LLukas22/scidocs huggingface dataset:
6.5 A 1.8pJ/b 56Gb/s PAM-4 transmitter with fractionally spaced FFE in 14nm CMOS

As data rates in electrical links rise to 56Gb/s, standards are gravitating towards PAM-4 modulation to achieve higher spectral efficiency. Such approaches are not without drawbacks, as PAM-4 signaling results in reduced vertical margins as compared to NRZ. This makes data recovery more susceptible to residual, or uncompensated, intersymbol interference (ISI) when the PAM-4 waveform is sampled by the receiver. To overcome this, existing standards such as OIF CEI 56Gb/s very short reach (VSR) require forward error correction to meet the target link BER of 1E-15. This comes at the expense of higher latency, which is undesirable for chip-to-chip VSR links in compute applications. Therefore, different channel equalization strategies should be considered for PAM-4 electrical links. Employing ½-UI (T/2) tap delays in an FFE extends the filter bandwidth as compared to baud- or T-spaced taps [1], resulting in improved timing margins and lower residual ISI for 56Gb/s PAM-4 data sent across VSR channels. While T/2-spaced FFEs have been reported in optical receivers for dispersion compensation [2], the analog delay techniques used are not conducive to designing dense I/O and cannot support a wide range of data rates. This work demonstrates a 56Gb/s PAM-4 transmitter with a T/2-spaced FFE using high-speed clocking techniques to produce well-controlled tap delays that are data-rate agile. The transmitter also supports T-spaced tap delays, ensuring compatibility with existing standards.
The influence of saliva on the dissolution of calcium fluoride after application of different fluoride gels in vitro.

OBJECTIVE
To determine the formation and dissolution of calcium fluoride on the enamel surface after application of two fluoride gel-saliva mixtures.


METHOD AND MATERIALS
From each of 80 bovine incisors, two enamel specimens were prepared and subjected to two different treatment procedures. In group 1, 80 specimens were treated with a mixture of an amine fluoride gel (1.25% F-; pH 5.2; 5 minutes) and human saliva. In group 2, 80 enamel blocks were subjected to a mixture of sodium fluoride gel (1.25% F; pH 5.5; 5 minutes) and human saliva. Subsequent to fluoride treatment, 40 specimens from each group were stored in human saliva and sterile water, respectively. Ten specimens were removed after each of 1 hour, 24 hours, 2 days, and 5 days and analyzed according to potassium hydroxide-soluble fluoride.


RESULTS
Application of amine fluoride gel resulted in a higher amount of potassium hydroxide-soluble fluoride than did sodium fluoride gel 1 hour after application. Saliva exerted an inhibitory effect according to the dissolution rate of calcium fluoride. However, after 5 days, more than 90% of the precipitated calcium fluoride was dissolved in the amine fluoride group, and almost all potassium hydroxide-soluble fluoride was lost in the sodium fluoride group. Calcium fluoride apparently dissolves rapidly, even at almost neutral pH.


CONCLUSION
Considering the limitations of an in vitro study, it is concluded that highly concentrated fluoride gels should be applied at an adequate frequency to reestablish a calcium fluoride-like layer.
Leaf shape identification based plant biometrics

This paper presents a simple and computationally efficient method for plant species recognition using leaf image. This method works only for the plants with broad flat leaves which are more or less two dimensional in nature. The method consists of five major parts. First, images of leaf are acquired with digital camera or scanners. Then the user selects the base point of the leaf and a few reference points on the leaf blades. Based on these points the leaf shape is extracted from the background and a binary image is produced. After that the leaf is aligned horizontally with its base point on the left of the image. Then several morphological features, such as eccentricity, area, perimeter, major axis, minor axis, equivalent diameter, convex area and extent, are extracted. A unique set of features are extracted from the leaves by slicing across the major axis and parallel to the minor axis. Then the feature pointes are normalized by taking the ratio of the slice lengths and leaf lengths (major axis). These features are used as inputs to the probabilistic neural network. The network was trained with 1200 simple leaves from 30 different plant species. The proposed method has been tested using ten-fold cross-validation technique and the system shows 91.41% average recognition accuracy.
Association Rules Mining for Name Entity Recognition

