time at multiple but fixed locations in space. The data can thus be viewed as multivariate time series in which a small number of lengthy time series is observed. Motivated by a temperature data, the current paper considers the problem of testing the additive assumption of location and time effects via a multivariate time series approach. Test statistics based on both maximum absolute and integrated squared deviations are proposed and their asymptotic properties are studied for a general class of multivariate nonstationary processes. The results are illustrated in a simulation study and applied to temperature data.
Testing Homogeneity of Mean Directions for Circular Dispersion Models

Tests for equality of mean directions in independent circular populations is an important practical problem in many areas of applied research, for which results are yet to be obtained. Dispersion model approach with analysis of deviance is an appealing approach for testing equality of parameters under non-normal setups. In view of its wide applicability, the present endeavour is to examine whether standard circular models for describing directional data can be viewed as special cases of dispersion model. The answer is affirmative and this leads us to explore whether analysis of deviance can be employed for circular observations. Special emphasis is given on circular normal and wrapped Cauchy distributions for carrying out deviance analysis. Interestingly, we demonstrate that the Watson-Williams ad-hoc test (1956) proposed for independent von Mises distributions is equivalent to the analysis of deviance test. We thereby also exhibit the rare property possessed by von Mises distributions with high concentrations, that the nuisance concentration parameter can be ignored for this test in such a case.
Observations of unusual behavior in two invasive carnivores in the Dominican Republic: arboreal foraging in the Small Indian Mongoose (Urva auropunctata) and semi-aquatic hunting in the Domestic Cat (Felis catus)

We report unusual foraging events in two of the most invasive terrestrial predators in the world that are well established in the Caribbean islands: the Small Indian Mongoose (Urva auropunctata), locally known as jurón, and the Domestic Cat (Felis catus). The former is well known to be a ground-dwelling species, whereas the latter usually avoids water. We documented tree-climbing in the mongoose and semi-aquatic hunting in a domestic cat. The observations were recorded in southern Dominican Republic, on the island of Hispaniola.
Champions of Transparency in Education: What Journal Reviewers Can Do to Encourage Open Science Practices

As the field of education, and especially gifted education, gradually moves toward open science, our research community increasingly values transparency and openness brought by open science practices. Yet, individual researchers may be reluctant to adopt open science practices due to low incentives, barriers of extra workload, or lack of support to apply these in certain areas, such as qualitative research. We encourage and give guidelines to reviewers to champion open science practices by warmly influencing authors to consider applying open science practices to quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods research and providing ample support to produce higher-quality publications. Instead of imposing open science practices on authors, we advocate reviewers suggest small, non-threatening, specific steps to support authors without making them feel overwhelmed, judged, or punished. We believe that these small steps taken by reviewers will make a difference to create a more supportive environment for researchers to adopt more open science practices.
Environmental impact study of the NOOR 1 solar project on the Southern Region of Morocco

Morocco is leading the charge towards a more sustainable future through its investments in Renewable Energy. The NOOR 1 solar project in Ouarzazate serves as a shining example of this commitment, with a planned capacity of 160 MW and the potential to provide energy to over 1 million people. This study delves into the impact of this ground-breaking project on the environment and biodiversity in the southern region, as well as its role in combating global warming. The results show that the project has both positive and negative impacts, but its innovative concentrated solar power technology is the driving force behind these changes. Despite causing loss of native vegetation and wildlife habitat, changes to water resources and air quality, the NOOR 1 project also has many benefits such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, enhancing energy security, providing economic benefits, improving access to electricity, and providing educational opportunities. The research emphasizes the crucial need to assess future renewable energy projects in a holistic manner, considering both environmental preservation and progress. This means taking into account both the positive and negative impacts that such projects may have on the environment and biodiversity and implementing measures to mitigate the negative impacts while maximizing the positive ones. The study suggests that a well-planned and executed renewable energy project can bring about significant benefits, such as increased energy security and economic benefits, while still being mindful of preserving the natural environment. By carefully balancing environmental preservation and progress, the study argues that renewable energy projects can help create a sustainable future for all.
Transfer of non-Gaussian quantum states of mechanical oscillator to light

Non-Gaussian quantum states are key resources for quantum optics with continuous-variable oscillators. The non-Gaussian states can be deterministically prepared by a continuous evolution of the mechanical oscillator isolated in a nonlinear potential. We propose feasible and deterministic transfer of non-Gaussian quantum states of mechanical oscillators to a traveling light beam, using purely all-optical methods. The method relies on only basic feasible and high-quality elements of quantum optics: squeezed states of light, linear optics, homodyne detection, and electro-optical feedforward control of light. By this method, a wide range of novel non-Gaussian states of light can be produced in the future from the mechanical states of levitating particles in optical tweezers, including states necessary for the implementation of an important cubic phase gate.
Direct numerical simulations of a high Karlovitz number laboratory premixed jet flame – an analysis of flame stretch and flame thickening

This article reports an analysis of the first detailed chemistry direct numerical simulation (DNS) of a high Karlovitz number laboratory premixed flame. The DNS results are first compared with those from laser-based diagnostics with good agreement. The subsequent analysis focuses on a detailed investigation of the flame area, its local thickness and their rates of change in isosurface following reference frames, quantities that are intimately connected. The net flame stretch is demonstrated to be a small residual of large competing terms: the positive tangential strain term and the negative curvature stretch term. The latter is found to be driven by flame speed–curvature correlations and dominated in net by low probability highly curved regions. Flame thickening is demonstrated to be substantial on average, while local regions of flame thinning are also observed. The rate of change of the flame thickness (as measured by the scalar gradient magnitude) is demonstrated, analogously to flame stretch, to be a competition between straining tending to increase gradients and flame speed variations in the normal direction tending to decrease them. The flame stretch and flame thickness analyses are connected by the observation that high positive tangential strain rate regions generally correspond with low curvature regions; these regions tend to be positively stretched in net and are relatively thinner compared with other regions. High curvature magnitude regions (both positive and negative) generally correspond with lower tangential strain; these regions are in net negatively stretched and thickened substantially.