Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An FPGA Implementation of a Parallelized MT19937 Uniform Random Number Generator

Recent times have witnessed an increase in use of high-performance reconfigurable computing for accelerating large-scale simulations. A characteristic of such simulations, like infrared (IR) scene simulation, is the use of large quantities of uncorrelated random numbers. It is therefore of interest to have a fast uniform random number generator implemented in reconfigurable hardware. While there have been previous attempts to accelerate the MT19937 pseudouniform random number generator using FPGAs we believe that we can substantially improve the previous implementations to develop a higher throughput and more area-time efficient design. Due to the potential for parallel implementation of random numbers generators, designs that have both a small area footprint and high throughput are to be preferred to ones that have the high throughput but with significant extra area requirements. In this paper, we first present a single port design and then present an enhanced 624 port hardware implementation of the MT19937 algorithm. The 624 port hardware implementation when implemented on a Xilinx XC2VP70-6 FPGA chip has a throughput of 32 bit random numbers per second which is more than 17x that of the previously best published uniform random number generator. Furthermore it has the lowest area time metric of all the currently published FPGA-based pseudouniform random number generators.
Observer design for a class of nonlinear systems with non-full relative degree

The paper proposes a method for observer design for a class of nonlinear systems. We decompose the system using a weaker concept than the relative degree. We provide sufficient conditions for global asymptotic stability of the error dynamics. The observer design is carried out by means of a change of coordinates combined with a high gain technique. In particular, our approach results in an observer gain vector field which is extraordinary easy to compute.
Design and performance of ultraprecise 2.5-mc quartz crystal units

A 2.5-mc crystal unit has been developed for use in a new, extremely stable frequency standard oscillator. A well-balanced design was achieved by using a 30-mm-diameter, plano-convex, polished quartz plate, coated with gold and operated on its fifth overtone. The quartz plate is mounted on its quiescent edge in an evacuated bulb, and achieves a Q of five to six million, representative of the Q of the quartz itself. The temperature coefficient, current coefficient, frequency adjustment tolerance and frequency aging of the crystal unit are all consistent with a frequency stability in the order of one part in 1010. It was necessary to develop polishing methods that would not disturb the crystal structure of the quartz plate and new methods of orienting the crystollographic axes to achieve better temperature coefficient control. New methods of mounting the quartz plate were found that avoid strain and reduce the effects of shock and vibration. The new crystal unit makes possible oscillators characterized by excellent frequency stability, small and uniform aging and straightforward design. For periods up to one month, the frequency stability of such standards compares favorably with that of atomic frequency standards.
Comparative estimation of effective population sizes and temporal gene flow in two contrasting population systems

Estimation of effective population sizes (Ne) and temporal gene flow (Nem, m) has many implications for understanding population structure in evolutionary and conservation biology. However, comparative studies that gauge the relative performance of Ne, Nem or m methods are few. Using temporal genetic data from two salmonid fish population systems with disparate population structure, we (i) evaluated the congruence in estimates and precision of long‐ and short‐term Ne, Nem and m from six methods; (ii) explored the effects of metapopulation structure on Ne estimation in one system with spatiotemporally linked subpopulations, using three approaches; and (iii) determined to what degree interpopulation gene flow was asymmetric over time. We found that long‐term Ne estimates exceeded short‐term Ne within populations by 2–10 times; the two were correlated in the system with temporally stable structure (Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar) but not in the highly dynamic system (brown trout, Salmo trutta). Four temporal methods yielded short‐term Ne estimates within populations that were strongly correlated, and these were higher but more variable within salmon populations than within trout populations. In trout populations, however, these short‐term Ne estimates were always lower when assuming gene flow than when assuming no gene flow. Linkage disequilibrium data generally yielded short‐term Ne estimates of the same magnitude as temporal methods in both systems, but the two were uncorrelated. Correlations between long‐ and short‐term geneflow estimates were inconsistent between methods, and their relative size varied up to eightfold within systems. While asymmetries in gene flow were common in both systems (58–63% of population‐pair comparisons), they were only temporally stable in direction within certain salmon population pairs, suggesting that gene flow between particular populations is often intermittent and/or variable. Exploratory metapopulation Ne analyses in trout demonstrated both the importance of spatial scale in estimating Ne and the role of gene flow in maintaining genetic variability within subpopulations. Collectively, our results illustrate the utility of comparatively applying Ne, Nem and m to (i) tease apart processes implicated in population structure, (ii) assess the degree of continuity in patterns of connectivity between population pairs and (iii) gauge the relative performance of different approaches, such as the influence of population subdivision and gene flow on Ne estimation. They further reiterate the importance of temporal sampling replication in population genetics, the value of interpreting Neor m in light of species biology, and the need to address long‐standing assumptions of current Ne, Nem or m models more explicitly in future research.
Neural Photoreception in a Lamellibranch Mollusc