We propose a new name entity class extraction method based on association rules. We evaluate and compare the performance of our method with the state of the art maximum entropy method. We show that our method consistently yields a higher precision at a competitive level of recall. This result makes our method particularly suitable for tasks whose requirements emphasize the quality rather than the quantity of results.
Contributions of gut bacteria to Bacillus thuringiensis-induced mortality vary across a range of Lepidoptera

Gut microbiota contribute to the health of their hosts, and alterations in the composition of this microbiota can lead to disease. Previously, we demonstrated that indigenous gut bacteria were required for the insecticidal toxin of Bacillus thuringiensis to kill the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar. B. thuringiensis and its associated insecticidal toxins are commonly used for the control of lepidopteran pests. A variety of factors associated with the insect host, B. thuringiensis strain, and environment affect the wide range of susceptibilities among Lepidoptera, but the interaction of gut bacteria with these factors is not understood. To assess the contribution of gut bacteria to B. thuringiensis susceptibility across a range of Lepidoptera we examined larval mortality of six species in the presence and absence of their indigenous gut bacteria. We then assessed the effect of feeding an enteric bacterium isolated from L. dispar on larval mortality following ingestion of B. thuringiensis toxin. Oral administration of antibiotics reduced larval mortality due to B. thuringiensis in five of six species tested. These included Vanessa cardui (L.), Manduca sexta (L.), Pieris rapae (L.) and Heliothis virescens (F.) treated with a formulation composed of B. thuringiensis cells and toxins (DiPel), and Lymantria dispar (L.) treated with a cell-free formulation of B. thuringiensis toxin (MVPII). Antibiotics eliminated populations of gut bacteria below detectable levels in each of the insects, with the exception of H. virescens, which did not have detectable gut bacteria prior to treatment. Oral administration of the Gram-negative Enterobacter sp. NAB3, an indigenous gut resident of L. dispar, restored larval mortality in all four of the species in which antibiotics both reduced susceptibility to B. thuringiensis and eliminated gut bacteria, but not in H. virescens. In contrast, ingestion of B. thuringiensis toxin (MVPII) following antibiotic treatment significantly increased mortality of Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders), which was also the only species with detectable gut bacteria that lacked a Gram-negative component. Further, mortality of P. gossypiella larvae reared on diet amended with B. thuringiensis toxin and Enterobacter sp. NAB3 was generally faster than with B. thuringiensis toxin alone. This study demonstrates that in some larval species, indigenous gut bacteria contribute to B. thuringiensis susceptibility. Moreover, the contribution of enteric bacteria to host mortality suggests that perturbations caused by toxin feeding induce otherwise benign gut bacteria to exert pathogenic effects. The interaction between B. thuringiensis and the gut microbiota of Lepidoptera may provide a useful model with which to identify the factors involved in such transitions.
Impact of new traumatic or stressful life events on pre-existing PTSD in traumatized refugees: results of a longitudinal study

BACKGROUND
A significant proportion of trauma survivors experience an additional critical life event in the aftermath. These renewed experiences of traumatic and stressful life events may lead to an increase in trauma-related mental health symptoms.


METHOD
In a longitudinal study, the effects of renewed experiences of a trauma or stressful life event were examined. For this purpose, refugees seeking asylum in Germany were assessed for posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTS), Posttraumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale (PDS), anxiety, and depression (Hopkins Symptom Checklist [HSCL-25]) before treatment start as well as after 6 and 12 months during treatment (N=46). Stressful life events and traumatic events were recorded monthly. If a new event happened, PDS and HSCL were additionally assessed directly afterwards. Mann-Whitney U-tests were performed to calculate the differences between the group that experienced an additional critical event (stressful vs. trauma) during treatment (n=23) and the group that did not (n=23), as well as differences within the critical event group between the stressful life event group (n=13) and the trauma group (n=10).


