Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
DfT Reuse for Low-Cost Radiation Testing of SoCs: A Case Study

This paper proposes an efficient low-cost strategy for collecting data during radiation experiments on Systems-on-Chips (SoCs), exploiting the available on-chip Design for Testability (DfT) structures devised for manufacturing test.The approach combines hardware test and diagnostic features with suitable software tools, which enable accurate measurements and quick transient effects data collection.Specific flows for radiation testing of different kinds of embedded cores are described. Results are shown for a radiation experiment conducted on an embedded SRAM core included in a 90nm test-vehicle.
Polarization states of gravitational waves with a massive graviton

Using the Newman–Penrose formalism, we obtain explicit expressions for the polarization modes of weak, plane gravitational waves with a massive graviton. Our analysis is restricted to a specific bimetric theory whose term of mass for the graviton appears as an effective extra contribution to the stress–energy tensor. For this theory we find that the extra states of polarization have amplitudes several orders of magnitude smaller than purely general relativity (GR) polarizations, h+ and h×, in the VIRGO–LIGO frequency band. This result appears using the best limit to the graviton mass inferred from solar system observations and if we consider that all the components of the metric perturbation have the same amplitude h. However, if we consider low frequency gravitational waves (e.g., fGW ∼ 10−7 Hz), the extra polarization states produce similar Newman–Penrose amplitudes to purely GR polarization states. This particular characteristic of the bimetric theory studied here could be used, for example, to directly impose limits on the mass of the graviton from future experiments that study the cosmic microwave background (CMB).
Effects of Adding Super Dose Phytase to the Phosphorus-deficient Diets of Young Pigs on Growth Performance, Bone Quality, Minerals and Amino Acids Digestibilities

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of feeding an Escherichia coli (E. coli) derived phytase to pigs fed P deficient, corn-soybean meal diets. In Exp. 1, one hundred and twenty crossbred piglets (9.53±0.84 kg) were allocated to one of five treatments which consisted of four low P diets (0.61% Ca, 0.46% total P and 0.24% non-phytate P) supplemented with 0, 500, 1,000, or 20,000 FTU/kg E. coli phytase as well as a positive control formulated to be adequate in all nutrients (0.77% Ca, 0.62% total P and 0.42% non-phytate P). The treatments were applied to six pens with four pigs per pen for 28 days. In Exp. 2, ten crossbred pigs (19.66±1.16 kg) fitted with ileal T-cannula were used in a nutrient balance study. The pigs were assigned to treatments similar to those used in Exp. 1 in a doubly replicated 5×4 incomplete Latin square design (5 diets with 4 periods). Each period consisted of a 5-d adjustment period followed by a 3-d total collection of feces and urine and then a 2-d collection of ileal digesta. Supplementation with phytase linearly increased (p<0.05) weight gain, feed intake, feed efficiency, bone breaking strength and fat-free dry and ash bone weight. There were linear increases (p<0.01) in the apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of DM, GE, CP, Ca, total P, inositol hexaphosphate (IP6) and some AA with increasing dose of E. coli phytase. Pigs fed 20,000 FTU/kg had a greater (p<0.05) AID of IP6 (80% vs 59% or 64%, respectively) than pigs fed diets with 500 or 1,000 FTU/kg phytase. There were linear increases (p<0.05) in the total tract digestibility of Ca, total P, Na, K, Mg, and Zn as well as in the retention of Mg and Zn with increased phytase dose. The retention and utilization of Cu, and the total tract digestibility of CP and Cu quadratic increased (p<0.05) with increased phytase dose. In conclusion, supplementation of 500 FTU of phytase/kg and above effectively hydrolyzed phytate in low-P corn-soybean diets for pigs. In addition, a super dose of phytase (20,000 FTU/kg) hydrolyzed most of the IP6 and consequently further improved mineral use, protein utilization and performance.
Corners and bubble wrap: the structure and texture of surfaces influence crayfish exploratory behaviour