The pallial nerves of Spisula solidissima each contain a single afferent nerve fiber which responds directly to illumination of the nerve, and apparently mediates the "shadow" response of siphon retraction. These units show constant-frequency spontaneous activity in the dark; illumination abruptly inhibits this discharge, and cessation of the light stimulus then evokes a prolonged burst of impulses at high frequency (the off-response). Impulses are initiated at a point near the visceral ganglion, and propagated unidirectionally toward it. Stimulation with monochromatic light has revealed that more than one photoreceptor pigment is involved, since the discharge patterns evoked are wavelength-specific. Inhibition is relatively prominent at short wavelengths, excitation at long wavelengths. Following selective adaptation with blue light, "on" responses can be produced with red stimuli, demonstrating the unmasking of an excitatory event which takes place during illumination. The two photoreceptor pigments may be segregated in two or more cells presynaptic to the recorded unit, or,—more likely—may both be contained in the same cell. The spectral sensitivity function for inhibition shows a single maximum at 540 mµ, and is probably dependent upon a carotenoid pigment. No photoreceptor function has been demonstrated for a hemoprotein, apparently identical with cytochrome h, which occurs in high concentration in Spisula nerve.
Heterogeneous associations of insoluble dietary fibre intake with subsequent glycosylated Hb levels among Chinese adults with type 2 diabetes: a quantile regression approach

Dietary fibre intake has been suggested to reduce blood glucose levels in diabetic patients, particularly when glycosylated Hb (HbA1c) levels are high. In the present study, we used a quantile regression (QR) approach to characterise the possible heterogeneous associations of dietary fibre intake with HbA1c levels in Chinese diabetic patients. A total of 497 diabetic patients participated in the baseline survey in 2006 and in the follow-up survey in 2011, both of which were conducted in Pudong New Area of Shanghai, China. Structured in-person interviews were conducted to collect information on demographic characteristics and lifestyle factors. Dietary intake was assessed using a validated FFQ. Blood samples were collected during the interviews for biochemical assays. QR models were used to examine the heterogeneous associations of dietary factors with HbA1c levels. A significant marginal association of insoluble dietary fibre intake with subsequent HbA1c levels was observed only when the HbA1c level was over 6·8 %. The associations appeared to be greater when the quantile levels of HbA1c were higher. The coefficient estimates were − 0·174 (95 % CI − 0·433, − 0·025) at the quantile of 0·60, − 0·200 (95 % CI − 0·306, − 0·008) at 0·70, − 0·221 (95 % CI − 0·426, − 0·117) at 0·80, and − 0·389 (95 % CI − 0·516, − 0·018) at 0·90. A similar pattern was observed for the associations of dietary glycaemic index (GI) value with HbA1c levels. In conclusion, the present results indicate that the associations of insoluble dietary fibre intake and GI value with subsequent HbA1c levels depend on glycaemic control status in Chinese diabetic patients. More studies are required to confirm our findings.
ECG based personal identification using extended Kalman filter

This paper proposes a new approach for electrocardiogram (ECG) based personal identification based on extended Kalman filtering (EKF) framework. The framework uses nonlinear ECG dynamic models formulated to represent noisy ECG signal. The advantage of the models is the ability to capture distinct ECG features used for biometric recognition such as temporal and amplitude distances between PQRST points. Moreover the inherent modeling of additive noise provides robust recognition. Log-likelihood scoring is proposed for classification. The algorithm is evaluated on identification task on 13 subjects of MIT-BIH Arrhythmia Database using single lead data. Identification rate of 87.50% is achieved on 30s test recordings of normal beat. Experimental results using artificial additive white noise show that the model is robust to noise for SNR level above 20dB.
The new insights into cadmium sensing

Cadmium (Cd) is non-essential heavy metal, which in excess, exhibits deleterious effects to the most of the organisms. Mobilization of defense mechanisms against this toxic agent requires rapid activation of signaling pathways. The article presents recent advances in the research concerning cadmium signal transduction in plants. New insights into the involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS), nitric oxide (NO), plant growth regulators, and Cd-induced protein modifications are reviewed. Moreover, the role of recently recognized Cd-associated signal elements, including micro RNAs and several cis- and trans-acting elements is discussed.
The menopausal age and associated factors in Gorgan, Iran