RESULTS
Refugees improved significantly during the 12-month period of our study, but remained severely distressed. In a comparison of refugees with a new stressful life event or trauma, significant increases in PTS, anxiety, and depressive symptoms were found directly after the experience, compared to the group without a renewed event during the 12 months of treatment. With regard to the different critical life events (stressful vs. trauma), no significant differences were found regarding overall PTS, anxiety, and depression symptoms. Only avoidance symptoms increased significantly in the group experiencing a stressful life event.


CONCLUSION
Although all clinicians should be aware of possible PTS symptom reactivation, especially those working with refugees and asylum seekers, who often experience new critical life events, should understand symptom fluctuation and address it in treatment.
A study on the machining of high-aspect ratio micro-structures using micro-EDM

Micro-electro-discharge machining (micro-EDM or -EDM) has been gaining popularity as a new alternative method to fabricate micro-structures. The main advantages of the micro-EDM method are its low set-up cost, high accuracy and large design freedom. Compared to etching or deposition techniques, micro-EDM has the advantage of being able to fabricate complex three-dimensional shapes with high-aspect ratio. However, there are many operating parameters that affect the micro-EDM process. The fabrication of micro-electrodes on the machine is also an important process to remove the clamping error to maintain high accuracy in the machined micro-structures. In this paper, the machining of micro-structures is divided into two basic processes. One is the on-machine fabrication of the microelectrodes with high-aspect ratio, and the other is the EDM of the workpiece in micrometer range. An optical sensor has been developed to measure and control the dimension of the thin electrode during the tool fabrication process. Different methods have been investigated to fabricate a thin electrode into the desired dimension without deflection. The performance of the micro-EDM process is evaluated in terms of the material removal rate (MRR), tool wear ratio (TWR), and the stability of the machining. Influences of the various operating parameters of the micro-EDM process, such as the operating voltage, gap control algorithm, and resistance and capacitance values in the R–C spark control circuit, are discussed. © 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
A perisinusoidal niche for extramedullary haematopoiesis in the spleen

Haematopoietic stresses mobilize haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) from the bone marrow to the spleen and induce extramedullary haematopoiesis (EMH). However, the cellular nature of the EMH niche is unknown. Here we assessed the sources of the key niche factors, SCF (also known as KITL) and CXCL12, in the mouse spleen after EMH induction by myeloablation, blood loss, or pregnancy. In each case, Scf was expressed by endothelial cells and Tcf21+ stromal cells, primarily around sinusoids in the red pulp, while Cxcl12 was expressed by a subset of Tcf21+ stromal cells. EMH induction markedly expanded the Scf-expressing endothelial cells and stromal cells by inducing proliferation. Most splenic HSCs were adjacent to Tcf21+ stromal cells in red pulp. Conditional deletion of Scf from spleen endothelial cells, or of Scf or Cxcl12 from Tcf21+ stromal cells, severely reduced spleen EMH and reduced blood cell counts without affecting bone marrow haematopoiesis. Endothelial cells and Tcf21+ stromal cells thus create a perisinusoidal EMH niche in the spleen, which is necessary for the physiological response to diverse haematopoietic stresses.
Video quality assessment in video streaming services considering user preference for video content

In video streaming service, the user's Quality of Experience (QoE) is not only related to video signal quality received at consumer's devices, the users' subjectivity must also be considered. In this context, a video quality assessment method that takes into account the user's preference for video content is proposed in this research. In order to perform this task, the users' profiles that include their preferences were stored in a video server. Then, subjective tests of video quality assessment were conducted, in which evaluators had different video content preferences. Results show that the evaluators' QoE is highly correlated with the user's preference for video content type. Based on these experimental results, a function named Preference Factor (PF) is defined and used to adjust the quality index values obtained by an objective video quality metric running in the end user's device. The PF function also depends on video content type and quality index score. Using the PF function, the enhanced Video streaming Quality Metric (e-VsQM) is proposed and the results of its performance evaluation demonstrate that PF improves an objective video quality metric. Furthermore, e-VsQM has low complexity and can be utilized in different video services. Thus, an application scenario is presented, in which the proposed video quality metric is implemented.
Persistent rectal prolapse in children: sclerotherapy and surgical management