SUMMARY Touch is a principal sense in all animals. It is potentially important in species of freshwater crayfish that encounter murky waters or are nocturnal. Little is known about how tactile (touch) stimuli affect exploratory behaviour under these conditions. We placed animals in different tactile situations at the start of an exploration in a dark arena and tracked the position of the body and antennae to test whether subsequent search behaviour was affected. Individuals were exposed to differently textured walls, channelled out along a wall, or released in contact with no, one, or two walls. A corner arrangement of surfaces, where individuals started near two walls at right angles, produced behaviour that differed from that of other configurations; animals chose one wall and then maintained a close distance from the wall along which they were moving. The distance from a wall adopted by a crayfish walking parallel to it was affected by the texture of the wall. These results on the influence of tactile stimuli on crayfish exploratory behaviour may have implications for other taxa.
Imagine-Self Perspective-Taking and Rational Self-Interested Behavior in a Simple Experimental Normal-Form Game

The purpose of this study is to explore the link between imagine-self perspective-taking and rational self-interested behavior in experimental normal-form games. Drawing on the concept of sympathy developed by Adam Smith and further literature on perspective-taking in games, we hypothesize that introduction of imagine-self perspective-taking by decision-makers promotes rational self-interested behavior in a simple experimental normal-form game. In our study, we examined behavior of 404 undergraduate students in the two-person game, in which the participant can suffer a monetary loss only if she plays her Nash equilibrium strategy and the opponent plays her dominated strategy. Results suggest that the threat of suffering monetary losses effectively discourages the participants from choosing Nash equilibrium strategy. In general, players may take into account that opponents choose dominated strategies due to specific not self-interested motivations or errors. However, adopting imagine-self perspective by the participants leads to more Nash equilibrium choices, perhaps by alleviating participants’ attributions of susceptibility to errors or non-self-interested motivation to the opponents.
Understanding and modeling the impact of analog IPs on System-on-Chip's EMI

In modern digital ICs, the increasing demand for performance and throughput requires operating frequencies of hundreds of MHz, and in several cases exceeding the GHz range. Following the technology scaling trends, this request will continue to rise, thus increasing the electromagnetic interference (EMI) generated by electronic systems. The enforcement of strict governmental regulations and international standards, mainly (but not only) in the automotive domain, are driving new efforts towards design solutions, modeling, and analysis techniques for electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). In this paper we analyze the impact of analog IPs on the EMC behavior of complex System-on-Chip (SoC) designs, and we demonstrate that neglecting their contribution is a fallacy. The experimental results obtained on an industrial automotive microcontroller validate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Minimum MSE relaying in coded networks

In order to combine the advantages of amplify-forward (AF) and decode-forward (DF) in relay networks, several strategies have been developed making use of reliability information after decoding at the relay. The use of soft-output channel decoders enables forwarding reliability information for the decoded bits. This soft information can be forwarded in different ways, e.g. by transmission of the log likelihood ratios (LLRs) normalized to the power constraint. In this paper transmitting expectation values after decoding, the so-called decode-estimate-forward (DEF) scheme, will be shown to be the best choice in terms of the mean squared uncorrelated error at the receiver. Additionally, it will be shown that LLR combining is superior to maximum ratio combining at the receiver as the overall disturbance of the received signal is not Gaussian in the case of DEF. Furthermore, in the uncoded case LLR combing also improves the performance in terms of effective signal-to-noise ratio and bit error rate.
Evidence for a Millisecond Pulsar in 4U 1636–53 during a Superburst