Background Considering the physical, emotional and psychological complications of early or delayed menopause on women‘s life, it is necessary to determine associated factors of menopause age. This study designed to determine menopausal age and associated factors in women of Gorgan, i.e. the capital of Golestan province in the north-east of Iran. Methods In this cross-sectional study, 804 menopausal women in Gorgan were selected via two-stage sampling method in 2009. The study included only women who had undergone natural menopause and had their last menstrual bleeding at least one year before. Data were gathered through structured questionnaire that included individual characteristics, socioeconomic characteristics, menstrual and fertility characteristics and climacteric complaints. Socioeconomic status was defined using principal component analysis. Data were analyzed with T-student's and ANOVA tests using SPSS version 16 (SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL, USA) for Windows. Results The mean menopause age was 47.6±4.45 years with the median age of 48 years. The mean menopause age in women with first pregnancy before 30 years (47.58±4.47years), without pregnancy (46.26±4.90years) and without delivery (46.30±4.47 years) was significantly lower than others (p<0.01). The mean menopause age was lower in single women (46.6±2.80 years), with low income level (47.7±4.39 years) and smokers (47.6±4.45 years) compared to others; but these differences were not statistically significant (p>0.05). Socioeconomic status was not associated significantly with menopause age (p>0.05). Conclusion This study illustrated that menstrual and fertility factors have influence on menopausal age while socioeconomic factors were not effective.
An investigation into public stigma towards depression: measuring, predicting and reducing negative responses among adolescents

viii List of Tables . ix List of Figures . xi List of Appendices . xii List of Abbreviations . xiii Chapter 1 . 1 Thesis Overview . 1 1.1 Aim of Chapter . 1 1.2 Overview of the Current Research Area . 1 Chapter 2 . 9 Study
L-asparaginase pharmacokinetics and asparagine levels in cerebrospinal fluid of rhesus monkeys and humans.

L-Asparaginase has been widely used for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Therapeutic and toxic effects in the central nervous system have been noted with systemic treatment. In order to better define the relationship between L-asparaginase administration and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) asparagine levels, L-asparaginase and asparagine were measured in the CSF of rhesus monkeys following intrathecal and i.v. administration. Following intrathecal injection, the enzyme activity of Escherichia coli L-asparaginase in the CSF demonstrated a more rapid terminal half-life than did that of 111In-labeled diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, a marker of CSF bulk flow [4 +/- 0.7 (S.D.) hr versus 5.8 +/- 0.2 hr]. Intrathecal injection of E. coli asparaginase resulted in complete depletion of CSF asparagine for at least 5 days. A similar period of CSF asparagine depletion was observed following i.v. administration of L-asparaginase. Similar results were found in seven patients undergoing systemic L-asparaginase therapy. The minimal plasma level of L-asparaginase necessary to deplete CSF asparagine in both species was 0.1 IU/ml. Two other enzymes, Erwinia L-asparaginase and succinylated Acinetobacter glutaminase-asparaginase, were cleared from the CSF at the same rate as bulk flow. These data indicate that systemic L-asparaginase therapy may be a feasible means of treating central nervous system involvement in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and that there is no therapeutic advantage to using intrathecal L-asparaginase.
Unconditionally secure secret key agreement and the intrinsic conditional mutual information

This paper is concerned with secret key agreement by public discussion two parties Alice and Bob and an adversary Eve have access to independent realizations of random variables X Y and Z respectively with joint distribution PXY Z The secret key rate S X Y jjZ has been de ned as the maximal rate at which Alice and Bob can generate a secret key by communication over an insecure but authenticated channel such that Eve s information about this key is arbitrarily small We de ne a new conditional mutual information mea sure the intrinsic conditional mutual information between X and Y when given Z denoted by I X Y Z which is an upper bound on S X Y jjZ The special scenarios where X Y and Z are generated by sending a binary random variable R for example a signal broadcast by a satellite over independent channels or where Z is generated by sending X and Y over erasure channels are analyzed In the rst scenario it can be shown that the secret key rate is strictly positive if and only if I X Y Z is strictly positive For the second scenario a new protocol is presented which allows secret key agreement even when all the previously known protocols fail
Mapping Pathological Phenotypes in a Mouse Model of CDKL5 Disorder

Mutations in cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 (CDKL5) cause early-onset epileptic encephalopathy, a neurodevelopmental disorder with similarities to Rett Syndrome. Here we describe the physiological, molecular, and behavioral phenotyping of a Cdkl5 conditional knockout mouse model of CDKL5 disorder. Behavioral analysis of constitutive Cdkl5 knockout mice revealed key features of the human disorder, including limb clasping, hypoactivity, and abnormal eye tracking. Anatomical, physiological, and molecular analysis of the knockout uncovered potential pathological substrates of the disorder, including reduced dendritic arborization of cortical neurons, abnormal electroencephalograph (EEG) responses to convulsant treatment, decreased visual evoked responses (VEPs), and alterations in the Akt/rpS6 signaling pathway. Selective knockout of Cdkl5 in excitatory and inhibitory forebrain neurons allowed us to map the behavioral features of the disorder to separable cell-types. These findings identify physiological and molecular deficits in specific forebrain neuron populations as possible pathological substrates in CDKL5 disorder.
Can Physical Activity Mitigate the Effects of Aging in Middle‐Aged Women?