Persistent rectal prolapse is an uncommon but distressing condition in children. Significant controversy exists regarding its surgical management. The aim of this study was to identify a successful management strategy for persistent rectal prolapse in the paediatric population. Records of all children with rectal prolapse treated surgically at Birmingham Children’s Hospital between 1995 and 2003 were retrospectively reviewed. Demographic data, clinical presentation, investigations, treatment modality, complications, and outcome were recorded. Inclusion criteria for the study were failure of conservative management leading to operative treatment. An exclusion criterion was cystic fibrosis. A total of 24 patients with persistent rectal prolapse were identified. Two children with cystic fibrosis were excluded from the analysis. Children below the age of 5 years, group I (n=17), were successfully managed by submucous hypertonic saline injections. Eighty-three percent (14/17) were cured by injection sclerotherapy in this group, 12/14 (71%) requiring one injection and 2/14 requiring a second injection. In the three (17.6%) children in group I in whom sclerotherapy failed, cow’s milk protein (CMP) allergy was identified as the causative factor. Children older than 5, group II (n=5), either had behavioural problems (n=3) or were autistic (n=2). This group of children with adult-type, full-thickness rectal prolapse were found to be refractory to initial attempts of injection sclerotherapy. All five children were successfully managed with surgical correction. We conclude that rectal submucous hypertonic saline injections are highly effective for managing early-onset idiopathic childhood rectal prolapse. CMP allergy should be considered in young children with recurrent rectal prolapse. We recommend early definitive corrective surgery in older children with persistent rectal prolapse, as they do not respond to conservative measures or injection sclerotherapy.
Thrombolytic therapy and outcome of patients with an acute symptomatic pulmonary embolism.

BACKGROUND
While the primary therapy for most patients with a pulmonary embolism (PE) consists of anticoagulation, the efficacy of thrombolysis relative to standard therapy remains unclear.


METHODS
In this retrospective cohort study of 15,944 patients with an objectively confirmed symptomatic acute PE, identified from the multicenter, international, prospective, Registro Informatizado de la Enfermedad TromboEmbólica (RIETE registry), we aimed to assess the association between thrombolytic therapy and all-cause mortality during the first 3 months after the diagnosis of a PE. After creating two subgroups, stratified by systolic blood pressure (SBP) (< 100 mm Hg vs. other), we used propensity score-matching for a comparison of patients who received thrombolysis to those who did not in each subgroup.


RESULTS
Patients who received thrombolysis were younger, had fewer comorbid diseases and more signs of clinical severity compared with those who did not receive it. In the subgroup with systolic hypotension, analysis of propensity score-matched pairs (n = 94 pairs) showed a non-statistically significant but clinically relevant lower risk of death for thrombolysis compared with no thrombolysis (odds ratio [OR] 0.72; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.36-1.46; P = 0.37). In the normotensive subgroup, analysis of propensity score-matched pairs (n = 217 pairs) showed a statistically significant and clinically meaningful increased risk of death for thrombolysis compared with no thrombolysis (OR 2.32; 95% CI, 1.15-4.68; P = 0.018). When we imputed data for missing values for echocardiography and troponin tests in the group of normotensive patients, we no longer detected the increased risk of death associated with thrombolytic therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
In normotensive patients with acute symptomatic PE, thrombolytic therapy is associated with a higher risk of death than no thrombolytic therapy. In hemodynamically unstable patients, thrombolytic therapy is possibly associated with a lower risk of death than no thrombolytic therapy. However, study design limitations do not imply a causal relationship between thrombolytics and outcome.
NON-LOCAL UNSUPERVISED VARIATIONAL IMAGE SEGMENTATION MODELS