We report the discovery with the Proportional Counter Array on board the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer of highly coherent 582 Hz pulsations during the 2001 February 22 (UT) "superburst" from 4U 1636-53. The pulsations are detected during an ≈800 s interval spanning the flux maximum of the burst. Within this interval the barycentric oscillation frequency increases in a monotonic fashion from 581.89 to 581.93 Hz. The predicted orbital motion of the neutron star during this interval is consistent with such an increase as long as optical maximum corresponds roughly with superior conjunction of V801 Arae, the optical companion to the neutron star in 4U 1636-53. We show that a range of circular orbits with velocity 90 km s-1 < vns sin i < 175 km s-1 and fractional phase 0.336 > ϕ0 > 0.277 for the neutron star can provide an excellent description of the frequency and phase evolution. The brevity of the observed pulse train with respect to the 3.8 hr orbital period unfortunately does not allow for more precise constraints. The average pulse profile is sinusoidal, and the time-averaged pulsation amplitude, as inferred from the half amplitude of the sinusoid, is 1%, smaller than typical for burst oscillations observed in normal thermonuclear bursts. We do not detect any higher harmonics nor the putative subharmonic near 290 Hz. The 90% upper limits on signal amplitude at the subharmonic and first harmonic are 0.1% and 0.06%, respectively. The highly coherent pulsation, with a Q ≡ ν0/Δν > 4.5 × 105, provides compelling evidence for a rapidly rotating neutron star in 4U 1636-53 and further supports the connection of burst oscillation frequencies with the spin frequencies of neutron stars. Our results provide further evidence that some millisecond pulsars are spun up via accretion in low-mass X-ray binaries. We also discuss the implications of our orbital velocity constraint for the masses of the components of 4U 1636-53.
Inhibitory effect of secretin and cholecystokinin on Heidenhain pouch responses to gastrin extract and histamine

Rapid intravenous injections of secretin and cholecystokinin (Vitrum) inhibited the acid response of Heidenhain pouch dogs to continuous intravenous gastrin extract. Cholecystokinin caused greater inhibition than secretin. Responses to small doses of histamine were inhibited by cholecystokinin but not by secretin.
Patterns of incorporation of (3H)galactose by cells of Zea mays root tips.

['H]galactose shows a selective pattern of uptake distribution in the apical portion of the root tip of Zea mays. In cells entering division it is incorporated into the Golgi apparatus within 10 min and is transferred from that organelle to the forming cell plate. The pattern of uptake suggests a specific biochemical activity on the part of the Golgi apparatus at the time of division so far as the incorporation of galactose is concerned. Apparently little galactose is converted to glucose in the most apical portion of the root. In normal secretory cells, the heaviest uptake is found in the sieve tube elements, epidermal cells and the outer cells of the root cap.
A case-control study on risk factors of breast cancer in China

Introduction To screen the risk factors associated with breast cancer among Chinese women in order to evaluate the individual risk of developing breast cancer among women in China. Material and methods A case-control study on 416 breast cancer patients and 1156 matched controls was conducted in 14 hospitals in 8 provinces of China in 2008. Controls were age- and region-matched to the cases. Clinicians conducted in-person interviews with the subjects to collect information on demographics and suspected risk factors for breast cancer that are known worldwide. Conditional logistic regression was used to derive odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the associations between risk factors and breast cancer. Results Compared with matched controls, women with breast cancer were significantly more likely to have higher body mass index (BMI, OR = 4.07, 95% CI: 2.98-5.55), history of benign breast disease (BBD) biopsy (OR = 1.68, 95% CI: 1.19-2.38), older age of menarche (AOM) (OR = 1.41, 95% CI: 1.07-1.87), stress anticipation (SA), for grade 1-4, OR = 2.15, 95% CI: 1.26-3.66; for grade 5-9, OR = 3.48, 95% CI: 2.03-5.95) and menopause (OR = 2.22, 95% CI: 1.50-3.282) at the level of p < 0.05. Family history of breast cancer (FHBC) in first-degree relatives (OR = 1.66, 95% CI: 0.77-3.59) and use of oral contraceptives (OC) (OR = 1.59, 95% CI: 0.83-3.05) were associated with an increased risk of breast cancer at the level of p < 0.20. Conclusions Our results showed that BMI, history of BBD biopsy, older AOM, SA and menopause were associated with increased risk of breast cancer among Chinese women. The findings derived from the study provided some suggestions for population-based prevention and control of breast cancer in China.
Treatment of adrenocorticotropin-dependent Cushing's syndrome: a consensus statement.