Background Aging is associated with an increased risk of women dying from coronary heart disease as well as from all causes combined. Alterations in the major biological risk factors for early coronary heart disease and all-cause mortality are frequently seen in aging. Methods and Results The present investigation tested the hypothesis that high levels of physical activity could protect against age-associated changes in biological risk factor levels. In the Healthy Women Study, 507 women were evaluated at study entry and 3 years later. Weekly physical activity level was measured at each examination via the Paffenbarger Physical Activity Questionnaire. During the 3-year period, women increased significantly in weight, blood pressure, levels of total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, and insulin and decreased significantly in levels of total high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and HDL2-C. Conclusions Consistent with the study hypothesis, women who reported higher levels of activity at baseline had less weight gain over time. Furthermore, women who increased their activity during the 3-year interval had the smallest increases in weight and tended to have the smallest decreases in total HDL-C and HDL2-C. The changes in lipids due to activity were largely independent of changes in body weight.
Asking questions in child English: Evidence for early abstract representations

ABSTRACT We compare the predictions of two different accounts of first language acquisition by investigating the relative contributions of abstract syntax and input frequency to the elicited production of main and embedded questions by 36 monolingual English-speaking toddlers aged 3;00 to 5;11. In particular, we investigate whether children’s accuracy rates across different interrogative structures (main vs. embedded, yes/no vs. wh-, argument vs. adjunct) can be explained by difference in terms of input frequency in parental speech or whether abstract structural factors are needed to account for such asymmetries. In main-clause questions, children correctly invert the order of the subject and auxiliary more often with yes/no than wh-questions, despite a higher input frequency of uninverted yes/no questions. Furthermore, in main-clause wh-questions, inversion rates are higher for argument than adjunct wh-questions, independent of input frequencies. Finally, in embedded-clause questions, children correctly avoid inversion more often in yes/no than wh-questions and show no effect of input frequency or type of wh-word. A significant positive correlation between (correct) inversion rates in main and (incorrect) inversion rates in embedded questions suggests that inversion in embedded contexts stems from rule overgeneralization. Taken together, the results highlight the importance of abstract structural factors in children’s production, above and beyond the role of frequency distributions in the input.
The Wall Mesh

The wall mesh is a degree-3 mesh obtained from the ordinary degree-4 mesh by deleting one degree from each node. Its node degree is reduced by 25 % while its diameter is almost the same as the degree-4 mesh. It is computationally equivalent to the degree-4 mesh since a degree--4 mesh can be embedded in a wall mesh with dilation 3 and congestion 3. As a result, all existed algorithms on degree-4 meshes can be effortlessly ported to the wall mesh with only constant slowdown. A wall torus can be obtained from a wall mesh,which has the property of node symmetry. This paper suggests several methods to enhance the wall mesh by adding the deleted degree back to each node. It turns out that the enhanced wall mesh has a much better diameter than the degree--4 mesh,and is suitable for some algorithms that might not perform well on ordinary meshes.
Biometric Authentication Using ElGamal Cryptosystem And DNA Sequence

Biometrics are automated methods of identifying a person or verifying the identity of a person based on a Physiological or behavioral characteristic. Physiological characteristics include hand or finger images, facial characteristics and iris recognition. Behavioral characteristics include dynamic signature verification, speaker verification, and keystroke dynamics. DNA is unique feature among individuals. DNA provides high security level, long term stability, user acceptance and is intrusive. Combining ElGamal cryptosystem and DNA sequence, a novel biometric authentication scheme is proposed.
Lyα Emission-Line Galaxies at z = 3.1 in the Extended Chandra Deep Field-South

We describe the results of an extremely deep, 0.28 deg2 survey for z = 3.1 Lyα emission-line galaxies in the Extended Chandra Deep Field-South. By using a narrowband 5000 Å filter and complementary broadband photometry from the MUSYC survey, we identify a statistically complete sample of 162 galaxies with monochromatic fluxes brighter than 1.5 × 10-17 ergs cm-2 s-1 and observer's frame equivalent widths greater than 80 Å. We show that the equivalent width distribution of these objects follows an exponential with a rest-frame scale length of w0 = 76 Å. In addition, we show that in the emission line, the luminosity function of Lyα galaxies has a faint-end power-law slope of α = -1.49, a bright-end cutoff of log L* = 42.64, and a space density above our detection thresholds of (1.46 ± 0.12) × 10-3 h galaxies Mpc-3. Finally, by comparing the emission-line and continuum properties of the Lyα emitters, we show that the star formation rates derived from Lyα are ~3 times lower than those inferred from the rest-frame UV continuum. We use this offset to deduce the existence of a small amount of internal extinction within the host galaxies. This extinction, coupled with the lack of extremely high equivalent width emitters, argues that these galaxies are not primordial Population III objects, although they are young and relatively chemically unevolved.