New image denoising models based on non-local image information have been recently introduced in the literature. These so-called ”non-local” denoising models provide excellent results because these models can denoise smooth regions or/and textured regions simultaneously, unlike standard denoising models. Standard variational models s.a. Total Variation-based models are defined to work in a small local neighborhood, which is enough to denoise smooth regions. However, textures are not local in nature and requires semi-local/non-local information to be denoised efficiently. Several papers have introduced non-local filters and non-local variational models for image denoising. Yet, few studies have been done to develop unsupervised image segmentation models based on non-local information. This will be the goal of this paper. We define and study three unsupervised non-local segmentation models. These models will be based on the continuous global minimization approach for image segmentation recently introduced in [10, 6]. The energy of [10, 6] is a first order energy composed of the weighted Total Variation norm and a linear term. The first proposed non-local segmentation model will extend the Total Variation regularization term of [10, 6] to the non-local Total Variation energy. We will see that the non-local energy can segment fine and small structures better than the standard Total Variation energy. The second model will extend the data-based term of [10, 6] to a non-local term using the Chan-Vese model. The proposed non-local Chan-Vese model will overcome the main limitation of the original model, that does not work with local intensity inhomogeneities. Finally, the third model will also extend the data-based term of [10, 6] to a non-local term using the Mumford-Shah energy. The original Mumford-Shah energy is designed to work for piecewise smooth images only. We suggest to extend it to textures, defining a non-local Mumford-Shah model that works with real-world images. Numerical minimization schemes presented in this paper are based on continuous and discrete (graph cut) approaches. Experimental results will illustrate the improvements provided by the three proposed non-local unsupervised segmentation models.
Computational Models of Expressive Music Performance: The State of the Art

 Gerhard Widmer  Professor and Head of the Department of Computational Perception at the Johannes Kepler University at Linz, Austria.  Head of the Machine Learning, Data Mining, and Intelligent Music Processing Group at the Austrian Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence (ÖFAI), Vienna.  Research Interests  Machine Learning and Pattern Recognition  Knowledge Discovery in Databases / Data Mining / Text Mining  Intelligent Music and Audio Processing  Computational Models of Expressive Music Performance  Music Information Retrieval (MIR)
A Physical Implementation of the Self-Reconfiguring Crystalline Robot

We discuss a physical implementation of the Crystalline robot system. Crystalline robots consist of modules that can aggregate together to form distributed robot systems. Crystalline modules are actuated by expanding and contracting each unit. This actuation mechanism permits automated shape metamorphosis. We describe the Crystalline module concept and a physical implementation of a robot system with ten units. We describe experiments with this robot.
Quality improvement guidelines for vascular access and closure device use.

PREAMBLE The membership of the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) Standards of Practice Committee represents experts in a broad spectrum of interventional procedures from both the private and academic sectors of medicine. Generally Standards of Practice Committee members dedicate the vast majority of their professional time to performing interventional procedures; as such they represent a valid broad expert constituency of the subject matter under consideration for standards production. Technical documents specifying the exact consensus and literature review methodologies as well as the institutional affiliations and professional credentials of the authors of this document are available upon request from SIR, 3975 Fair Ridge Dr., Suite 400 N., Fairfax, VA 22033.
Valley polarized quantum Hall effect and topological insulator phase transitions in silicene

The electronic properties of silicene are distinct from both the conventional two dimensional electron gas and the famous graphene due to strong spin orbit interaction and the buckled structure. Silicene has the potential to overcome limitations encountered for graphene, in particular the zero band gap and weak spin orbit interaction. We demonstrate a valley polarized quantum Hall effect and topological insulator phase transitions. We use the Kubo formalism to discuss the Hall conductivity and address the longitudinal conductivity for elastic impurity scattering in the first Born approximation. We show that the combination of an electric field with intrinsic spin orbit interaction leads to quantum phase transitions at the charge neutrality point, providing a tool to experimentally tune the topological state. Silicene constitutes a model system for exploring the spin and valley physics not accessible in graphene due to the small spin orbit interaction.