OBJECTIVE Our objective was to evaluate the published literature and reach a consensus on the treatment of patients with ACTH-dependent Cushing's syndrome, because there is no recent consensus on the management of this rare disorder. PARTICIPANTS Thirty-two leading endocrinologists, clinicians, and neurosurgeons with specific expertise in the management of ACTH-dependent Cushing's syndrome representing nine countries were chosen to address 1) criteria for cure and remission of this disorder, 2) surgical treatment of Cushing's disease, 3) therapeutic options in the event of persistent disease after transsphenoidal surgery, 4) medical therapy of Cushing's disease, and 5) management of ectopic ACTH syndrome, Nelson's syndrome, and special patient populations. EVIDENCE Participants presented published scientific data, which formed the basis of the recommendations. Opinion shared by a majority of experts was used where strong evidence was lacking. CONSENSUS PROCESS Participants met for 2 d, during which there were four chaired sessions of presentations, followed by general discussion where a consensus was reached. The consensus statement was prepared by a steering committee and was then reviewed by all authors, with suggestions incorporated if agreed upon by the majority. CONCLUSIONS ACTH-dependent Cushing's syndrome is a heterogeneous disorder requiring a multidisciplinary and individualized approach to patient management. Generally, the treatment of choice for ACTH-dependent Cushing's syndrome is curative surgery with selective pituitary or ectopic corticotroph tumor resection. Second-line treatments include more radical surgery, radiation therapy (for Cushing's disease), medical therapy, and bilateral adrenalectomy. Because of the significant morbidity of Cushing's syndrome, early diagnosis and prompt therapy are warranted.
Toxocara malaysiensis N. Sp. (Nematoda: Ascaridoidea) from the Domestic Cat (Felis catus Linnaeus, 1758)

Toxocara malaysiensis n. sp. from the small intestine of the domestic cat (Felis catus L.) in Malaysia is described and illustrated. This ascaridoid nematode was previously assumed to be Toxocara canis, which it superficially resembles, or designated Toxocara sp. cf. canis. The new species differs from T. canis in the shape of the cervical alae in cross section, spicule length, and the lip structure. It is also distinct from other species assigned to Toxocara.
Head injury or head motion? Assessment and quantification of motion artifacts in diffusion tensor imaging studies

The relationship between head motion and diffusion values such as fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) is currently not well understood. Simulation studies suggest that head motion may introduce either a positive or negative bias, but this has not been quantified in clinical studies. Moreover, alternative measures for removing bias as result of head motion, such as the removal of problematic gradients, has been suggested but not carefully evaluated. The current study examined the impact of head motion on FA and MD across three common pipelines (tract‐based spatial statistics, voxelwise, and region of interest analyses) and determined the impact of removing diffusion weighted images. Our findings from a large cohort of healthy controls indicate that while head motion was associated with a positive bias for both FA and MD, the effect was greater for MD. The positive bias was observed across all three analysis pipelines and was present following established protocols for data processing, suggesting that current techniques (i.e., correction of both image and gradient table) for removing motion bias are likely insufficient. However, the removal of images with gross artifacts did not fundamentally change the relationship between motion and DTI scalar values. In addition, Monte Carlo simulations suggested that the random removal of images increases the bias and reduces the precision of both FA and MD. Finally, we provide an example of how head motion can be quantified across different neuropsychiatric populations, which should be implemented as part of any diffusion tensor imaging quality assurance protocol. Hum Brain Mapp, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Reconfigurable Cluster-Based Networks-on-Chip for Application-Specific MPSoCs

In this paper, we propose a reconfigurable NoC in which a customized topology for a given application can be implemented. In this NoC, the nodes are grouped into some clusters interconnected by a reconfigurable communication infrastructure. The nodes inside a cluster are connected by a fixed topology. From the traffic management perspective, this structure benefits from the interesting characteristics of the mesh topology (efficient handling of local traffic where each node communicates with its neighbors), while avoids its drawbacks (the lack of short paths between remotely located nodes). We then present a design flow that maps the frequently communicating tasks of a given application into the same cluster and exploits the reconfigurable connections to set up appropriate inter-cluster links. The evaluation results show the power- and performance-efficiency of the proposed NoC.
Partners in Lowering Cholesterol: Comparison of a Multidisciplinary Educational Program, Monetary Incentives, or Usual Care in the Treatment of Dyslipidemia Identified Among Employees

Objective: We sought to assess whether either a low-cost educational intervention or small monetary incentive is more effective than usual care in lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol among employees. Methods: Employees with an LDL-C >130 mg/dL were eligible. After receiving on-line educational materials, subjects were assigned to three groups: group 1 received $100 if they reduced their LDL-C by 15% within 6 months, group 2 participated in a multi-disciplinary educational program, and group 3 received no further intervention. Results: In total, 171 employees participated. Baseline mean LDL-C was 156 mg/dL. Approximately 6 months after randomization, mean LDL-C was reduced 17.9 mg/dL (11.3%) in group 1, 17.9 mg/dL (11.5%) in group 2, and 5.5 mg/dL (3.5%) in group 3. Reductions in groups 1 and 2 were statistically superior to group 3 (P = 0.02). Conclusions: Both an employer directed low-cost educational program and small monetary incentives similarly lowered LDL-C compared with usual care.
Using implementation intentions prompts to enhance influenza vaccination rates

We evaluate the results of a field experiment designed to measure the effect of prompts to form implementation intentions on realized behavioral outcomes. The outcome of interest is influenza vaccination receipt at free on-site clinics offered by a large firm to its employees. All employees eligible for study participation received reminder mailings that listed the times and locations of the relevant vaccination clinics. Mailings to employees randomly assigned to the treatment conditions additionally included a prompt to write down either (i) the date the employee planned to be vaccinated or (ii) the date and time the employee planned to be vaccinated. Vaccination rates increased when these implementation intentions prompts were included in the mailing. The vaccination rate among control condition employees was 33.1%. Employees who received the prompt to write down just a date had a vaccination rate 1.5 percentage points higher than the control group, a difference that is not statistically significant. Employees who received the more specific prompt to write down both a date and a time had a 4.2 percentage point higher vaccination rate, a difference that is both statistically significant and of meaningful magnitude.
Former male elite athletes have better metabolic health in late life than their controls

Elite‐class athletes have longer life expectancy and lower risk for chronic noncommunicable diseases possibly because of physically active and healthier lifestyle. In this study, we assessed former male Finnish elite‐class athletes’ (n = 392) and their matched controls’ (n = 207) body composition, and risk for the metabolic syndrome (MS) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in later life. Compared with the controls, the former athletes had lower body fat percentage (24.8% vs 26.0%, P = 0.021), lower risk for MS [odds ratio (OR) 0.57, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.40–0.81], and NAFLD (OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.42–0.88). High volume of current leisure‐time physical activity (LTPA) was associated with lower body fat percentage (P for trend < 0.001). When current volume of LTPA increased 1 MET h/week, the risk of MS and NAFLD decreased (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.98–0.99 and OR 0.97, 95% CI 0.96–0.98, respectively). Although a career as an elite‐class athlete during young adulthood may help to protect from developing metabolic syndrome, present exercise levels and volume of LTPA seem equally important as well.
Plasma miR-208 as a biomarker of myocardial injury.

BACKGROUND MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous small RNAs of 21-25 nucleotides that can pair with sites in 3' untranslated regions in mRNAs of protein-coding genes to downregulate their expression. Recently, circulating miRNAs have been reported as promising biomarkers for various pathologic conditions. We assessed the hypothesis that miRNAs may leak into the circulating blood from injured cells and thereby serve as biomarkers for identifying the injured cell type. METHODS We used isoproterenol-induced myocardial injury in rats as a model and miRNA array analyses to identify candidate miRNAs specifically produced in the ventricles of the heart. Individual miRNA concentrations were measured by real-time reverse-transcription PCR. Plasma cardiac troponin I (cTnI) concentrations were measured with an ELISA. RESULTS Array analyses revealed miR-208 to be produced exclusively in the heart, and we selected this miRNA as a possible biomarker of myocardial injury. Plasma concentrations of miR-208 increased significantly (P < 0.0001) after isoproterenol-induced myocardial injury and showed a similar time course to the concentration of cTnI, a classic biomarker of myocardial injury. CONCLUSIONS The plasma concentration of miR-208 may be a useful indicator of myocardial injury. Our results suggest that profiling of circulating miRNAs may help identify promising biomarkers of various pathologic conditions.